Mansur Abdul-Malik stayed unbeaten at UFC Atlanta — but it wasn’t the finish he wanted. What looked like a slick third-round TKO over Cody Brundage was reversed after replay showed the damage came from an accidental headbutt.
The first two rounds were tight. Abdul-Malik kept his distance and landed some clean shots, especially a sharp elbow that sliced behind Brundage’s ear. Brundage fired back with counters here and there, making sure it stayed close heading into Round 3.
That’s when things exploded. Abdul-Malik landed a nasty knee to the body, Brundage folded, and the follow-up barrage had the ref jumping in. It looked like a finish — until the replay showed their heads had clashed seconds before. That accidental headbutt, not the knee, seemed to be what caused the collapse.
With the bout past the halfway mark, the judges were called in. The result: a technical unanimous decision for Abdul-Malik. He keeps the win — but loses out on what could’ve been a highlight-reel finish.
Still, the rising prospect showed why he’s one to watch in the UFC’s deep middleweight division. Controversy aside, his timing, pressure, and poise were on full display. And if this fight proved anything, it’s that Abdul-Malik isn’t far from making real noise at 185.
