Cesar Almeida’s Counter Left Reversed Alhassan’s Finishing
Cesar Almeida knocked out Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on January 11, 2025. The middleweight contest ended at 4:16 of the first round after Almeida recovered from being dropped and landed a decisive left hand.
Alhassan’s attack created the countering opportunity
Alhassan hurt Almeida with a powerful right and sent him to the canvas. As Almeida regained his footing near the fence, Alhassan moved forward looking to complete the finish.
Almeida answered during that attack. His left hand connected as Alhassan opened up with his own punches, abruptly ending a sequence that had initially placed the Brazilian in serious danger.
The victory followed three different UFC tests
Almeida had debuted in April 2024 with a second-round stoppage of Dylan Budka. He then lost a split decision to Roman Kopylov in June before defeating Ihor Potieria by unanimous decision in October.
Those results gave him experience of both a stoppage and competitive full-distance contests before meeting Alhassan. The January knockout moved his UFC record to three victories against one defeat.
A difficult moment became the decisive exchange
The finish demonstrated how quickly an attempted stoppage can reverse when the attacking fighter remains within punching range. Almeida stayed capable of answering even after the knockdown.
His earlier Potieria victory had required fifteen minutes, while the Alhassan matchup ended inside the opening round. The contrast added another early finish to Almeida’s professional record and supplied a successful start to his 2025 campaign.
Sources
- UFC: Alhassan knockdown and Almeida’s counter knockout
- UFC: debut, Kopylov defeat, Potieria victory and Alhassan finish
- Nevada Athletic Commission: official time and knockout result
