“I didn’t think about it. It didn’t weigh on me, in a positive or (negative) way. It is what it is. That time had passed and that was it. I take it as a learning experience, just like I take my victories as a learning experience.
“It was a draw – I don’t see it as a draw – but when you’re not focused on the outcome, when you’re focused on improving yourself as a fighter, as an athlete, as a man, those things don’t matter. It wouldn’t matter if I talked about it as a win, so it won’t matter now. I don’t take those things too seriously; I don’t take those things at heart.
However, what he focuses on and cares deeply about is how each opportunity to step into the Octagon advances his career and allows him to climb the divisional ladder. Even though he’s not in a hurry, forward movement is fundamental to everything he does, and with this match against Trocoli on Saturday night, Abdul-Malik is ready to put the months of intensive training into practice and take another step in his professional journey.
“I trained for a long, long time for this, but I’m done with training,” he said with a smile. “I love training, but in my mind it’s all for a goal, it’s a goal, and (competing, advancing) is that goal, and I’m going to grab that goal with both hands.
“It will mean the next step,” replied Abdul-Malik when asked if he would close 2025 with another victory. “It’s not going to be too heavy, it’s definitely not going to be too light, but I’m just going to take the middle ground and enjoy this moment. I’m going to work for this moment, I’m going to blow 110 percent in my opponent’s face, I really believe in that. I intend to hurt him, and it’s going to be good.”
If all goes as planned this weekend, the sophomore will enter 2026 with a zero in the loss column, a trio of UFC victories on his resume and a tidal wave gathering behind him.
The middleweight division has become increasingly competitive over the past couple of years, with more promising names coming forward now than at any other time in recent memory, but Abdul-Malik has all the makings of someone capable of standing out among the crowd, and that’s precisely what he intends to do in year two on the roster.
FOLLOW @UFCNEWS: On Facebook | On Instagram | On | On discussions
“Continue to be undefeated, continue to win, continue to dominate and improve my performance, and move up; climb the ladder even more,” he said with a smile, laying out his aspirations for 2026. “Activity, activity, activity, that’s what I think. Improvement, technique, challenges, all good things.
“I just see that my life continues to be more and more beautiful.”
