Nick Klein Record: 6-3-0

Rise to the UFC

The most important regional win of Klein's run came in May 2023, when he submitted veteran Collin Huckbody by third-round rear-naked choke at No Mercy 11, a finish over a 12-4 opponent that proved he could hang with experienced competition. He followed with a first-round rear-naked-choke finish later in 2023, then earned his contract in October 2024 on Dana White's Contender Series, submitting the highly regarded Heraldo Souza by rear-naked choke in the opening round. Inside the Octagon, the level jumped sharply. In February 2025 he ran into unbeaten prospect Mansur Abdul-Malik, who stopped him by second-round strikes, and in August 2025 he was finished again, dropping a first-round TKO to Andrey Pulyaev via body kick and punches. Those two losses brought his record to 6-3 and underscored the unforgiving climb at the UFC level.

Fighting style

Klein is a finisher with an 83% finish rate, blending a wrestling foundation with a genuinely dangerous submission game – three of his six wins came by rear-naked choke, alongside two knockouts and a single decision. His best path to victory is to use his frame and grappling to take the back and lock up chokes, as his regional finishes of Huckbody and Souza demonstrated. The vulnerability his record lays bare is on the feet: all three of his losses have come by knockout or TKO, suggesting that when he can't impose his grappling and the fight stays in the striking exchanges, he can be caught. Bridging that striking gap is the clear next step in his development.

Career highlights

• Contender Series UFC contract — submitted Heraldo Souza by first-round rear-naked choke on Dana White's Contender Series to earn his place on the UFC roster.
• Submission of Collin Huckbody — choked out a 12-4 veteran in the third round at No Mercy 11, the breakthrough win of his regional career.
• The blue-collar story — built a UFC career while working full time pouring concrete in the laborers' union, the inspiration behind his nickname.