Main Card (10 p.m. ET) (PPV)
- Alex Pereira def. Magomed Ankalaev via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:20) (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
- Merab Dvalishvili def. Cory Sandhagen via Decision, Unanimous (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
- Jiri Prochazka def. Khalil Rountree Jr. via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 3:04)
- Youssef Zalal def. Josh Emmett via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 1:38)
- Joe Pyfer def. Abus Magomedov via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:46)
Preliminary Card (8 p.m. ET) (ESPNews / ESPN+)
- Ateba Gautier def. Tre’ston Vines via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:41)
- Daniel Santos def. Yoo Joo-sang via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:21)
- Jakub Wiklacz def. Patchy Mix via Decision, Split
- Edmen Shahbazyan def. Andre Muniz via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 4:58)
Early Prelims (6 p.m. ET) (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
- Punahele Soriano def. Nikolay Veretennikov via Decision, Unanimous
- Yana Santos def. Macy Chiasson via Decision, Unanimous
- Farid Basharat def. Chris Gutierrez via Decision, Unanimous
- Ramiz Brahimaj def. Austin Vanderford via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 2, 2:24)
- Veronica Hardy def. Brogan Walker via Decision, Unanimous
It took just a little over a minute for Alex Pereira to regain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on Saturday night, using his stellar kickboxing background to avenge a loss he took earlier this year to Magomed Ankalaev.
Pereira hurt Ankalaev just moments into their UFC 320 main event bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, scoring a hard overhand right which visibly stunned the champ. This shot caused Ankalaev to shoot for a takedown out of desperation, but it only led to the fight’s finishing sequence.
Pereira shut down Ankalaev’s takedown, instead obtaining top position on the ground. From that spot, he unleashed hard ground and pound, including slicing 12-6 elbows as Ankalaev remained shelled up. It eventually became too much for referee Herb Dean, who stepped in and put an end to the bout.
The one-sided performance was a 180 in comparison to when Ankalaev and Pereira met back in March. Their prior match saw them go the distance for a competitive unanimous decision result in favor of Ankalaev, a solid performance for the Russian fighter, but one that was close enough to arguably justify a rematch.
Pereira mentioned following the fight that he entered his first-ever fight against Ankalaev with injuries and illness, which severely affected how he was able to perform.
“I told everyone I was not in a good condition last time,” Pereira said in his post-fight interview, through an interpreter. “Nobody believed it … I wasn’t well that night, but tonight, I’m very well.”
Saturday’s main event win puts Pereira in an exclusive class of two-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champions. Only Jon Jones and Randy Couture were previously able to regain the belt after losing it.
Pereira is also now among the few, or two, who can say they have a win over Ankalaev. The Russian contender had gone undefeated since late 2018, amassing a dozen victories, which led him to a title shot earlier this year. His sole defeat before Saturday was a submission loss to Paul Craig in his UFC debut.
Pereira’s previous run with the belt saw him rip through the division with dominant performances, stopping Jiri Prochazka, Khalil Rountree Jr., and Jamahal Hill all within a year’s time, making him one of, if not the, standout star of 2024.
Now back on top of the division, there remain solid options for Pereira’s next step. He could face City Kickboxing’s Carlos Ulberg, who has carried himself to third in the weight class after obtaining nine consecutive wins. Or, a trilogy fight against Prochazka could be possible after the Czech fighter’s third-round knockout of Khalil Rountree Jr. on Saturday night.
Pereira mentioned that he initially planned out a speech for Saturday night, but instead decided to dedicate part of his interview to a moment of silence for Jon Jones’ brother, Arthur Jones, who it was announced earlier this week had passed away at just 39 years old.
Merab Dvalishvili outworks Cory Sandhagen to keep dominant bantamweight reign alive
The relentless wrestling style of Merab Dvalishvili, paired with a particularly thrilling second round, did more than enough for the Georgian star to retain his UFC Bantamweight Championship against Cory Sandhagen in Saturday’s co-main event.
With the wide scores of 49-45, 49-45 & 49-46, Dvalishvili took the unanimous decision nod at UFC 320, continuing a busy and dominant run as the top fighter at 135 pounds.
Dvalishvili mainly found success from his non-stop wrestling gameplan, securing 20 takedowns and overall attempting 37 shots in just 25 minutes, per official UFC statistics. While Sandhagen was able to quickly spring back up to his feet after getting taken down by Dvalishvili in nearly every instance, the champ would immediately go to his next attempt, giving little room for the American to do anything else but defend.
The most dominant round for Dvalishvili was the second, when a long flurry of punches got Sandhagen to the canvas – a slightly uncharacteristic exchange from Dvalishvili. The champ came close to finishing the fight during this sequence, which could’ve been his second-ever stoppage due to strikes since joining the UFC roster, but Sandhagen survived. Dvalishvili earned a rare 10-8 on a pair of the official scorecards for the second round.
While Dvalishvili had a strong showing, the scorecards didn’t properly illustrate how much Sandhagen made him work. Sandhagen opened with a solid first round, using his striking to significantly out-land Dvalishvili and continued to get sneaky punches through later in the bout. His cardio also held up against the impressive pace that Dvalishvili pushed until the end, continuing to effectively fight his wrestling even in the final minutes.
But for all the trouble Sandhagen provided, it was clear after five rounds that Dvalishvili’s lengthy winning streak would live on.
“I am a machine,” Dvalishvili said in his post-fight interview. “That’s right, I keep getting better. My coach, every day he surprises me, and I’m surpised by how good I’m getting … I feel like I’m just beginning.”
The five-round performance likely closes out what has been a “Fighter of the Year” nominating stretch of performances from Dvalishvili. The Georgian champ has defended his title three times in 2025, putting together an impressive five-round comeback against Umar Nurmagomedov in January, then a third-round submission in a rematch against Sean O’Malley in June.
Dvalishvili’s title run is part of a much longer stretch of being unstoppable at bantamweight. Saturday was his 14th consecutive win, a streak which started all the way back in 2018.
Wanting to remain active, Dvalishvili called for a spot on a UFC card in December, possibly rematching former champ Petr Yan, who has obtained three victories since they previously met in 2023.
Sandhagen, a veteran talent who has fought around the top of the bantamweight division for years, was given a shot against Dvalishvili this weekend after winning four of his last five fights, including main event outings against Song Yadong, Rob Font, and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Jiri Prochazka calls for title shot following hectic comeback knockout win
Jiri Prochazka delivered an impressive comeback performance on Saturday’s card, rallying back after an unsuccessful start against Khalil Rountree Jr. for a devastating third-round face-plant knockout.
Prochazka came out with a flurry of shots in the third round, getting into chaotic back-and-forth sequences where he was able to land with hard punches. After overwhelming and bloodying Rountree Jr., Prochazka connected with a flush left hook that sent him crashing to the mat, ending the fight immediately.
The fight’s finish came after a long barrage where Rountree Jr. survived many shots and answered back with his own, including some nasty elbows in the clinch, but it eventually became too much for him.
Prochakza struggled significantly in earlier rounds, failing to match the output from Rountree Jr. on the feet. Rountree Jr.’s boxing in particular gave troubles to Prochazka, who also struggled to keep his footing on the mat throughout the fight.
After prevailing in a hectic fight full of twists and turns, seemingly the only way Prochazka knows how to compete, the Czech talent said that he expects his next opponent to be the winner of this evening’s main event for the light heavyweight championship.
Prochazka has found himself frequently involved in the title mix at light heavyweight over the years. After briefly earning the belt off Glover Teixeira in 2022, a reign which came to an end due to injury, Prochazka has attempted to reclaim the belt twice since 2023, losing in a pair of championship bouts against Alex Pereira.
Prochazka has now pieced together a pair of high-profile wins. Earlier this year, he earned a third-round stoppage over fellow ex-champ Jamahal Hill, putting him back into the win column after his most recent loss to Pereira.
While there are other contenders in the division who could be next, like third-ranked City Kickboxing talent Carlos Ulberg, Prochazka is certainly one of the frontrunners for an opportunity following his performance on Saturday.
Rountree Jr. entered this weekend with a similar goal of trying to rebuild his way toward a second title shot. After losing a championship fight to Pereira in 2024, Rountree Jr. bounced back earlier this year with a five-round performance over Hill.
Youssef Zalal earns quick armbar win against Josh Emmett to continue stellar second UFC run
Youssef Zalal picked up his quickest win yet against arguably his biggest opponent yet this weekend.
The 29-year-old FactoryX talent, who has not lost since returning to the promotion in 2024, scored a fast armbar submission win against former interim title challenger Josh Emmett on Saturday night.
Zalal scored a double leg takedown 30 seconds into the match, allowing him to start searching for an armbar just moments later. A verbal tap emerged from Emmett as Zalal was in the process of fully extending his arm, bringing a sudden halt to the fight.
The quick win continued an impressive run for Zalal, which is likely to make him overtake Emmett for seventh in the 145-pound division once the new rankings come out next week.
Zalal has seen his MMA career do a full turnaround over the past few years, going from an ex-UFC fighter to a rising star at featherweight.
In 2022, following three consecutive losses and a draw, Zalal was cut from the UFC roster, sending him back to the U.S. regionals. He rejoined the promotion in March 2024, getting a second chance with the company after an undefeated run in his home state of Colorado.
Zalal has been unstoppable since then. Saturday was his fifth consecutive UFC win, with past performances coming against notable 145-pound names like Calvin Kattar, Billy Quarantillo, and Jack Shore.
The man who was not too long ago a regional talent now hopes his next matchup could come against fourth-ranked undefeated contender Lerone Murphy, as he stated in his post-fight interview.
Emmett has now lost four of his past five bouts, although the 40-year-old has only taken on the toughest challenges in the division, like Ilia Topuria, Murphy, and Yair Rodriguez.
Joe Pyfer floors, then taps Abus Magomedov for fifth UFC finish win
Joe Pyfer added another solid performance to his record in the main card opener, stunning Abus Magomedov with strikes in the second round before tapping him out on the canvas
Pyfer came out aggressively to start the second round, charging at Magomedov with big shots. It didn’t take long before a pair of right hands from the American prospect connected, dropping Magomedov.
Pyfer was fluid on the mat against a stunned Magomedov, putting together a solid arm triangle attempt before taking the back for a rear naked choke. A tap emerged just over 100 seconds into the round due to the submission threat.
While Pyfer looked good in the second round, he had a bit of a slow start earlier in the bout.
“BodyBagz” admitted in a post-fight interview that the contest wasn’t entirely going his way before the finish. The first round saw Magomedov score a pair of takedowns, which allowed him to earn over half a round of control time while also scoring with ground and pound. However, after a solid start from Magomedov, Pyfer sensed that the German talent would fade quickly.
The performance continued a rise up the middleweight rankings for Pyfer, who has been hyped by the UFC ever since he appeared on the 2022 season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Saturday delivered on his all-action style, marking his fifth finish through seven UFC appearances.
Magomedov came into this weekend on his best UFC winning streak yet, having earned a trio of wins since 2024, including a performance earlier this year over Michel Pereira.
Prelim results: Ateba Gautier has easy night at the office, first UFC win continues to elude Patchy Mix following close fight against Jakub Wiklacz
Fast-rising middleweight prospect Ateba Gautier earned yet another quick win in the featured prelim spot on Saturday night, living up to his -1800 favorite odds with a first-round finish against short-notice opponent Tre’ston Vines. Gautier used his striking to counter takedown attempts from Vines, flooring him with a knee to the head at one point, then later scoring a pair of elbows to knock him down once again, leading to the finish of the fight with ground and pound in a little under two minutes. 23-year-old Gautier has earned three first-round finishes in just a little over six months. Vines, who was stepping in to replace Ozzy Diaz, was making his UFC debut.
Daniel Santos snatched Yoo Joo-sang’s undefeated record, catching him in the opening moments of the second round with a clean left hook, leading to a nasty ground-and-pound knockout finish. An explosive result from either fighter felt inevitable in this bout, as they were both throwing strikes with intent to finish in the opening five minutes. Santos has slowly amassed four consecutive UFC wins since 2022, none quicker than the one he earned this weekend. Yoo was coming off an electric 28-second UFC debut win from June against Jeka Saragih, but now finds himself coming off a loss for the first time in his career.
Former KSW Bantamweight Champion Jakub Wiklacz snuck by ex-Bellator star Patchy Mix on Saturday’s prelims, getting a split decision win after a competitive grappling-focused battle. A close second round ended up being the most important part of the fight, coming in between a strong start from Wiklacz and a clear third round for Mix. 12 of 17 media scorecards at MMADecisions.com saw Mix win the bout two rounds to one. The victory continues the success that UFC newcomer Wiklacz had put together in the Polish MMA scene over the past few years. Mix, who dropped his UFC debut to Mario Bautista in June, is still winless since entering the promotion this year.
Edmen Shahbazyan continued a successful 2025 with another first-round finish win, putting away Andre Muniz in the final moments of the opening frame. After dropping Muniz with a clean left hook, Shahbazyan unleashed a brutal flurry of elbows from a ground and pound position, convincing referee Mark Smith to step in with just three seconds to go in the round. Shahbazyan has now picked up three wins this year, previously getting past Andre Petroski and stopping Dylan Budka in 95 seconds. Muniz, on the other hand, has lost four of his last five fights.
Punahele Soriano’s success at welterweight continued this weekend, using a simple ground and pound style to overcome Nikolay Veretennikov on scorecards. Veretennikov challenged Shahbazyan with guillotine choke attempts twice, but otherwise found himself taking shots while on the mat for a large portion of the 15-minute contest. Soriano is 3-0 since coming down to the 170-pound limit from middleweight. Veretennikov has yet to find his footing as a UFC fighter, having narrowly won just one of his four fights with the company.
10th-ranked flyweight Yana Santos is expected to move up a few spots in the division’s rankings after overcoming fifth-place Macy Chiasson via decision on Saturday. Impressive work from Santos, particularly in the clinch position, got her ahead two-rounds-to-none afer 10 minutes and put her on pace for a scorecard victory. Chiasson put her in trouble during the bout’s final minute with a rear naked choke attempt, but wasn’t able to get the job done before the clock expired. Santos, who has been with the UFC since 2018, is now on her first three-fight winning streak in the promotion.
Farid Basharat protected his undefeated record against Chris Gutierrez, mixing together solid boxing and wrestling skills to pull ahead early and secure a unanimous decision win. Gutierrez challenged Basharat in the third, rocking him with a shot and getting some control time, but the success came too late for Gutierrez, who, without a finish, was all but guaranteed to lose on scorecards after losing two prior frames. Basharat now has five wins in the UFC, with Saturday being his biggest name to date.
Ramiz Brahimaj delivered the first upset result of the evening, submitting former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford in the second round with a guillotine choke. While Vanderford opened with a solid first round, a head kick from Brahimaj in the second turned the tide, beginning a punishing sequence on the ground which culminated with a choke for the win. Brahimaj has now earned a trio of submission victories within a year’s time.
Brogan Walker had a tough return to the cage against Veronica Hardy in Saturday’s opening bout, struggling in her first appearance since a torn ACL put her on the shelf for two years. Quick boxing exchanges and a deep armbar attempt did enough to give Hardy a clear unanimous decision win, putting her back on track after a 2024 loss to Eduarda Moura. Walker remains winless through three UFC appearances.
