Jacob Malkoun VS Abubakar Vagaev

Abubakar Vagaev defeated Jacob Malkoun by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a three-round middleweight bout at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24, 2026. Malkoun had the better of the first round behind his jab and an early fence clinch, but Vagaev turned the fight in round two, hurting Malkoun with a left hook and landing multiple takedowns to swing the scorecards. Vagaev carried that momentum into the third round, adding right uppercuts to his takedown output while Malkoun rallied late with a right hand before the final bell. All three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Vagaev, reflecting the close but consistent edge he held across the championship rounds. The win moved Vagaev to 2-0 in the UFC.

Jacob Malkoun enters on a three-fight UFC winning streak, most recently outpointing Gerald Meerschaert, while Abubakar Vagaev — a Khamzat Chimaev training partner and former welterweight champion — makes just his second UFC appearance after wrestling his way to a debut decision. Vagaev's elite wrestling credentials and physical tools make this a serious test for Malkoun's composure, and the Australian needs a statement performance to stay relevant in the middleweight rankings picture.