Shahzaib Rind knocks out UFC fighter Andre Ewell at Miami event

Pakistan’s Shahzaib Rind kept his unbeaten Karate Combat record intact, stopping UFC veteran Andre Ewell in the second round at Karate Combat 61 in Miami, Florida.

Rind’s original main event opponent, former Bellator Lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull, was pulled from the card after suffering a cut over his left eye during a brawl in Miami the morning of the event. Ewell stepped in on short notice to take the main event slot, and Rind wasted no time making his case in the pit.

The bout was scheduled for five rounds, with Rind looking to stay dominant while Ewell stepped into a massive opportunity. Rind dominated the first round from start to finish, controlling the exchanges and landing clean strikes throughout.

In the second round, he ended it with a precise head kick that put Ewell down and brought the stoppage. Rind closed the show in two.

In a gesture that stood out as much as the finish itself, Rind shared a portion of his prize money with Ewell after the fight, acknowledging that his opponent had accepted the bout on extremely short notice and deserved to be treated with respect for stepping up.

Rind has gone unbeaten through his Karate Combat appearances, capturing the lightweight belt and defending it twice. The promotion lists him at 154 pounds and six foot one, with multiple knockout wins under its banner.

Rind made history when he won the Karate Combat Championship at KC-49 in Singapore, becoming the first-ever world champion from Pakistan. He defeated Brazil’s Bruno Roberto De Assis in the final.

At Karate Combat 44 in Mexico City, Rind delivered one of the promotion’s quickest and most spectacular finishes, knocking out Peru’s Marco Cubas in just 21 seconds with a flying knee. He also holds a knockout win over former three-time world champion Edgars Skrivers and scored a 2023 bare-knuckle MMA knockout over Carlos Guerra at Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA.

Rind is the number one ranked Wushu fighter in Pakistan, with a combined Wushu and Kickboxing record of 75-4, the majority of which he built by training himself from YouTube videos.