Bilal Hasan Makes Immediate UFC Impact With One-Punch KO

Bilal Hasan wasted little time making an impression in the UFC.

The unbeaten flyweight knocked out fellow newcomer Nilson Rojas in the second round at UFC Shanghai on Saturday, August 29, finishing the fight with a clean right hand at 2:28 of the round. The victory moved Hasan to 10-0 as a professional and gave him a decisive start to his UFC career.

The bout opened the main card at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, with both fighters entering the Octagon undefeated at 9-0. Hasan had earned his UFC contract only 18 days earlier with a 45-second stoppage of India’s Mridul Saikia on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Hasan controls the opening round

Hasan began the fight aggressively, using his kicks and movement to keep Rojas occupied while mixing attacks to the body.

Rojas, a 27-year-old from Lima, Peru, responded with his own boxing combinations and showed enough durability to absorb Hasan’s early attacks. Hasan nevertheless found success with his striking and briefly took the fight to the mat before the pair returned to their feet.

The first round ended with Rojas still in the fight, but Hasan had established a clear threat with his speed and variety.

That changed in the second.

One right hand ended it

Hasan caught Rojas moving forward with a fully extended straight right that landed flush on the jaw.

Rojas immediately fell to the canvas. Hasan followed with a single punch before the referee intervened, bringing the fight to an end at 2:28 of Round 2. The official result was Hasan by knockout.

It was the latest in a string of stoppage victories for Hasan. Before arriving in the UFC, he had won eight straight fights, all by stoppage, according to UFC’s preview of the matchup.

Hasan also celebrated familiarly after the knockout, performing dance moves following his victory. The celebration continued a theme from his Contender Series appearance, when he used a Michael Jackson-inspired walkout and celebrated his 45-second victory with a moonwalk.

A remarkably quick rise to the UFC

Hasan’s UFC debut came less than three weeks after his Contender Series appearance.

On August 11, he stopped Mridul Saikia with punches 45 seconds into the opening round. That performance earned him a UFC contract and immediately put him on the Shanghai card. UFC had described Hasan as one of the flyweight division’s emerging prospects ahead of his debut.

The turnaround was particularly notable because Hasan and Rojas were both entering the UFC without a promotional loss. Rojas arrived with a 9-0 record and seven knockout victories of his own. He had most recently defeated Gonzalo Hanampa by unanimous decision in July.

Hasan, 25, fights out of Everett, Washington, and has Indonesian roots. UFC lists him as fighting out of Jakarta, Indonesia, while also identifying the United States as his place of birth and Charlie’s Combat Club as his training base. He has also trained alongside UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson.

Hasan delivers on his pre-fight promise

Before the fight, Hasan told UFC.com that fans could expect a performance from start to finish.

He delivered that in a fight that combined kicking attacks, grappling exchanges and fast hands before the decisive right hand ended the contest.

The win also adds another knockout to a record that was already heavily weighted toward finishes. UFC’s profile listed seven knockout victories before the Shanghai bout; Saturday’s result gives Hasan eight professional wins by KO/TKO.

For Rojas, the defeat was the first of his professional career after nine consecutive victories.

For Hasan, the immediate question is how quickly the UFC chooses to increase the level of competition around him. No next opponent has been officially announced as of the latest available reports.

What is already clear is that the Contender Series standout did not need a long adjustment period to make his presence felt in the Octagon.