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Bilal Hasan Is Here To Impress And Enjoy The Journey Along The Way
Dana White’s Contender Series Breakout Star Bilal Hasan Is Ready To Make His Mark
It’s hard to deliver something more flawless than Bilal Hasan’s contract-winning knockout on the season opener of Dana White’s Contender Series. The counter-right hand flattened Mridul Saikia, and that’s when the real performance began for the undefeated fighter.
First came the celebratory moonwalk from the devout Michael Jackson fan. Then came another dance after he got his hand raised, and shortly after, Dana White was singing his praises and giving him a UFC contract.
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When UFC.com asked Hasan the most memorable part of the night, it wasn’t the “welcome to the UFC” moment DWCS alumni often cite. Instead, he tipped the in-arena DJ for playing Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”
“I was like, ‘Oh, man. Leave me in here for another five to 10 minutes. Let me perform a little bit more,’” Hasan said.
Bilal Hasan Maximizes The Spotlight, Earns UFC Contract With Stellar Finish | DWCS Highlights
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Bilal Hasan Maximizes The Spotlight, Earns UFC Contract With Stellar Finish | DWCS Highlights
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Hasan, whose parents immigrated from Indonesia to Hawaii (where Hasan was born) before moving to Washington, went into the fight with sky-high expectations. Unbeaten through nine professional fights, including seven knockouts and four title-fight victories under the Cage Fury FC banner, Hasan was the biggest favorite in the show’s history.
Forty-five seconds into the bout, Hasan surpassed expectations, prompting White to keep him in town for an extra day to work with UFC’s digital teams and start the promotion cycle. It’s a lot of attention to give someone yet to make his debut and a spotlight not often awarded to a flyweight, but Hasan has it, and he understands the special opportunity at hand.
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“It's a big stage,” he said. “The pressure is truly a privilege, and I'm just grateful every second. Even when I’m doing the weight cut and all the sacrifice, and even when I'm training, and I'm getting the shit beat out of me, I'm just grateful to just be in this position, man.”
That mindset is a trained one for Hasan, who grew up competing for Team USA in taekwondo at the junior level. Although he has yet to lose as a professional mixed martial artist, his amateur experience combined with the taekwondo circuit has Hasan as prepared as possible to start his UFC tenure.
At 25 years old, Hasan cites Conor McGregor as an inspiration, particularly when he was younger. These days, however, Hasan leans on the vast wisdom of fellow Washingtonian and UFC Hall of Fame member Demetrious Johnson. “Mighty Mouse” accomplished more than most in his career, including winning and holding the flyweight title Hasan now covets.
Hasan, whose moniker “The IndoNinja” is a nod to his Indoneisian heritage, represents the fourth-most populated country in the world with great pride. Flying the flag is a way to showcase the sacrifices his parents made to bring their family to the United States, and Hasan receives the country’s support in kind.
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He also proudly represents the Pacific Northwest and hopes his work in the Octagon not only shines a light on Indonesia, but also his hometown as well.
“I want people to learn I'm surrounded by such a good community and how important a good community is,” he said. “I feel like that's so looked over nowadays. I feel like a lot of people are very selfish with where they want to go, and they don't just talk about having just a good circle of people around you because once you have that good circle of people, you can get wherever you want in life. No one man has done it by himself.”
Sacrifice seems like a buzzword for Hasan. The fight game requires one to live a relatively selfish lifestyle, whether it is adhering to a grueling training schedule during camp or keeping a strict diet to stay on or near the right weight. Hasan is quick to acknowledge his family, girlfriend, and close friends for their understanding as well as for their ability to bring him back down to earth when the world exalts him for his many highlights.
For as lofty as Hasan’s goals are, he wants to accomplish those things while keeping a busy schedule. When asked about how he hopes his first year on the roster goes, he envisions a lot of showstopping moments and celebratory dances, which requires fighting a lot.
“I want to be on my deathbed and just be able to just watch my career and all the crazy highlight finishes, man,” Hasan said. “The more that I'm able to just fight and keep making those ‘Holy s***’ moments, then yeah, that's what I prefer.
“Just take the long route and just enjoy the journey.”
UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs Song took place live from Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China on August 29, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!