In many ways, the mixed martial arts story of undefeated flyweight prospect Bilal Hasan can be viewed through lenses of legacy.
As a Hawaii-born fighter, Hasan has Max Holloway to look up to. A future Hall of Famer known for his fighting spirit and one of the biggest draws in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), “Blessed” is among the best to ever do it in the featherweight division.
Raised in Snohomish County, Hasan finds commonality with another Hall of Fame name: Randy Couture. Though Las Vegas would become Couture’s adopted home, his state championship experience as a Lynnwood High School wrestler served well as an MMA foundation, leading him to eventually win multiple UFC titles.
Any comparison to local fighters would be remiss without mention of Pierce County’s Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Inarguably among the most elite mixed martial artists to ever compete, Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship belt eleven times consecutively, setting a record that remains far out of reach for even the most dominant current champs.
And it’s 23-year-old Bilal Hasan who’s staring down the scope of all that legacy, hoping to add his own to the annals of UFC history.
But first, Hasan stares down freeway traffic. Every Friday morning, he makes the ninety-minute drive from Everett to Sumner to personally train with Mighty Mouse. “Let me tell you, it’s worth it,” Hasan said with a grin. “People in my position would pay so much money to get trained by the greatest mind in MMA… it’s surreal and humbling.”
Getting put into pretzels on the mat by a decorated former champion like Johnson makes for a perfect supplement to the young prospect’s development. It’s hard to find footage of Hasan, a deadly striking specialist, diving at ankles or jumping for submissions, but he acknowledged the importance of rounding out his game. “In this era of the sport, everyone is good everywhere,” he commented. “People that are really able to mix it up, they’re the most dangerous… look at how Magomed Ankalaev beat Alex Pereira.”
Still, the standup is where Hasan shines, and that’s largely thanks to his taekwondo background. While attending Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, the Indonesian American won three gold medals at international tournaments. “Hasan’s exploits have propelled his ranking to No. 2 in the world in his division,” the Everett Herald wrote in 2017.
But the young medalist still felt unsatisfied as a martial artist. “I knew I wanted to get into MMA. I quit taekwondo because I felt like I hit a plateau, there wasn’t much to learn,” Hasan recalled. As a high school senior, he joined the Kamiak wrestling team on a whim and, despite lacking extensive grappling experience, managed to compete at the varsity level. Attending college at UW Bothell, he took amateur boxing and kickboxing fights and transitioned to MMA shortly thereafter, making his professional debut in 2022.
From there, it’s been nothing but success for the Indo-Ninja (a nickname that the second-generation immigrant adopted to represent his heritage). Look no further than his Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) victory over South Carolina wrestler Jacob Romano for proof.
Hasan first demonstrated his anti-grappling, fending off takedown attempts from his quick-footed opponent. When Romano managed to wrap up a leg successfully, Hasan made him pay for it in pints.
A subtle, upward left elbow to Romano’s temple opened a spurting wound that paused the fight and required a cleaning crew to mop the cage floor. “Elbows are tough to practice because you don’t want to cut your training partners. It’s something that I’ve drilled before, but it was almost instinct at the time,” Hasan told me.
UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano, commentating the fight, gave his thoughts on Hasan’s skillset: “It’s really hard to throw elbows like that. This kid is special for sure.” Hasan lived up to this analysis in the second round, timing a precise spinning heel kick to Romano’s head that ended the fight. “That kick is, like, basic taekwondo… the first thing you learn,” he reminisced.
After finishing two more fights, Hasan became the CFFC flyweight champ, most recently defending his regional title in February. His next fight, scheduled for June 6, will be a main event in North Dakota against Jason Eastman, who trains out of American Top Team – a UFC-caliber gym that hosts big names such as Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal, as well as the current UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Hasan, representing Everett’s Charlie’s Combat Club, relishes every chance he gets to show what his smaller, grassroots gym can do, but he specifically wants to put “The Cannibal” on notice. “Pantoja’s amazing, bro – amazing! But there’s just no character there, no storylines,” Hasan said. “It’s one thing to win the fight, but at the end of the day we’re in the show business. These guys can fight, but it’s really about the crowd, the lights, the camera, the announcer.”
If he defends successfully in June, Hasan might be just the right kind of spice for the UFC flyweight division. While he’s open to fighting on Dana White’s Contender Series first, he believes the hype behind him, driven by tens of thousands of raving Indonesian fans, warrants a straight shot to the big show.
And combining that hype with the legacy Hasan upholds as a Seattle-area flyweight taking on a division that Mighty Mouse once ruled? That’s a recipe for success and stardom. “It literally feels like it’s meant to be,” Hasan said excitedly. “I can tell how much effort and time DJ puts into me… he’s told me countless times that I have a bright future. To hear that from him, it gives me so much confidence.”
As for the best advice he’s received from Johnson? “He tells me every time he whoops my ass – ‘You’re only 23, I’m 38! Imagine your skillset when you’re 38!’ So it’s about loving every step of the journey,” the prospect shared.
As our conversation came to a close, Hasan addressed fans and future opponents. “Come along for the ride. I believe I can fight with the top fifteen best in the world,” he said. “Definitely tryna keep the Seattle flyweights at the top, man!”
Author: Kayvon Bumpus
One Response
Would be great to get Hasan and @FightPastor of Mill Creek connected if they aren’t already.