Jamal Pogues Record: 11-5-0

UFC run

One of the defining wins of Pogues's pre-UFC arc came back in February 2018, when he handed unbeaten prospect Kyle Noblitt his first loss by unanimous decision, an early sign he could outwork talented competition over three rounds. In the Octagon, he opened with a unanimous-decision victory over Josh Parisian in February 2023, showcasing the volume and grappling control that became his calling card. A step up against unbeaten Brit Mick Parkin in July 2023 went the other way, dropping a competitive decision. He rebounded in February 2024 with a unanimous-decision win over Thomas Petersen, before a razor-thin split-decision loss to unbeaten Hamdy Abdelwahab in February 2025 closed out his run.

Fighting style

Pogues is a pace-and-grappling heavyweight rather than a knockout artist, a profile reflected in his record: six of his 11 wins have come by decision, with four knockouts and one submission and a finish rate around 45%, low for the weight class but a product of his preference for grinding three-round fights. His length, cardio, and wrestling let him control position and out-volume bigger punchers, and he is comfortable going the distance against quality opposition. The trade-off is that several of his most important results have been close decisions that could have gone either way, including narrow UFC losses to undefeated prospects, leaving him on the wrong side of fine margins at the highest level.

Career highlights

• UFC contract on Contender Series — defeated Paulo Renato Jr. by unanimous decision in 2022 to earn his place on the roster.
• Octagon debut victory — outpointed veteran Josh Parisian over three rounds in February 2023 for his first UFC win.
• Upset of an unbeaten prospect — handed then-undefeated Kyle Noblitt his first career loss, an early statement of his ability to beat hyped competition.