Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dustin StoltzfusW
UFC 330 · August 15, 2026 · Xfinity Mobile Arena · Main Card 9:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Dustin Stoltzfus by Submission (rear-naked choke), R2
- What kind of fight
- Prospect versus veteran gatekeeper
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- Abdul-Malik -650 · Stoltzfus +476Consensus
- The stakes
- Middleweight · Main Card
The result
Dustin Stoltzfus def. Mansur Abdul-Malik — Submission (rear-naked choke), R2 4:25
Dustin Stoltzfus pulled off a major upset, submitting heavy favorite Mansur Abdul-Malik with a second-round rear-naked choke.
After surviving a competitive opening round, Stoltzfus stunned Abdul-Malik with right hands against the cage, dragged the fight to the mat, and pounced with ground-and-pound before locking up the choke as Abdul-Malik tried to scramble back to his feet.
It's Abdul-Malik's second straight loss and snaps Stoltzfus's two-fight skid in dramatic fashion.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Abdul-Malik has never seen a scorecard and Stoltzfus has been finished violently before, so the smart money says this doesn't go fifteen minutes.
Expect Abdul-Malik to walk Stoltzfus down behind that 80-inch reach and hurt him in the first two rounds. Stoltzfus's path is patience — weather it, clinch, and hunt a takedown against a fighter whose ground game is still mostly theoretical.
The pick is Abdul-Malik by knockout inside two rounds, with a Stoltzfus submission as the veteran's upset route.
The matchup
This is a classic prospect-rebuild fight with real stakes on both sides.
Abdul-Malik was one of the middleweight division's hottest finishers until Belgaroui separated him from consciousness in March, and the UFC is giving him a seasoned veteran to get back on track. Stoltzfus is the perfect measuring stick — durable, crafty, and dangerous on the mat, where Abdul-Malik has spent the least time.
The striking math heavily favors the younger man: bigger, longer, and far more powerful. But Abdul-Malik absorbs a lot of damage for a prospect, and if Stoltzfus can survive the early storm and get top position, his submission game is a genuine threat.
Tale of the tape
| 9-1-1 | Record | 16-8 |
| 28 | Age | 34 |
| 6'2" | Height | 6'0" |
| 80" | Reach | 75" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| United States | Country | United States |
| MMA Masters | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Mansur Abdul-Malik 9-1-1
Mansur Abdul-Malik is a 28-year-old American middleweight who came through Dana White's Contender Series and immediately turned heads with his finishing rate — all nine of his career wins have come inside the distance, seven by knockout. At 6-foot-2 with a massive 80-inch reach, he's physically imposing for the division and hunts finishes from the opening bell. His momentum hit a wall in March 2026 when Yousri Belgaroui knocked him out with a third-round knee, his first pro loss. Now he's looking to prove that was a speed bump, not a ceiling. He trains at MMA Masters in Florida.
- LYousri Belgaroui · KO/TKO (knee)UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer · March 28, 2026
- WAntonio Trocoli · Submission (guillotine choke)UFC 323 · December 6, 2025
- DCody Brundage · Overturned to drawUFC Fight Night: Usman vs. Buckley · June 14, 2025
Dustin Stoltzfus 16-8
Dustin Stoltzfus is a 34-year-old middleweight veteran who won his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series back in 2020 and has been a durable gatekeeper ever since. An American who spent much of his career based in Germany, he's a grappling-first fighter with six career submission wins and a knack for dragging opponents into ugly, grinding fights. He showed off underrated power with a first-round knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault in 2024, but enters this one on back-to-back decision losses to Nursulton Ruziboev and former title challenger Kelvin Gastelum. He's the kind of tough, experienced test the UFC uses to find out if a prospect is real.
- LKelvin Gastelum · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Lopes vs. Silva · September 13, 2025
- LNursulton Ruziboev · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales · May 17, 2025
- WMarc-Andre Barriault · KO/TKO (punch)UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi · November 2, 2024