UFC newcomer to debut in Houston after stunning Dana White with contract-winning KO

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Welterweight fighter Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani officially has a date for his UFC debut after earning himself a UFC contract in September.

With the ESPN era firmly in the rearview mirror after Manel Kape stopped Brandon Royval in the final UFC fight of 2025, MMA fans are currently looking ahead to the UFC’s upcoming deal with Paramount and a 2026 schedule that seems to be adding more fights with every passing day.

According to Léo Guimaraes, Lebosnoyani is slated to make his UFC debut opposite former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford at UFC Fight Night Houston on February 21.

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani Has Only Seen The Judges' Scorecards Once

A former lightweight titleholder in California’s Lights Out Xtreme Championship, Lebosnoyani put together an impressive 7-0 amateur career that saw him finish every opponent he faced before he made the jump to professional fighting in 2018.

The 26-year-old’s finishing skills translated well into his pro career, as he went 5-2 over his first seven pro outings and secured four of his five stoppage-victories inside the first round. Following a loss to JaCobi Jones at LFA 158, Lebosnoyani scored three-straight wins to earn a chance at a UFC contract on this year’s edition of Dana White’s Contender Series and needed just over a minute to floor Jack Congdon on Week 4.

DON'T BLINK

Jean Paul Lebosnoyani gets the first round finish at #DWCS

[ LIVE every Tuesday on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/A4wdFuB4Ta
— UFC (@ufc) September 3, 2025

The incredible knockout drew a strong reaction from UFC CEO Dana White, and it was no surprise when Lebosnoyani became one of four fighters on Week 4 to earn an invitation to the UFC.

Austin Vanderford Joined The UFC Last Year

Lebosnoyani certainly hasn’t been handed an easy matchup for his UFC debut, as Vanderford faced a high level of competition during a successful run with Bellator before making the jump to the UFC.

“The Gentleman” actually secured a second-round submission over Angelo Trevino on DWCS in 2018 but failed to earn a UFC contract, and he eventually brought his pro record to 11-0 before falling short to Gegard Mousasi in a middleweight title bout at Bellator 275 in 2022. Following one more Bellator appearance and a one-off fight with the LFA, Vanderford stopped Nikolay Veretennikov in his UFC debut but was submitted by Ramiz Brahimaj in his sophomore outing in October.

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Fans can expect to see Vanderford’s wife and former UFC standout Paige VanZant in Houston when the 35-year-old welcomes Lebosnoyani to the UFC, and right now the Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez-headlined card is currently shaping up like this.

UFC Houston Fight Card

• Main Event: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez

• Serghei Spivac vs. Ante Delija

• Ode Osbourne vs. Alibi Idiris

• Zach Reese vs. Michel Pereira

• Alden Coria vs. Luis Gurule

• Jacobe Smith vs. Seok Hyeon Ko

• Austin Vanderford vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani