Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira
Laying Out The Lineup For The First Meta Apex Event Of The Year In Las Vegas
By E. Spencer Kyte
The late, great Thomas Gerbasi used to take tremendous delight in teasing me about how much I love this sport, its athletes, and the week-to-week hustle of writing about both. It’s not that he didn’t love it — he absolutely did, you could see it in his work, always — it’s just that he found it wildly amusing how even a dozen years in, I was still as fired up about the next card as I was when he gave me my first assignment all those years ago.
This is one of those cards that would have earned me a call from TG and his short little chuckle when I told him how much I’m looking forward to the first Fight Night event of 2026. After a couple of numbered events to kick things off, we’re into the META APEX for a deep and entertaining card that should provide some fireworks.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap.
Main Event: Mario Bautista vs Vinicius Oliveira
As we ready for the third event of the year, we’re already being treated to our third clash between Top 15 bantamweights as Mario Bautista faces off with Vinicius Oliveira in a fascinating that carries real divisional weight on Saturday night.
Bautista quietly, methodically worked his way into the Top 10 by cobbling together an eight-fight winning streak that included wins over Jose Aldo and Patchy Mix. After landing on the wrong side of things in his UFC 321 showdown with Umar Nurmagomedov, the 32-year-old MMA Lab representative looks to get things moving in a positive direction again in his first main event assignment in the UFC.
On the other side of the Octagon stands Oliveira, who has gone 4-0 over his first two years on the roster, having logged decision wins over Said Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips last year to advance to No. 11 in the rankings. Aggressive and powerful, “Lok Dog” has won six straight and 12 of his last 13 overall and can force his way into the Top 10 with a fifth straight win on Saturday.
We’re already seen Sean O’Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov log victories this year that solidified their respective positions in the pecking order, but this one carries more of a “what can we expect from these two this year?” vibe. Bautista has been rock-solid in these kinds of matchups and benefits from his teammate Phillips already sharing the Octagon with his Brazilian foe, while Oliveira is at worst a slightly younger version of the same tier of fighter, except with an as-yet-undefined ceiling.
Either the veteran rebounds, holds his ground and turns back the prospect for the time being, or bantamweight gets another fresh name to consider when putting together matchups for later this year. Either way, we should be in store for a highly entertaining scrap.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi
Before the ranked bantamweights wrap up the show, Top 10 flyweights Amir Albazi and Kyoji Horiguchi share the Octagon as they jockey for position in the championship chase.
This will be Albazi’s first fight since dropping a unanimous decision to Brandon Moreno in late 2024 and only his third appearance since the close of 2022. “The Prince” is a legitimate threat when healthy and active, but those two things have escaped him of late, leaving many to question where he stands in the deepening flyweight division at the moment.
Horiguchi showed that he’s at least a Top 10 in his return to the Octagon in November, dominating and then finishing Tagir Ulanbekov to register his first UFC win in nearly a decade. The 35-year-old’s only UFC setback came in a championship bout with Demetrious Johnson in 2015, and this older, wiser, more experienced version still has everything it takes to get back to that spot in the future.
Can Albazi come back and show he’s still a championship contender, or will Horiguchi garner a second consecutive win and take another step forward in the divisional ranks?
Jailton Almeida vs Rizvan Kuniev
For the third straight week, we get an intriguing heavyweight pairing as Jailton Almeida steps in to square off with fellow Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grad Rizvan Kuniev.
Almeida, who replaces Ryan Spann here, landed on the wrong side of a split decision verdict last time out in a clash with Alexander Volkov, where the Brazilian logged over 10 minutes of control time. It’ll be fascinating to see if that loss, which cost him a place in the Top 5, motivates “Malhadinho” to be more aggressive and attacking when he gets to dominant spots, especially given how easily and often he seems to get there whenever he steps into the Octagon.
Rarely does a fighter without a win in the UFC get back-to-back matchups against Top 10 foes, but that’s the case here for Kuniev, who dropped a split decision to Curtis Blaydes in his June debut. The 33-year-old from Dagestan thrived on the regional circuit and won both of his DWCS appearances by stoppage and now has a second chance to thrust himself into the heavyweight mix with his first UFC win.
This one — like every Almeida fight — feels like it hinges on Kuniev’s ability to keep the Brazilian powerhouse from implementing his game plan and what kind of approach Almeida takes if and when he gets there. Color me compelled and sign me up.
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Marc-Andre Barriault
Expect fireworks in this middleweight fixture as Michal Oleksiejczuk and Marc-Andre Barriault share the cage on Saturday’s main card.
Oleksiejczuk has only heard the scorecards in three of his previous 17 UFC appearances, and he’s only garnered four decision wins in his entire career. Since teaming up with the Fighting Nerds, the Polish stalwart has looked rejuvenated, registering consecutive first-round stoppage wins over Sedriques Dumas and Gerald Meerschaert.
Barriault arrives in Las Vegas for his 17th UFC appearance, having collected a bonus in back-to-back contests. A staple at Kill Cliff FC, the French-Canadian veteran loves a good dust-up and has avoided the scorecards in eight of his last 12 starts.
This is one of those pairings where someone is either getting a bonus for a quick, convincing stoppage or they’re each taking home some extra cash because they’re traded leather for longer than anticipated and left everyone wanting more. Tell me a fight like that doesn’t interest you?
Jean Matsumoto vs Farid Basharat
Bantamweight prospects looking to continue their respective pushes towards the rankings cross paths here as Jean Matsumoto takes on Farid Basharat.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Matsumoto rolled the dice early last year, stepping in to face Rob Font on short notice in Seattle, coming out on the wrong side of a split decision verdict and catching the first loss of his career for his troubles. He returned a touch under six months later, falling on the favorable side of the same result in a bout with Miles Johns, and now looks to inch closer to the Top 15 by kicking off the year with his biggest win to date.
Basharat graduated from the Contender Series a year before Matsumoto and has gone 5-0 to begin his UFC tenure, running his record to 14-0 overall in the process. A well-rounded technician with excellent defensive movements, the 28-year-old Afghan prospect has long profiled as a future threat and can take another step towards validating those projections here.
As always, bantamweight is loaded with talent, and the battle to break into the rankings is fierce, but the winner of this one will be in a good position to land a date with a ranked opponent next time out, if not garner a number next to their name. With the way things are lining up in the 135-pound weight class thus far in 2026, this is the right time for these two to meet and figure out which one continues to move forward to begin the year.
Dustin Jacoby vs Julius Walker
The main card opens with a light heavyweight tussle between veteran Dustin Jacoby and Julius Walker, who opens his sophomore year on the roster looking for a second straight win.
Originally scheduled to compete last weekend in Sydney, Jacoby stuck around to corner his teammate and friend Cody Brundage at UFC 325 before hustling on a plane and heading to Las Vegas for his own fight. “The Hanyak” has earned consecutive stoppage wins and is angling to get himself back in the rankings as quickly as possible.
Unbeaten in six fights on the regional circuit, including three straight stoppage wins over known commodities Nyle Bartling, Bevon Lewis, and Myron Dennis, earning him a call to the Octagon. After pairing with Alonzo Menifield for the Fight of the Night in Seattle in February, “Juice Box” garnered his first win on the big stage in August by outworking Rafael Cerquiera.
Can the veteran Jacoby run his winning streak to three and show he’s on a different level than Walker or will the neophyte make the most of this change in opponents and take the fast lane towards the Top 15 instead?
Preliminary Card Pairings
Alex Morono vs Daniil Donchenko
The prelims wrap with a classic “veteran vs prospect” battle in the welterweight division as Alex Morono squares off with recent TUF winner Daniil Donchenko.
Morono rolls into Meta Apex looking to stem the tide after dropping three straight contests, most recently having been stopped by Carlos Leal at UFC 313. The 24-year-old Donchenko defeated fellow Team Cormier representative Rodrigo Sezinando in September to claim the welterweight tournament victory, making good use of his elbows to create damage and open the door for him to chase down a finish.
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price
Nikolay Veretennikov and Niko Price face off in a welterweight clash that started out as a meeting between two entirely different combatants.
Veretennikov stepped in for Eric Nolan, eager to get back at it after suffering a frustrating loss to Puna Soriano at UFC 320 and falling to 1-3 in the UFC. Late last week, Price was tapped to replace Jose Henrique Souza when the young Brazilian was forced to withdraw. This will be his 20th UFC appearance and first since losing to Jacobe Smith last summer during International Fight Week.
Bruna Brasil vs Ketlen Souza
It’s an all-Brazilian strawweight affair as DWCS grad Bruna Brasil shares the Octagon with compatriot Ketlen Souza.
Brasil has alternated results through her first six UFC starts, earning decision wins over Shauna Bannon, Molly McCann, and Shi Ming while falling to a trio of ranked competitors. The 30-year-old Souza has gone 2-2 since dropping her promotional debut by decision, winning each of her first two starts before landing on the unhappy side of split decision verdicts against Angela Hill and Piera Rodriguez in her last two outings.
Said Nurmagomedov vs Javid Basharat
The third of four bantamweight pairings on Saturday’s fight card features veteran Said Nurmagomedov taking on the returning Javid Basharat.
A fixture in the division since midway through 2018, Nurmagomedov went 7-2 over his first nine starts, but competes here looking for his first win since the fall of 2023. The brother of main card combatant Farid Basharat, Javid looks to halt a two-fight skid and get his first victory since moving to 14-0 overall with a win over Mateus Mendonca.
Wang Cong vs Eduarda Moura
Wang Cong and Eduarda Moura share the Octagon in an intriguing clash in the flyweight division.
Boasting a 3-1 record in the UFC and stationed at No. 12 in the rankings, “The Joker” has earned consecutive decision wins over Bruna Brasil and Ariane da Silva to move to 8-1 overall. A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Moura has similarly gone 3-1 to begin her time on the biggest stage in the sport, bouncing back from her split decision loss to Denise Gomes with unanimous decision wins over Veronica Hardy and Lauren Murphy.
Muin Gafurov vs Jakub Wiklacz
The first bantamweight bout of the night features Tajikistan’s Muin Gafurov and Poland’s Jakub Wiklacz.
After opening his UFC run with consecutive setbacks, Gafurov returns to Las Vegas looking for a third straight win after handing Rinya Nakamura the first loss of his career last time out. The 29-year-old Wiklacz debuted in the UFC in October after a successful run atop the KSW bantamweight ranks, edging out Patchy Mix to move to 17-3-2 overall and extend his unbeaten streak to eight.
Klaudia Sygula vs Priscila Cachoeira
Saturday’s action at Meta Apex opens in the bantamweight division, with Klaudia Sygula taking on Brazilian veteran Priscila Cachoeira.
Fighting out of American Top Team, Sygula scored her first UFC win in June, landing on the happy side of the scorecards in a clash with Irina Alekseeva. Now in her ninth year on the roster, Cachoeira comes into the weekend having gone 2-2 in her last four bantamweight starts, having knocked out Josiane Nunes in her first appearance of 2025 before suffering the same fate in a bout with Joselyne Edwards five months later.
|
UFC 325 - Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 --- UFC Fight Night 267 - Strickland vs. Hernandez (coming...)
