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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Brady
Detailing The Matchups Set To Hit The Octagon On Saturday Night In Las Vegas
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte
The first of the month’s three fight cards takes place this weekend at the UFC APEX, as 13 sets of competitors make the walk to the Octagon aiming to have their hand raised in victory.
While the main card features a host of established names looking to take important steps forward in their respective weight classes, Saturday’s event also boasts a number of promising talents looking to either continue their winning ways or get themselves moving in the right direction again, all of which makes for an exciting combination of matchups.
So let’s dive into what’s on tap for this weekend.
Main Event: Gilbert Burns vs Sean Brady
Saturday’s fight card is headlined by a Top 10 welterweight battle between Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady.
A former title challenger and divisional stalwart for the last several years, Burns arrives in Las Vegas on a two-fight slide, having lost earlier this year to Jack Della Maddalena, and midway through last year to current champ Belal Muhammad. Now 38 years old, Burns remains a fixture in the rankings, but it’s fair to question where things go from here, which is why this matchup carries so much intrigue.
Brady arrived on the scene with an unbeaten record and carrying the championship upside shown by the likes of Shavkat Rakhmonov, Della Maddalena, and Ian Machado Garry, all of whom have zoomed past him in the rankings. Health has been a limiting factor, though he looked outstanding in collecting a submission win over Kelvin Gastelum in Austin back in December.
With a new champion installed at the top of the division and the chase for the belt more crowded than it has ever been, this is a pivotal matchup for each man. Both are solid on the feet, but most dangerous on the canvas, so it will be curious to see where this one plays out on Saturday night.
Other Main Card Matchups
Jessica Andrade vs Natalia Silva
The co-main event features an all-Brazilian battle in the flyweight division as Jessica Andrade takes on Natalia Silva.
Andrade returns to the 125-pound ranks after registering a pair of victories at strawweight in her last two outings — a stoppage win over Mackenzie Dern and a split decision nod over Marina Rodriguez. A title picture mainstay in two divisions, the 32-year-old has the most wins (17) and appearances (27) of any female fighter in UFC history, and remains a persistent title threat in two weight classes despite being in her 12th year on the roster.
Silva has quickly established herself as one to watch in the flyweight division, earning five straight wins since touching down in the UFC to extend her winning streak to 11 straight overall. Earlier this year, the taekwondo expert toppled Viviane Araujo to force her way into the Top 10, and now has the chance to push into the Top 5 with a win in her second straight matchup against another Brazilian.
This will be a captivating fight, as Andrade has looked strong in her last two outings, but hasn’t had the same success at flyweight as she has at strawweight over the years, while Silva has looked sharp throughout her UFC run, but has never faced anyone as decorated as “Bate Estaca.”
Steve Garcia vs Kyle Nelson
Veteran featherweights in the best form of their careers meet on the main card as Steve Garcia steps in to face Kyle Nelson.
Garcia, who raised his hand when Calvin Kattar was forced out of this matchup due to injury, enters having won four straight, all by stoppage. The Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) alum posted a pair of finishes last year, and added to his string of successes in July with a first-round victory over South Korea’s SeungWoo Choi, moving to 16-5 for his career.
A winner of three straight and unbeaten in his last four, Nelson has turned things all the way around after entering 2023 on a two-fight skid and with just a single victory through his first five UFC appearances. The 33-year-old Huntsville, Ontario native has leaned on his fundamentals and pace during his current run of quality form, outworking Blake Bilder and Fernando Padilla before flashing some pop and finishing Bill Algeo in the first round last time out.
Matt Schnell vs Alessandro Costa
Matt Schnell and Alessandro Costa face off in an exciting flyweight battle that earns main card placement this weekend at the UFC APEX.
The 34-year-old Louisiana native Schnell returns for the first time since getting knocked out by Steve Erceg earlier this year, aiming to halt a two-fight slide. Though he’s been a constant presence in the Top 15 for a number of years, “Danger” has gone just 2-4 with one no contest in seven fights since posting a career-best four straight wins between October 2017 and August 2019.
Costa, who trains alongside Diego Lopes at the Brazilian Warriors camp in Puebla, Mexico, has gone 2-2 in his first four UFC appearances, alternating wins and losses. Last time out, “Nono” dominated Kevin Borjas, scoring a second-round stoppage win at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.
Trevor Peek vs Yanal Ashmouz
Trevor Peek and Yanal Ashmouz meet in a battle of lightweights looking to get back into the win column this weekend.
An all-action fighter with a “meet me at the bike racks” approach, Peek has gone 2-2 over his first four UFC starts, alternating wins and losses. A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Peek is 9-2 overall with eight finishes but has shown an improved ability to venture into the later rounds recently, going the distance in each of his last three outings.
Ashmouz collected a thunderous first-round stoppage win over Sam Patterson in his promotional debut at UFC 286 in London, moving to 7-0 in the process. Last time out, the 29-year-old “Red Fox” was bounced from the ranks of the unbeaten by Scotland’s Chris Duncan.
There is a strong likelihood that this will be a slugfest with Fight of the Night potential, so be sure to be locked in and ready to go once these two hit the Octagon on Saturday night.
Rongzhu vs Chris Padilla
The main card opens in the lightweight division, with Rongzhu making his return to the UFC against recent upset winner Chris Padilla.
Still just 24 years old, Rongzhu reclaimed a spot on the UFC roster by rolling through the competition in last year’s Road to UFC lightweight tournament. He went 1-2 during his first tour of duty on the biggest stage in the sport, but has now won four straight and appears much more ready to embark on a lengthier stay this time around.
Called up on short notice earlier this year, Padilla turned an out-of-the-blue opportunity into a first-round submission win, tapping out James Llontop in April to earn his fourth straight win. “Taco” has amassed a wealth of experience despite being just 28 years old, and should serve as a quality test for the returning Chinese lightweight here.
Preliminary Card Matchups
Ryan Spann vs Ovince Saint Preux
Veteran light heavyweights face off in the final preliminary card fight this weekend, as Ryan Spann and Ovince Saint Preux share the Octagon in Las Vegas.
An enigmatic fighter who has had his ups and downs, Spann enters his second appearance of 2024 having dropped three straight, most recently getting stopped by Bogdan Guskov in April. “OSP” hasn’t fought twice in the same year since 2020, but returns here looking to pick up a second 2024 victory after edging out Spann’s teammate Kennedy Nzechukwu in March.
Isaac Dulgarian vs Brendon Marotte
Isaac Dulgarian and Brendon Marotte clash in a matchup of featherweights looking to get back into the win column this weekend at the UFC APEX.
After dominating Francis Marshall in his promotional debut, Dulgarian landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict last time out against Christian Rodriguez, falling from the ranks of the unbeaten as a result. A member of the New England Cartel, Marotte answered a short notice call last October, only to get stopped by Terrance McKinney in 20 seconds.
Felipe dos Santos vs Andre Lima
Intriguing Brazilian flyweights share the Octagon here as Felipe dos Santos and Andre Lima go head-to-head on Saturday night.
Dos Santos showed promise in his short notice defeat to Manel Kape last fall in Sydney, but struggled a little while registering a split decision win over Victor Altamirano earlier this year. Lima has already picked up a pair of wins this year to move to 9-0 overall, most recently landing on the happy side of a questionable split decision verdict in a fight with Mitch Raposo at UFC 302.
Yizha vs Gabriel Santos
Two-time Road to UFC finalist and Season 2 featherweight tournament winner Yizha takes on Gabriel Santos in this intriguing matchup in the 145-pound weight class.
Yizha has competed six times over the last 28 months, posting a 5-1 mark during that stretch, including a first-round submission win over Kaiwen in February that earned him a place on the roster. The 27-year-old Santos arrived in the UFC with a 10-0 record but has dropped consecutive contests to Lerone Murphy and David Obama heading into his third appearance in the Octagon this weekend.
Jaqueline Amorim vs Vanessa Demopoulos
Brazilian grappler Jaqueline Amorim looks for her third straight win as she takes a step up in competition against American veteran Vanessa Demopoulos.
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After losing her promotional debut, Amorim has registered back-to-back submission wins over Montserrat Conejo Ruiz and Cory McKenna to flash her potential as a prospect. Demopoulos has also earned consecutive victories, besting Kanako Murata and Emily Ducote on the cards to advance to 5-1 in the strawweight division.
Andre Petroski vs Dylan Budka
Andre Petroski and Dylan Budka square off this weekend in a matchup of middleweight grapplers.
Petroski halted a two-fight slide with a grinding win over Josh Fremd earlier this year in Denver, moving to 6-2 inside the Octagon in the process. Budka, a member of last year’s DWCS graduating class, was stopped by Cesar Almeida in his promotional debut in April, falling to 7-3 overall as a result.
Zygimantas Ramaska vs Nathan Fletcher
After being postponed two weeks ago, Zygimantas Ramaska and Nathan Fletcher finally face off in a battle of Team Shevchenko representatives from this most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Ramaska advanced to the semifinals with a gutsy, all-action win over Bekhzod Usmonov, but was unable to compete after suffering a facial fracture. Fletcher dropped his quarterfinal bout to finalist Kaan Ofli by decision despite suffering a broken leg in the early stages of the contest. Both made a good impression on UFC CEO Dana White throughout the season, and now they get their chance to compete on the biggest stage of the sport.
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