Abubakar Vagaev Edges Jacob Malkoun by Unanimous Decision at UFC 333
Abubakar Vagaev defeated Jacob Malkoun by unanimous decision in a middleweight prelim on the UFC 333 card Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The official scorecards read 29-28 across all three judges after three full rounds.
Vagaev improved to 26-4 overall and 2-0 in the UFC. Malkoun fell to 10-4 with a 6-4 mark inside the Octagon. The Russian entered as a modest favorite and controlled the grappling exchanges enough to offset Malkoun’s higher striking volume.
Vagaev landed 6 of 12 takedown attempts and held 2:07 of control time against Malkoun’s 0:12. Malkoun connected on 79 of 214 significant strikes to Vagaev’s 49 of 126, with most of the damage landing to the head. Neither man scored a knockdown or attempted a submission.
Total strikes favored Malkoun 90 of 227 to 75 of 154, but the judges sided with the wrestler who spent more time on top.
The fight stayed competitive on the feet early. Malkoun pressed with volume and looked to keep the action standing where his output was highest.
Vagaev answered by changing levels, securing takedowns, and working from top position long enough to bank rounds. Control time and leg kicks gave him the edge that showed up on the cards, even as Malkoun continued to land cleaner shots in the open.
Vagaev, 33, from Grozny, made his UFC debut in July with a unanimous decision over Saygid Izagakhmaev at the same Abu Dhabi venue.
He arrived in the promotion after a long run as a two-time ACA Welterweight Champion and trains with Khamzat Chimaev. Moving up to middleweight for this bout, he relied on the same grinding approach that carried him through regional title fights.
Malkoun, 31, from Sydney, entered on a three-fight winning streak that included a unanimous decision over Gerald Meerschaert in May. A training partner of former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, he has built his UFC record primarily through decisions.
The Australian looked to outwork Vagaev on the feet and nearly did so on the strike totals, but the lack of takedown defense cost him the close rounds.
The result keeps Vagaev undefeated in the UFC and gives him a second consecutive decision win at 185 pounds. Malkoun’s streak ends after he could not generate enough ground control of his own to flip the scorecards.
The middleweight division remains deep outside the top 10, and Vagaev’s next booking will show whether the UFC treats the grappling edge as a step toward ranked opposition or another chance to refine the striking that still trails his wrestling. Malkoun returns with the higher output but the shorter path after the narrow loss.
