Muslim Salikhov turned back the clock on the UFC Abu Dhabi prelims, scoring an emphatic walk-off knockout over Carlos Leal.
‘The Kung Fu King’ opened as the betting underdog, coming up against the 22-6 Leal, a hulking wall of welterweight muscle, who impressed in his first three UFC appearances. Many thought he did enough to beat the highly touted Rinat Fakhretdinov, and he asserted his dominance by knocking out Alex Morono in his next fight.
Leal looked to keep that momentum rolling, but Salikhov had other plans.
UFC
Following some milquetoast prelims, Salikhov and Leal stepped in as the penultimate fight on the Fight Pass portion of the card. Leal marauded forward, pressuring Salikhov with intense boxing, looking to secure an early finish over the aged fighting Russian.
Backed up to the Octagon-side, Salikhov braced for impact before launching a colossal overhand hook that all but knocked Leal out cold. He walked away to secure a highlight reel walk-off knockout.
OH MY GOODNESS 🤯
Muslim Salikhov with a STUNNING WALK OFF KO at #UFCAbuDhabi!
[ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/7NvqeLlc0x
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025
Salikhov’s win extends his winning streak to three. He last defeated Song Kenan at UFC Tampa in 2024 with a spinning wheel kick.
MUSLIM SALIKHOV KNOCKS OUT SONG KENAN!
WHAT A KNOCKOUT! #UFCMacaupic.twitter.com/5AbQ93y3Ah
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 23, 2024
Unfortunately for Leal, he’ll have to go back to the drawing board. His juggernaut style has been cracked wide open, and any benefit of the doubt from his debut loss has been erased.
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