Vietnamese-American fighter sets UFC record after knocking opponent down 6 times

Steven Nguyen (R) defeats Mohammed Yahya by technical knockout at the UFC Fight Night in the UAE on July 26, 2025. Photo by LLC

Steven, 32, standing 1.8 m tall, faced Yahya, 31, who was 5 cm shorter, in a featherweight (65.8 kg) bout. Both fighters entered the match with disappointing UFC records. Steven has previously lost his UFC debut by split decision to Dutch fighter Jarno Errens in March 2024, while Yahya had suffered back-to-back losses to Trevor Peek and Kaue Fernandes.

With their UFC futures at risk, both fighters came into the octagon under pressure. Despite fighting on home ground, Yahya was completely outclassed by Steven.

Steven unleashed a barrage of strikes in the first round, landing 47 of 59 head shots. He knocked Yahya down just 10 seconds into the fight and scored four more knockdowns before the round ended. However, referee Jason Herzog allowed the bout to continue.

Yahya briefly came back in the second round with a right hand that staggered Steven. But that was his last moment of success as Steven knocked him down three more times, though only one was officially counted due to two others being ruled as slips by Yahya. He survived the round with a badly swollen left eye, but the doctor stopped the fight before the third could begin.

Steven not only secured his first UFC victory but also made history. His six knockdowns set a UFC record in a single fight, surpassing the previous mark of five shared by Forrest Petz (2006) and Jeremy Stephens (2017).

Steven Nguyen celebrates his victory against Mohammed Yahya. Photo by UFC

For his dominant performance, Steven earned the Performance of the Night bonus, pocketing $50,000. In his UFC debut, despite losing, Steven and Errens had both received Performance of the Night bonuses worth the same amount.

"I've been working so hard for this moment. It's finally here," Steven said after the victory. "The fight's not over until it's over. I came into UFC 0-1 and I come back and I wanted that finish. Here we are now."

Steven, born in Kansas to Vietnamese parents, began training in martial arts at a young age and started competing in amateur MMA tournaments in 2011, compiling a 9-1 record. He turned professional in 2016 and now holds a 10-2 professional record.

Earlier this year, fellow Vietnamese-American fighter Quang Le also secured his first UFC victory in the bantamweight (61.2 kg) division, submitting American Gaston Bolanos and earning Performance of the Night honors.

Steven and Quang Le are the latest in a line of Vietnamese-American UFC fighters, following in the footsteps of Cung Le (2-2, 2011–2014), Nam Phan (2-5, 2010–2014), Ben Nguyen (4-3, 2015–2018) and Kyler Phillips (5-1, 2020–present).