Austrian featherweight Bogdan Grad made his promotional debut at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday, taking on Brazil’s Lucas Alexander in preliminary card action.
The UFC‘s second trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had lost a couple fights shortly before the event arrived, and was lucky to hold on to Grad vs. Alexander, after Lucas Alexander missed weight on Friday.
Round one kicked off with Grad applying relentless pressure from the start. He immediately closed the distance on Alexander, hunting him down before shooting for a takedown. Alexander countered with underhooks, reversing Grad against the cage. Grad quickly regained position and shot again, but Alexander shrugged it off and created some space. Undeterred, Grad remained aggressive, launching wild strikes to set up his takedown attempts. While he landed a few shots on the entry, his focus was on securing the takedown.
At one point, Grad latched onto a single leg, but Alexander defended well, ultimately ending up in top position. From there, he delivered some solid ground-and-pound before Grad scrambled for a leg and completed a takedown of his own. However, Alexander swiftly reversed the position and allowed Grad back to his feet. Grad shot in for another single leg, briefly forcing Alexander to a knee, but he couldn’t secure control. Alexander defended skillfully, punishing Grad with punches and elbows to the head as the round ended.
Round two saw Grad once again pushing forward with relentless pressure. However, Alexander momentarily halted his advance with a well-timed leg kick that swept Grad off his feet. Seizing the opportunity, Alexander unleashed a sharp combination, targeting the head, body, and legs with precision. He looked confident at range, but when he telegraphed a kick, Grad capitalized—catching it and securing the takedown.
Riding the momentum, Grad swiftly mounted Alexander and began raining down ground-and-pound. With Alexander visibly exhausted, Grad landed a devastating elbow that left him in serious trouble. Grad continued his assault with heavy punches and elbows until the referee had seen enough and stepped in. In a dramatic turn, Alexander crumbled the moment he hit the mat, unable to recover from the relentless onslaught.
A strong debut performance by Bogan Grad, who post-fight said he was going to be a “f*cking problem” for the featherweight division.
BOGDAN GRAD GETS THE FINISH IN HIS DEBUT 👏 #UFCSaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/uzfQnvm7Ue
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 1, 2025
Official Result: Bogdan Grad def. Lucas Alexander by TKO (ground and pound), Round 2, 4:22
