Gurule's wrestling dismantles unbeaten Hasan in split-decision upset at UFC 334

Luis Gurule stunned the oddsmakers at UFC 334 on Saturday, handing unbeaten Bilal Hasan the first defeat of his professional career via split decision after three grinding rounds of grappling-heavy action.

The judges scored the contest 29-28 and 29-28 in Gurule’s favour, with the third official dissenting 29-28 for Hasan — a margin that reflected just how closely contested the fight was on the feet before Gurule’s wrestling proved the difference.

Hasan controlled the opening round with sharp leg kicks and head kicks that kept Gurule at range, and he mixed in punches effectively enough to establish early momentum. Gurule did land a counter right hand that produced a flash knockdown, but Hasan recovered quickly and continued to dictate the striking exchanges.

The fight shifted decisively in round two. Hasan attempted a spinning back fist that Gurule blocked cleanly, and Gurule immediately capitalised with a perfectly timed takedown. From the top position he pressed Hasan against the cage, working punches and elbows until the horn.

Gurule opened the third round with another takedown, though he sustained a cut above his eye from an inside elbow that bled heavily throughout the remainder of the fight. He absorbed the damage and stayed disciplined on top, smothering Hasan’s submission attempts from the bottom and maintaining positional control until the final buzzer.

“Chat GPT don’t know shit,” Gurule said in his post-fight interview. “Fck the odds. Fck the haters. I’m so happy. There’s only 10 people that believed in me, and it feels f*cking good. I dragged him into deep waters. I knew he couldn’t swim.”

For Gurule, the victory stands as one of the most significant of his career. For Hasan, the defeat ends an unblemished professional record and forces a reassessment after his striking-based game plan was neutralised on the canvas.