Who Won Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick at UFC Vegas 114 After Brutal Jaw Injury?

Marwan Rahiki made a violent first impression in the UFC, earning a stoppage victory over Harry Hardwick at UFC Vegas 114 after a brutal exchange left his opponent with a broken jaw. The featherweight contest had already become one of the most entertaining fights on the card before it was halted between the second and third rounds.

Rahiki did not get the fast knockout he had hoped for, but he still delivered the kind of debut that gets attention. The unbeaten Moroccan repeatedly landed heavy punches throughout the fight, forcing Hardwick to absorb punishing shots while trying to stay competitive in every exchange.

The fight changed in the second round

Through the opening two rounds, Rahiki was the more dangerous fighter and appeared to be winning most of the exchanges. Time and again, he connected with sharp, damaging blows that visibly shook Hardwick. Several of those shots looked strong enough to end the contest, but Hardwick somehow kept recovering and firing back.

That resistance gave the bout its edge. Hardwick was hurt more than once, backed up under pressure, and still found moments to answer with clean counters of his own. He did just enough offensively to keep Rahiki from completely running away with the fight, even as the damage continued to build.

The decisive moment appeared to come late in the second round when Rahiki landed a punch with enough force to break Hardwick’s jaw. The injury became clear once the round ended and Hardwick returned to his corner in obvious distress.

Corner stoppage ended a thrilling contest

Between rounds, Hardwick told his team that his jaw was badly damaged, and his coaches chose to stop the fight before the third round could begin. That gave Rahiki a stoppage victory rather than the walk-off finish he had been chasing, but the result still underlined the power and pressure he brought in his Octagon debut.

The ending was sudden, yet it did not take away from the quality of the fight. Until the stoppage, both men had been involved in one of the most action-heavy matchups of the night. Rahiki’s offense was relentless, while Hardwick’s durability kept the contest alive longer than many expected.

Rahiki stayed unbeaten in his UFC debut

The win allowed Rahiki to remain undefeated and start his UFC career with a statement performance. After the bout, he made clear that he had prepared to do whatever was necessary to win. He also admitted that while he wanted a quick knockout, Hardwick forced him into a deeper test than expected and made him work for the finish.

That may have been one of the most revealing parts of the performance. Rahiki showed power, but he also showed that he could stay composed in a messy, physical fight when an opponent refused to go away. Against a stubborn and game Hardwick, he kept pressing until the cumulative punishment changed the bout completely.

Fight of the Night talk followed the stoppage

Even though the result came through a corner stoppage, the bout still felt like the kind of fight that could enter the conversation for a Fight of the Night bonus. It combined heavy momentum swings, visible damage, and a level of grit from Hardwick that made the final outcome more dramatic.

For Hardwick, the defeat was painful in every sense, but his effort still stood out. He absorbed huge punishment, kept trying to answer back, and turned what could have been a quick finish into a real battle. For Rahiki, the bigger takeaway was simple: his first UFC appearance ended with a finish, an intact unbeaten record, and a performance that should quickly raise interest around his name at featherweight.

Rahiki may not have left Las Vegas with the exact knockout he originally wanted, but he still walked away with a stoppage win, a broken-jaw finish attached to his debut, and the sense that he belongs on the UFC stage.