Josias Musasa

Musasa dropped a unanimous decision to Colby Thicknesse over three rounds in his second UFC appearance. The result mattered because it followed the March 2025 loss to Carlos Vera and left him 0-2 inside the promotion despite the contract-winning momentum he had built on Contender Series and the African regional scene.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision to Thicknesse after three full rounds at UFC Fight Night 260.
• The fight followed the Mar. 15, 2025 submission loss to Carlos Vera in Musasa's UFC debut.
• It pushed Musasa to two straight UFC losses after the Sep. 10, 2024 Contender Series win over Otari Tanzilovi.

Musasa's UFC debut ended quickly when Carlos Vera took his back and finished a rear-naked choke in the opening round. The defeat mattered because it interrupted the regional surge that had carried him through Contender Series and immediately showed that his first promotional test would not be solved by offense alone.

Key moments

• Vera submitted Musasa with a rear-naked choke at 3:16 of round one.
• The bout was Musasa's first Octagon appearance after the official debut date of Mar. 15, 2025 listed on UFC.com.
• It snapped the streak of six consecutive wins Musasa had built before joining the UFC roster.

Musasa earned his UFC opportunity by taking a split decision over Otari Tanzilovi on Contender Series after three rounds. The win mattered because it forced him to win a longer fight rather than an early finish and became the bridge between his regional finishing run and the UFC debut against Carlos Vera six months later.

Key moments

• Beat Tanzilovi by split decision over three rounds on Contender Series 2024 Week 5.
• The fight followed first-round regional wins over Marvin Malunes and Abdelghani Saber earlier in 2024.
• It secured the path to Musasa's Mar. 15, 2025 UFC debut against Carlos Vera.

Musasa kept his regional surge moving with a first-round knockout of Marvin Malunes via knee at Impact Championship 3. The finish mattered because it sat right between the Abdelghani Saber stoppage and the Contender Series win over Otari Tanzilovi, showing the exact form line that got him to UFC attention.

Key moments

• Knocked out Malunes with a knee at 2:28 of the first round.
• The win followed the Mar. 2, 2024 first-round TKO over Abdelghani Saber.
• It became the final finish before the Sep. 10, 2024 Contender Series decision over Otari Tanzilovi.

Musasa defended his momentum in the African regional scene by stopping Abdelghani Saber with punches in under two minutes. The victory extended his winning streak and set up the stronger 2024 sequence that later ran through Marvin Malunes and into Dana White's Contender Series.

Key moments

• Stopped Saber by first-round TKO at 1:45 with punches at AKO 3.
• The bout followed the quick Feb. 9, 2024 knockout of Mostafa Alazomy at Nightmare FC 006.
• It was the earliest result in the five-fight run that later included Contender Series and the first two UFC appearances.

Musasa barely gave Mostafa Alazomy time to settle before ending the fight in 19 seconds at Nightmare FC 6 in Alexandria. It was a featherweight booking outside his usual bantamweight lane, and the speed of the knockout kept the 2024 streak rolling straight into the AKO main event with Abdelghani Saber.

Key moments

• Stopped Alazomy by knockout 19 seconds into round one.
• Won on the Nightmare FC 6 card in Alexandria, Egypt.
• Used the quick featherweight finish to bridge into the March 2024 AKO win over Saber.

Musasa had to work longer against Gasmire Diatta than he did in most of his early finishes, but he still closed the show late in round two at AKO 1 in Lagos. The bout was listed as a tournament alternate on the main card, giving him a meaningful African regional win outside the one-round sprint pattern.

Key moments

• Finished Diatta by TKO at 4:39 of the second round.
• Fought as a tournament alternate on the AKO 1 main card in Lagos, Nigeria.
• Showed he could carry his offense beyond the opening round before the later 2024 surge.

Musasa handled Saer Niane with another quick stoppage on the Impact Championship 2 card in Lubumbashi. It kept the early professional pattern intact: pressure from the start, fast damage and a result that never let the bout become a drawn-out scorecard fight.

Key moments

• Stopped Niane by TKO 2:12 into the first round.
• Won on the main card at Silver Palace in Lubumbashi, DR Congo.
• Followed the December 2022 Bernard finish with another short night at bantamweight.

Musasa needed only 39 seconds to blow through Emmanuel Bernard on the Face Off Fight Night 3 card in Lagos. The result made it obvious how much of his regional profile was built on immediate offensive pressure rather than attritional rounds.

Key moments

• Stopped Bernard with punches 39 seconds into round one.
• Finished the fight on the Face Off Fight Night 3 card in Lagos, Nigeria.
• Extended the opening run of first-round stoppages that defined the start of his pro career.