Seok Hyun Ko vs Phil Rowe Full Fight – UFC Fight Night 263

Seok-Hyun Ko defeated Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) in a completely one-sided welterweight bout at UFC Vegas 110: Garcia vs. Onama on November 1, 2025.

The matchup pitted South Korea’s judo and sambo champion, Ko, against the much taller, long-limbed American striker, Phil Rowe. Ko utilized a relentless, smothering wrestling blueprint, completely neutralizing Rowe’s height and reach advantages over fifteen minutes.

• Round 1: Ko wasted zero time closing the distance. He immediately landed a clean takedown and dragged Rowe away from the cage. From top position, Ko unleashed a heavy onslaught of short elbows and ground-and-pound, keeping Rowe pinned to the mat for almost the entire round. 

• Round 2: Rowe attempted to use his striking to reset the momentum, but Ko counteracted with high-level composure. Ko caught Rowe with a hard left hand to the jaw that momentarily stunned the American. As Rowe retreated, Ko seamlessly changed levels, scored a consolidation takedown, and went back to work from the top. 
• Round 3: Showing no signs of fatigue, Ko targeted Rowe’s lead leg with calf kicks and feints to bait him into opening up. Once Rowe bit on a feint, Ko secured his fourth consecutive takedown of the fight. Ko pinned Rowe’s left arm, rained down final ground-and-pound strikes, and pressed him against the fence until the final buzzer. 

The statistical dominance of Ko’s wrestling masterclass was starkly reflected in this stats sheet:

Following the defeat, Phil Rowe took to social media to praise Ko’s outside overhook, admitting it completely neutralized his half-guard and ability to stand up. The victory moved “The Korean Tyson” to a perfect 2-0 start inside the Octagon.