Steven Nguyen Record: 10-2-0

Earning the contract and the UFC run

Nguyen finally punched his ticket with a statement performance, stopping the experienced AJ Cunningham by second-round TKO on the Contender Series in 2023 to win his UFC deal. His promotional debut did not go his way: he dropped a competitive unanimous decision to Jarno Errens in March 2024. But Nguyen rebounded in spectacular, record-setting fashion. In July 2025 he overwhelmed Mohammad Yahya, dropping him repeatedly before the fight was stopped in the second round by an eye injury – a performance that reportedly set a UFC record for knockdowns in a single bout and announced him as a genuine featherweight power threat.

Fighting style

Nguyen is one of the more dangerous finishers in his weight class, with a blistering 80 percent finish rate across his ten wins – five by knockout and three by submission. His switch-stance striking is built around heavy, accurate hands, and the Yahya fight underlined just how much damage he can pile up once he hurts an opponent. Crucially, his Fortis MMA grappling gives him a complete game: he has finished fights with rear-naked and guillotine chokes, meaning opponents cannot simply look to take him down to avoid the power. His two career losses – the flying-knee KO and a decision – suggest there is still a defensive layer to tighten, but few featherweights generate more sudden, fight-ending violence.

Career highlights

• Record-setting knockdown performance — battered Mohammad Yahya for a second-round TKO in a bout widely reported to have set a UFC mark for knockdowns.
• Contender Series contract winner — earned his UFC deal by stopping the seasoned AJ Cunningham in the second round in 2023.
• 80 percent finish rate — mixes knockout power with a real submission game, ending eight of his ten wins inside the distance.