Phil Rowe nearly had his post-UFC reset blown up in seconds, then turned the fight into a submission win.
Rowe submitted Jacob Kilburn in the main event of Island Fights 97 on Saturday, May 23, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi. The former UFC welterweight improved to 12-7 in MMA after getting dropped almost immediately in round one.
Watch the knockdown below:
Phil Rowe just got DROPPED by Jacob Kilburn in the opening seconds of the fight.
Wow. Who saw that coming. #IF97 pic.twitter.com/TBUCZgrsrS
— WeekenderMMA (@WeekenderMMA) May 23, 2026
Kilburn landed clean in the opening seconds, dropped Rowe, and followed him to the mat with punches. Rowe stayed active from guard, recovered, and kept working instead of shelling up.
Watch the finish below:
Phil Rowe after being dropped badly in the opening seconds ends up getting the triangle win over Jacob Kilburn !! #IF97 pic.twitter.com/bHe17cxKYZ
— WeekenderMMA (@WeekenderMMA) May 23, 2026
Phil Rowe Turns Early Trouble Into A Triangle Choke
Rowe eventually trapped Kilburn in a triangle choke and forced the tap. It was a needed rebound after Rowe’s UFC exit earlier this year.
Rowe went 4-5 in the UFC and picked up stoppage wins over Orion Cosce, Jason Witt, Niko Price, and Ange Loosa. He competed in the UFC welterweight division and earned his contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019.
The win matters because Rowe entered Island Fights 97 after a split decision loss to Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani at UFC Houston. Instead of another setback, he survived the worst possible start and got a finish.
Kilburn’s losing streak continued. The former UFC featherweight has now lost six straight fights dating back to his UFC run.
Rowe still needs more wins to push for another major opportunity, but this was a clean reset. He got hurt early, stayed calm, and turned a bad opening into a submission win.
