Rob Wilkinson (13-2) vs. Sam Kei (8-5)
The Hex Fight Series returns this weekend with a card that’s heavy on amateur bouts and only includes a handful of professional contests. However, the headlining title tilt is certainly worthy of our attention. Light-heavyweight kingpin and former UFC fighter Rob Wilkinson puts his belt on the line against the company’s heavyweight champion, Sam Kei.
Wilkinson has spent much of his career, including his UFC tenure, at middleweight. He had the misfortune of meeting the formidable duo of Siyar Bahadurzada and eventual UFC champ Israel Adesanya in his two Octagon appearances. Needless to say, Wilkinson did not fare well in either affair. Prior to his time with the UFC, though, the Aussie had compiled a perfect 11-0 mark since his 2011 debut. Once he departed the UFC, he took a detour into the realm of kickboxing and won two fights. He returned to MMA in late 2019 and added his 12th career win with a first-round submission of fellow UFC castoff Dylan Andrews. Wilkinson then notched a first-round finish via strikes of Daniel Almeida for the Hex gold. He now has seven submission victories and five knockouts on his resume. Wilkinson suffered both of his losses via stoppage due to strikes.