Pat Sabatini Record: 22-5-0

Strong UFC start

Sabatini debuted at UFC 261 in April 2021 with a unanimous-decision win over the gritty Tristan Connelly, then showcased his signature weapon with a first-round heel hook of Jamall Emmers later that year. He kept rolling with a decision over the unbeaten Tucker Lutz in 2021 and another over T.J. Laramie in 2022, building a perfect start to his Octagon career on the strength of relentless grappling pressure.

Setbacks and resurgence

That run hit a wall in 2022, when Damon Jackson stopped him by first-round TKO. Sabatini regrouped with an arm-triangle submission of Lucas Almeida in 2023, only to suffer a first-round knockout loss to surging contender Diego Lopes later that year. He responded the way grapplers do, returning to his bread and butter with a first-round rear-naked choke of Jonathan Pearce in 2024. Sabatini then strung together a strong stretch, outpointing the dangerous Joanderson Brito in 2025 and avenging his early-career loss with a unanimous-decision win over Chepe Mariscal at UFC 322. He carried that momentum into 2026 with a decision over William Gomis at UFC 328.

Fighting style

Sabatini is a grappling specialist in the truest sense. Of his 22 wins, 12 have come by submission — spanning rear-naked chokes, heel hooks, armbars and arm-triangles — for a finish rate of 64 percent, with his leg-lock game a particular calling card. He hunts takedowns aggressively, passes to dominant position, and chains attacks until something gives. His decision-grinding control has carried him through many of his UFC bouts. The clear vulnerability is on the feet: all three of his career knockout losses underline that elite strikers can punish him if he can't drag the fight to the mat.

Career highlights

• Two-time CFFC Featherweight Champion — ruled one of the sport's premier regional promotions before the UFC, proving himself the class of the East Coast scene.
• Perfect UFC start — opened his Octagon run with four straight wins, including a first-round heel hook of Jamall Emmers that highlighted his elite leg-lock game.
• Elite submission finisher — 12 of his 22 wins have come by submission, a 64 percent finish rate built on one of the deepest grappling arsenals in the featherweight division.