Ludovit Klein and Mateusz Rebecki were set for a high-octane lightweight showdown at UFC 321 on Saturday in a battle between two streaking contenders looking to break into the rankings.
Klein (23-5-1) had his six-fight unbeaten streak snapped earlier this year in a hard-fought bout against Mateusz Gamrot. Now the Slovakian standout looked to rebound in a big way by taking out another surging contender in Rebecki, and reassert himself as a serious threat in the lightweight division.
Rebecki (20-3) was also seeking redemption after a closely contested decision loss to Chris Duncan in August, a setback that halted his rising momentum in the lightweight division. Known for his relentless grappling pressure and durability, the Polish standout now aimed to rebound in emphatic fashion against Klein and prove he’s still a major threat in the division.
Round 1 – Both men came out in Southpaw, with Klein landing some nice early jabs before a big 1-2 put Rebecki on wobbly legs early. Rebecki recovered quickly and continued pressing forward on the front foot, smashing into the legs of Klein for a takedown attempt. After a bit of cage work, Klein was able to defend and separate.
Klein’s footwork and movement were a big issue for Rebecki, who was countered with a big left hand after Klein angled off one of his blitzes. After a winging miss, Rebecki leaned into a big head kick but ate it like it was nothing and continued forward until the round ended.
Round 2 – After a strong opening round for Klein, Rebecki landed some clean left hands early. A big exchange allowed a massive counter right hook to stun Rebecki, although Klein stayed patient. Rebecki recovered quickly again and shot another takedown against the cage shortly after.
This time, he got Klein down, who popped right back up and landed some clean straight lefts. Another big exchange where Rebecki missed opened up the same counter right hook, giving Rebecki the same jarring reaction when hit. Every time Klein landed the short right hook, Rebecki was reacting very poorly.
Klein continued working at range, firing head kicks off at the end of his combinations before the bell rang.
Round 3 – Rebecki understood he was definitely down two coming into Round 3 and came out as the aggressor. He looked to trap Klein on the cage and mix his overhands into his takedowns. This worked for Rebecki, who finally got to the back and landed some big GnP from side back control.
The visuals started to look bad for Klein, who was now trapped in bottom half guard while eating big elbows. One of those elbows split Klein open with blood leaking everywhere as Rebecki attacked a crucifix. He was unsuccessful with that, but postured up from half guard and landed seven clean elbows to Klein, who seemed helpless on his back at this point.
The final bell sounded with both men looking like they dove into a pool of blood. Klein stayed on the floor after the fight, which the commentary confirmed was due to an ankle injury he suffered in the fight.
The decision was announced with Klein still seated on his stool, his hand raised while he was unable to stand up. He may be the first fighter in UFC history to win a fight without getting to his feet.
Official Result: Ludovit Klein Klein def. Mateusz Rebecki by Majority Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
