UFC Fight Night: Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick Preview & Prediction
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Featherweights square off in the second fight on the main card, with Harry Hardwick taking on Marwan Rahiki at 145 pounds.
Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick facts
What time are Marwan Rahiki and Harry Hardwick expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 269
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos main card
Josh Emmett vs Kevin Vallejos (Featherweight)
Amanda Lemos vs Gillian Robertson (Women's Strawweight)
Ion Cutelaba vs Oumar Sy (Light Heavyweight)
Andre Fili vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick (Featherweight)
Vitor Petrino vs Steven Asplund (Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos prelims
Charles Johnson vs Bruno Gustavo da Silva (Flyweight)
Brad Tavares vs Eryk Anders (Middleweight)
Chris Curtis vs Myktybek Orolbai (Welterweight)
Bolaji Oki vs Manoel Sousa (Lightweight)
Luan Lacerda vs Hecher Sosa (Bantamweight)
Beatriz Mesquita vs Montserrat Rendon (Women's Bantamweight)
Elijah Smith vs You Su-young (Bantamweight)
Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes (Women's Strawweight)
Marwan Rahiki: Can "Freaky" make a splash in his debut following a remarkable come from behind win on the Contender Series?
Punching his ticket to the UFC with a spectacular comeback culminating in a second round stoppage over Ananias Mulumba on the most recent installment of the Contender Series, Marwan Rahiki (7-0) makes his UFC debut with a reputation as one of the more exciting prospects that Australia has to offer. Boasting a 100% finish rate with six KOs, the 23 year old fighter leans on his experience as a decorated kickboxer to punish his opponents with spiteful punch combinations, an approach he punctuates with well-timed knees and elbows. “Freaky” was an extremely active competitor in 2025, fighting four times and winning two regional titles in addition to his explosive bow on the Contender Series.
Harry Hardwick: "Houdini" looks to banish the demons associated with his nightmarish debut
Former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, Harry Hardwick (13-4-1) makes his sophomore appearance in the promotion after a disastrous debut at UFC Paris last September. While he arrived in the UFC with a nine fight win streak in tow, there was to be no fairytale debut ending for the Middlesborough native, despite valiantly stepping in to face Kaue Fernandes up a weight class on five days notice. “Houdini” was chewed up with first round leg kicks from start to finish to succumb to one of the more devastating debut losses in recent memory; a result that has distracted the masses from what a well rounded competitor the MFA standout actually is.
Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick prediction
Rahiki’s bow on the Contender Series proved that you’re legitimately going to have to lay him out cold to stop him. “Freaky” was wobbled and dropped all over the shop by Ananias Mulumba, only to come roaring back with a jaw dropping finish.
That’s not a good sign for Hardwick, considering the Englishman has never been a one shot KO threat. While he’s likely to be more durable at his natural weight class, the ease with which Kaue Fernandes chopped his legs apart also gives cause for concern given Rahiki’s thudding leg kicks. Furthermore, the fact that Hardwick, the naturally lighter and supposedly faster man, found himself on the end of such a brutal speed disparity against a heavier fighter does not help matters.
With that being said, the Middlesborough native is an excellent grappler with a superb ability to take the back. Rahiki’s takedown defense is not perfect, and “Houdini” could capitalize on this if he’s able to make it ugly and avoid extended sequences fighting at range. He’s also got a considerable edge in overall experience and has arguably fought stiffer levels of competition throughout his time in Cage Warriors; Rahiki is just three fights removed from a win over a fighter who was 6-8.
With that being said, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the manner of Hardwick’s debut indicated that he may not UFC caliber, particularly given the fact that he’s 30 years old with considerably less room to improve than Rahiki. He may conceivably have just been overwhelmed by the occasion, but as much as it pains this writer to say it, the pick is still “Freaky” by TKO.
Prediction: Marwan Rahiki to win by TKO
