Who Is Abdul Hussein? Meet ‘King,’ Finland’s Submission Specialist With Palestinian Roots

Hussein was already winning major amateur MMA tournaments a decade before finally receiving his biggest opportunity. Along the way, he competed internationally, developed inside the same trusted Finnish training circle and continued improving even when the UFC door refused to open.

Eventually, persistence paid off.

Abdul Hussein Fighter Information

Who Is Abdul Hussein?

Abdul Hussein is a professional mixed martial artist who represents Finland and Palestine.

He competes primarily at bantamweight and has developed a reputation as a dangerous grappler with strong conditioning, constant pressure and a surprisingly effective striking game.

Some databases list his nickname as “King,” while UFC-related profiles have also used “Abba.”

The second name appears throughout his public identity, including his social media handle.

However, his reputation inside the cage is much clearer.

Hussein wants to make opponents work.

Once they slow down, he becomes even more dangerous.

Where Was Abdul Hussein Born?

Abdul Hussein was born in Lebanon.

Later, Finland became the country where he built his life and fighting career.

As a result, Hussein represents a mixture of identities.

Finland is home.

Meanwhile, his Palestinian roots remain deeply important to him.

After one major fight, Hussein specifically spoke about the responsibility he felt representing both Finnish MMA and Palestinians on an international stage.

That dual identity has become a permanent part of his story.

Is Abdul Hussein Finnish or Palestinian?

Both identities are important to him.

Hussein represents Finland as a fighter, yet he has also openly identified with Palestine and spoken directly to Palestinian supporters.

Therefore, describing him only through one side of his background misses part of the picture.

His career has become a source of pride within Finnish combat sports.

At the same time, Hussein understands that Palestinian fans also see him as someone representing them at the highest level.

That responsibility is something he has publicly embraced.

How Did Abdul Hussein Discover the UFC?

Interestingly, The Ultimate Fighter played a major role in Hussein’s interest in the UFC long before he ever became involved with the show himself.

He remembers discovering the UFC through the first season of the reality series on Finnish television.

Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar and the fighters from that era caught his attention.

From that point, Hussein began imagining himself on the show one day.

Years later, that childhood idea became real.

The journey simply took much longer than he expected.

Was Abdul Hussein an Amateur MMA Champion?

Yes.

Hussein built an excellent amateur résumé before turning professional.

One of his biggest achievements came at the 2016 IMMAF World Championships in Las Vegas.

Hussein fought four times during the tournament.

He won all four.

That run ended with him becoming an IMMAF world champion, giving Finland another major result on the international amateur scene.

His amateur experience also included competition at the IMMAF European Open.

Therefore, Hussein entered professional MMA with far more high-level tournament experience than his early professional record alone suggested.

Why Was the 2016 IMMAF World Championship Important?

The tournament became an early proof that Hussein could perform under serious pressure.

Four fights in a short period require more than technical skill.

Recovery matters.

Weight management matters.

Mental focus matters too.

Most importantly, fighters have almost no time to overthink the next opponent.

Hussein handled all of it.

Looking back years later, he described 2016 as a major breakthrough year in his career.

Still, like many young fighters, he expected the next steps to happen faster.

They did not.

How Long Has Abdul Hussein Been Chasing the UFC?

For years.

After his amateur success, Hussein believed reaching the UFC might take only another couple of seasons.

Instead, the journey became far longer.

There were wins.

There were setbacks.

Promotional opportunities appeared and disappeared.

Meanwhile, Hussein continued training.

Over time, that delay may actually have helped him.

He later admitted that the version of himself from five years earlier might not have handled the same pressure as well.

By the time his biggest opportunity finally arrived, Hussein believed he was in the right place at the right time.

Who Does Abdul Hussein Train With?

Abdul Hussein has spent much of his career with a close Finnish training group.

His team is listed as Espoon Kehähait, and his wider training circle has also included work at Tampereen Kamppailuakatemia.

One of the most important figures in that setup is head coach Sami Mehmedi.

Hussein has also mentioned teammates and coaches including Akram and several other long-term members of the group.

The relationships go beyond normal fighter-coach arrangements.

They have trained together for years.

More importantly, Hussein trusts them because they understand how he reacts during difficult moments.

That trust has become a major part of his preparation.

Why Is Abdul Hussein’s Team So Important to Him?

Hussein likes familiar people around him before fights.

His coaches understand his personality.

They know when to push.

Likewise, they know when to calm him down.

That became especially clear when Hussein prepared to enter The Ultimate Fighter, where he would suddenly have to work with coaches he barely knew.

For him, that was one of the hardest parts of the experience.

The actual fighting did not worry him nearly as much as learning to trust a new corner in only a few weeks.

Still, Hussein also viewed the situation as a chance to grow.

What Is Abdul Hussein Known For?

Abdul Hussein is best known for submission grappling, pressure and conditioning.

A large share of his professional victories have ended by submission.

His finishing methods include:

• Rear-naked choke
• Guillotine choke
• Arm-triangle choke
• Bulldog choke

Moreover, Hussein can attack those submissions after forcing opponents to work at a difficult pace.

That makes the pressure important.

He does not always need an immediate takedown and finish.

Instead, Hussein can make an opponent scramble, defend and carry weight until openings begin to appear.

Then he attacks.

What Is Abdul Hussein’s Fighting Style?

Hussein is a grappling-heavy pressure fighter with strong wrestling, submissions and improving striking.

Although fans may first notice the submission numbers, Hussein considers himself a capable striker too.

In fact, he has said that one frustration after certain fights is not being able to show enough of his stand-up ability.

However, MMA rewards using whatever works.

If grappling creates the easier path, Hussein is comfortable taking it.

Likewise, if an opponent starts slowing down, he will increase the pressure rather than giving them time to recover.

That versatility has allowed him to finish opponents both standing and on the mat.

How Good Is Abdul Hussein’s Submission Game?

Submissions are probably the strongest part of Hussein’s professional résumé.

He has finished opponents with several different chokes.

Rear-naked chokes appear repeatedly.

Guillotines are another major weapon.

Meanwhile, the arm-triangle has also become important.

That variety matters because it prevents opponents from defending only one sequence.

For example, turning away from Hussein may expose the back.

Staying flat can create an arm-triangle opening.

Shooting carelessly can bring the guillotine into play.

As a result, grappling exchanges with Hussein can quickly become complicated.

Is Abdul Hussein Also a Good Striker?

Yes.

Hussein has been clear that he sees himself as more than a grappler.

His professional wins also include knockouts and TKOs.

Moreover, he has spoken about wanting to showcase more striking when opportunities allow.

Still, his biggest strength may be connecting striking and grappling together.

A punch can force a defensive reaction.

That reaction can create a takedown.

From there, Hussein begins hunting submissions.

Therefore, his striking does not need to exist separately from his grappling.

The two parts support each other.

What Makes Abdul Hussein Difficult to Fight?

Pace is one major factor.

Hussein has shown an ability to continue working even after hard grappling exchanges.

When opponents begin slowing down, he often does the opposite.

He increases pressure.

That approach is especially effective late in fights.

Instead of panicking if he loses an early position, Hussein trusts his conditioning and believes the momentum can shift once the opponent gets tired.

That confidence has been built through years of competition.

Is Abdul Hussein Hard to Submit?

Hussein appears extremely confident in his submission defense.

During one difficult fight, he survived several dangerous choke attempts.

One became tight.

Still, Hussein later explained that tapping never entered his mind.

His mentality was straightforward.

He would either escape or lose consciousness trying.

More importantly, Hussein understood the defensive details.

By turning his hips and creating a small amount of space, he regained enough room to breathe before eventually escaping.

That calmness under pressure reflects his deep grappling experience.

Did Abdul Hussein Fight Muhammad Mokaev?

Yes.

Hussein faced Muhammad Mokaev during his professional career.

The fight took place under the BRAVE CF banner.

Mokaev won by unanimous decision.

However, the matchup gave Hussein experience against one of the most highly regarded grappling prospects of that era.

It also represents one of the relatively few times Hussein’s professional career reached the judges.

Losses like that became part of his development rather than ending his momentum.

What Promotions Did Abdul Hussein Fight For Before the UFC?

Hussein’s path included several organizations.

Among them were:

• CAGE
• BRAVE CF
• Hamara MMA
• UAE Warriors
• Ice Cage

His international schedule exposed him to opponents from a wide range of backgrounds.

UAE Warriors became especially important later in his career.

Hussein competed several times in Abu Dhabi and became familiar with fighting in the region.

Consequently, returning there for a major event did not feel entirely unfamiliar.

What Did Abdul Hussein Accomplish in UAE Warriors?

UAE Warriors played a major role in Hussein’s rise.

His victories there included submission and TKO finishes.

More importantly, the promotion provided international visibility while allowing him to face experienced opposition.

Hussein competed in Abu Dhabi multiple times.

Therefore, he gradually built a following in the region as well as in Finland.

Those performances helped establish him as a fighter who was ready for a bigger opportunity.

Why Was Beating Tyson Nam Important for Abdul Hussein?

Former UFC fighter Tyson Nam represented a valuable test.

Nam had years of experience against high-level opposition.

However, Hussein did not simply defeat him.

He knocked him out.

That victory demonstrated another side of his game.

A fighter already known for submissions had just stopped a proven veteran with strikes.

The result strengthened Hussein’s case that he belonged against top-level competition.

It also came during an important period in his attempt to reach the UFC.

Was Abdul Hussein on The Ultimate Fighter?

Hussein was brought into the process for The Ultimate Fighter Season 34.

Interestingly, UFC representatives contacted him directly.

The message initially arrived through an old email address that Hussein had almost forgotten existed.

At first, he wondered whether the message was even real.

Then he realized the opportunity was genuine.

Hussein chose the TUF opportunity over waiting for a possible Contender Series appearance because the show represented something concrete.

In his view, creating an opportunity was better than waiting for one that might never arrive.

Why Was The Ultimate Fighter Special to Abdul Hussein?

The show had been part of his UFC story from the beginning.

As a young fan, Hussein watched the early seasons and imagined himself competing there one day.

Therefore, joining the TUF process years later brought his career full circle.

The experience was not just about television.

Hussein wanted access to new coaches, training ideas and the UFC Performance Institute.

He specifically talked about learning more about nutrition, weight cutting, recovery and different training systems.

For him, information was another prize.

Did Abdul Hussein Make The Ultimate Fighter House?

No.

Hussein went through the process but was not ultimately selected for the house.

He later explained that Daniel Cormier had wanted him, although other members of the team favored different fighters.

Still, Hussein was not angry.

Instead, the experience opened another door.

Dana White spoke with the fighters who were not chosen and told Hussein that another UFC-related opportunity would follow.

What happened next became almost unbelievable.

What Happened to Abdul Hussein After The Ultimate Fighter?

Hussein’s next two weeks became some of the most stressful of his career.

After missing out on the TUF house, he was told he could receive a Contender Series opportunity.

Then another possibility appeared almost immediately.

Hussein was asked whether he could make weight for a UFC event on extremely short notice.

That fight was postponed.

He began traveling home.

Then another call arrived while he was changing planes in Dallas.

Hussein was told to return to Las Vegas because another UFC fight might be available.

He literally had to get his luggage off the plane.

However, that opportunity also disappeared because of a visa issue.

Eventually, Hussein finally returned to Finland.

Exhausted from the travel and uncertainty, he said he slept for roughly 25 hours.

Those chaotic weeks made his eventual breakthrough even more satisfying.

What Is Abdul Hussein’s Mentality Under Pressure?

Hussein trusts preparation.

He accepts that nerves exist.

However, once the fight begins, he believes his past experience will take over.

That confidence comes from more than professional MMA.

Amateur tournaments forced him to fight repeatedly.

International competition exposed him to unfamiliar environments.

Meanwhile, years of high-level grappling taught him to remain calm in bad positions.

Hussein has explained that when his career reaches a moment where he needs to perform, he usually does.

That belief is central to his identity as a fighter.

What Is Abdul Hussein Like Outside the Cage?

Hussein appears much more relaxed outside competition than his fighting style suggests.

He jokes during interviews.

He enjoys teasing people.

For example, after finally fighting in front of Daniel Cormier, Hussein opened his interview by asking DC whether he remembered him from The Ultimate Fighter process.

Cormier did.

Hussein later explained that he was not angry about failing to get selected for the show.

He was simply having fun with the moment.

That personality helps balance the intense competitor fans see inside the cage.

Does Abdul Hussein Have a Family?

Yes.

Hussein has spoken publicly about having a partner and family in Finland.

Being separated from them was one of the hardest parts of preparing for The Ultimate Fighter.

The show would mean several weeks away with limited communication.

For someone accustomed to having both family and longtime teammates around him, that isolation created more anxiety than the actual fighting.

Family also plays an important role after fights.

Following a major victory, Hussein said his immediate celebration plan was simple: go out, eat and celebrate with them.

What Does Abdul Hussein Want to Do for Finnish MMA?

His goals extend beyond his own career.

Hussein has spoken about using his connections to help more Finnish fighters reach major international opportunities.

Once he established direct contact with UFC representatives, he saw that relationship as something that could potentially benefit others too.

Rather than keeping every connection for himself, Hussein said one of his major goals was to create a stronger Finnish link into the UFC system.

His reasoning is simple.

More Finnish fighters succeeding internationally would help the entire country’s MMA scene grow.

How Does Abdul Hussein View Success?

Reaching the UFC was never supposed to be the end.

Hussein has described his larger goal as succeeding in global MMA over the long term.

That distinction matters.

Signing a contract is one achievement.

Building a lasting career requires something else.

Therefore, Hussein continues to focus on training, development and learning.

Even when discussing increased fame or money, he has joked that his actual life would probably remain similar.

Training would still happen.

The work would still need to be done.

Why Does Abdul Hussein Stand Out?

Abdul Hussein stands out because his career has been built on patience.

He became an IMMAF world champion in 2016.

At that point, reaching the UFC seemed close.

Instead, another decade of work followed.

There were BRAVE fights.

UAE Warriors came next.

Setbacks appeared.

Opportunities disappeared at the last moment.

Even The Ultimate Fighter almost became another near miss.

Hussein kept going.

Meanwhile, his skill set continued growing.

The result is a fighter with deep amateur experience, dangerous submissions, improving striking and the calmness that comes from spending years waiting for the moment everyone expected much earlier.

His record will change.

Opponents will change too.

However, that long journey from amateur world champion to international professional fighter will always remain the foundation of his story.

Abdul Hussein Career Update

Current professional record: 16-2
Current division: UFC Bantamweight
Current winning streak: 9 fights
Latest result: Win over Cody Gibson
Method: Arm-triangle choke
Round: 3
Time: 3:07
Date: July 25, 2026

Hussein submitted UFC veteran Cody Gibson with an arm-triangle choke after gradually increasing his pressure across the fight.

The victory continued a run that included wins by knockout, TKO, rear-naked choke, bulldog choke and arm-triangle choke.

Abdul Hussein FAQs

Who is Abdul Hussein?

Abdul “King” Hussein is a Finland-based professional MMA fighter with Palestinian roots who competes in the UFC bantamweight division.

What is Abdul Hussein’s nickname?

Tapology lists his nickname as “King,” while other MMA profiles have also used “Abba.”

When was Abdul Hussein born?

Abdul Hussein was born on August 2, 1997.

Where was Abdul Hussein born?

He was born in Lebanon.

Is Abdul Hussein Finnish?

Hussein represents Finland professionally and has built his MMA career within the Finnish combat sports scene.

Is Abdul Hussein Palestinian?

Yes. Hussein has publicly spoken about representing Palestine as well as Finland.

How tall is Abdul Hussein?

He is listed between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-7 depending on the database. Tapology lists him at 5-foot-7.

What is Abdul Hussein’s reach?

His listed reach is approximately 67 inches, or 170 cm.

What weight class does Abdul Hussein fight in?

Hussein competes at bantamweight.

What is Abdul Hussein’s fighting style?

He is a pressure-heavy MMA fighter with strong wrestling, dangerous submission grappling and capable striking.

How many submission wins does Abdul Hussein have?

Hussein has recorded numerous professional submission victories, with chokes forming a major part of his finishing game.

What submissions does Abdul Hussein use?

His professional finishes include rear-naked chokes, guillotines, arm-triangle chokes and a bulldog choke.

Who is Abdul Hussein’s coach?

One of Hussein’s main longtime coaches is Sami Mehmedi.

Where does Abdul Hussein train?

He represents Espoon Kehähait in Finland and has also worked with a wider Finnish training group that includes athletes and coaches from other gyms.

Was Abdul Hussein an IMMAF world champion?

Yes. Hussein won four fights at the 2016 IMMAF World Championships in Las Vegas and captured the tournament title.

Was Abdul Hussein on The Ultimate Fighter?

Hussein participated in the selection process for The Ultimate Fighter Season 34, although he was not ultimately chosen for the house.

Did Daniel Cormier coach Abdul Hussein?

Cormier was involved in Hussein’s TUF season, and Hussein later said DC had wanted to select him before other team preferences influenced the final choice.

Did Abdul Hussein fight Muhammad Mokaev?

Yes. Hussein faced Muhammad Mokaev under the BRAVE CF banner and lost by unanimous decision.

Did Abdul Hussein fight Tyson Nam?

Yes. Hussein defeated former UFC fighter Tyson Nam by first-round knockout.

What does Abdul Hussein want to do for Finnish MMA?

Beyond his own career, Hussein has said he wants to use his opportunities and connections to help more Finnish fighters reach the UFC and other major stages.

Does Abdul Hussein have a family?

Yes. Hussein has publicly referred to his partner and family in Finland.

What is Abdul Hussein’s MMA record?

His latest professional record is listed in the fighter information table and Career Update section above.

What is Abdul Hussein’s Instagram?

Abdul Hussein’s official Instagram account is @abbaaa2.