UFC 321: Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett Preview & Prediction
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Heavyweights are on deck for the fifth fight of the night, with Egyptian wrestling standout, Hamdy Abdelwahab, charged with taking on the returning fan-favorite, Chris Barnett.
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett facts
What time are Hamdy Abdelwahab and Chris Barnett expected to walk out?
Where is UFC 321? Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Where can I get tickets for UFC 321? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 321
What TV channel is UFC 321 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC 321? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC 321 main card
Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane (Heavyweight)
Virna Jandiroba vs Mackenzie Dern (Women’s Strawweight)
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida (Heavyweight)
Aleksandar Rakic vs Azamat Murzakanov (Light Heavyweight)
UFC 321 prelims
Nasrat Haqparast vs Quillan Salkilld (Lightweight
Ikram Aliskerov vs Park Jun-yong (Middlweight)
L'udovit Klein vs Mateusz Rebecki (Lightweight)
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Valter Walker vs Louie Sutherland (Heavyweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett (Heavyweight)
Azat Maksum vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Jaqueline Amorim vs Mizuki Inoue (Women’s Strawweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab: Can "The Hammer" rebound from his first professional defeat?
Debuting in the UFC as an undefeated 3-0 heavyweight, Hamdy Abdelwahab (4-1, 1 NC) has endured mixed results in the world's premiere MMA promotion. An Olympic level Greco-Roman wrestling standout, the 32 year old Egyptian's debut victory over Don'Tale Mayes was overturned after he failed a drug test. Eventually returning from a lengthy suspension, Abdelwahab would score his first win over Jamal Pogues nearly three years later, before dropping his "0" in an absolute stinker to Mohammed Usman in his next appearance.
Chris Barnett: Will the ever entertaining "Beastboy" shine in his return?
Best known for his dynamic taekwondo based striking, in fight dance moves, and memorable celebrations, Chris Barnett (23-9) makes his first walk to the cage in over a year on Saturday night. Owner of a 2-3 run in the promotion since joining in 2021, Barnett has beaten Gian Villante and Jake Collier while coming up short to Ben Rothwell, Martin Buday, and Kennedy Nzechukwu along the way, with just a single UFC fight having gone to a decision. However, while he's undoubtedly one of the heavier heavyweights, "Beastboy" is also one of the shortest, standing just 5'9 in a division that houses the towering likes of Alexander Volkov and Tallison Teixeira.
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Chris Barnett prediction
Barnett has a great personality and an entertaining fight style; how many fighters throw spinning wheel kicks and celebrate with front flips at this weight class? However, that shouldn't distract from the fact that he's a pretty low level heavyweight. He's undersized for the division at 5'9, and he's also been soundly beaten any time he's faced a step up in UFC competition to date.
Abdelwahab is barely that, but he is undoubtedly an elite grappler. He's got a significant size advantage and it's easy to envision a scenario where "The Hammer" avoids an early surge on the feet and leverages his wrestling to blanket Barnett to a decision. Throw in the fact that "Beastboy" is nearly 40 and coming off a year long layoff, and this fight looks to be the Egyptian's to lose.
With that being said, Abdelwahab's last performance showed that he is far from elite. It is heavyweight after all: there is the off chance that Barnett simply sparks him with something hilarious out in the open and pours on the ground and pound for a stoppage a la Gian Villante. However, until such a scenario unfolds before your eyes, it would be unwise to bet on it.
Prediction: Hamdy Abdelwahab to win
