
For the second consecutive week, the UFC remains status quo with a Fight Night card from the UFC APEX. Amid a betting scandal rocking the MMA world from last week's event, the promotion pushes forward with a 12-fight card before taking a near month-long break from its home state.
The main event could wind up being a swing fight in a crowded welterweight division, as Gabriel Bonfim takes on Randy Brown in a five-rounder. It also marks the first main event spot for both men, despite Brown (20-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) having competed in the promotion since 2016.
Brown has won four of his last five fights, as his last win came in April with a KO/TKO stoppage against Nicholas Dalby (23-6-1 MMA, 7-5-1, 1 NC UFC) in a bounce-back effort following a loss to Bryan Battle (12-2, 1 NC MMA) last December at UFC 310.
Meanwhile, Bonfim (18-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has won three in a row and is looking to finish the year unblemished at 3-0. Bonfim arguably won the biggest fight of his career to date in his last outing, as he defeated former UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (17-9 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) by split decision in July.
Ironically enough, Dalby doesn't just share history with Brown. Bonfim's lone MMA loss also came against Dalby. Dalby was able to secure a second-round TKO upset in Nov. 2023, halting Bonfim's rising UFC momentum at the time.
In the co-headliner, TUF 33 winner Joseph Morales tries to extend his winning streak to seven when he faces Matt Schnell. Schnell (17-9 MMA, 7-7, 1 NC UFC) has had a mixed bag of performances, with some being better than others. As of late, Schnell finally ended his three-fight losing skid by beating Jimmy Flick (17-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in April by decision. Morales (13-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) won the finale at UFC 319 in August, finishing Alibi Idiris (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) by second-round triangle choke.
Check out the rest of the bout order below, including more info on how and where to watch the event for those not in Las Vegas. Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of Friday morning.
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