Tuesday was a night of mixed emotions for Rami Hamed (13-3 MMA). The Lebanese welterweight defeated Meng Ding, his most experienced opponent yet, via unanimous decision on the Contender Series but was not awarded a UFC contract after the other four victors finished their bouts.
Hamed has had four knee surgeries and fought for the first time since December 2022. He said it felt “awesome” to return after nearly two years away and defeat someone like Ding. Hamed said he was expecting some ring rust, but the pace Ding pushed gave him no time to think about it.