Alonzo Menifield earned a split decision victory over Ivo Baranjevski, with two judges scoring the bout 29-28 in his favor and one scoring it 28-29. Menifield gutted out the win despite suffering a dislocated finger, which he attempted to reset himself at the end of the second round before a ringside doctor cleared him to continue. The injury is believed to have occurred as early as the first round, when his corner was already applying ice to the finger.
Alonzo "Atomic" Menifield ground out a hard-fought split decision victory over Ivo Baranjevski on September 20, 2026, with two of the three judges scoring the light heavyweight contest 29-28 in his favor while the third saw it go the other way.
The win was earned under difficult circumstances. Menifield appeared to dislocate a finger as early as the first round, with his corner already applying ice to the injury between rounds. At the end of the second round, he attempted to reset the finger himself before a ringside doctor examined him and cleared him to continue. He pushed through to secure the decision.
Menifield, 38, now improves to 17-6-1 and holds the number 14 ranking in the UFC light heavyweight division. The American fighter, who trains out of Saekson Muay Thai, stands six feet tall with a 76-inch reach and brings genuine finishing power to his orthodox stance. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at a 53 percent striking accuracy rate, numbers that reflect an efficient and active output on the feet. Takedowns and submissions are a smaller part of his game, averaging half a takedown per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The victory keeps Menifield relevant inside the top 15 of a competitive light heavyweight division.
- Fighting through a dislocated finger to secure a close decision underlines his durability and mental toughness.
- At 38, every win carries added weight as he looks to build toward a bigger opportunity in the division.
