For the first time since January 11, the UFC returns to the Apex for a Fight Night headlined by No. 7 Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues. The second-ranked fighter on this Main Card is No. 10 Calvin Kattar, who is taking on rising star Youssef Zalal in a three-round featherweight bout in the co-main event.
From 2018-22, Cannonier won five of six fights and earned himself a title shot against the former champion Israel Adesanaya. But after being shutout in his title fight, Cannonier is 2-2 and has lost his previous two fights to Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho. With his 41st birthday in a month, a victory is needed if Cannonier wants to get his career back on track. Cannonier is a +190 underdog to Rodrigues’ -230 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rodrigues, 32, is eight years younger than Cannonier. He has won three fights in a row and five of his last six. Although Rodrigues hasn’t entered the rankings yet, a win over Cannonier is exactly what he needs. He most recently beat Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC 304 in July 2024. Rodrigues is 7-2 in his UFC career, with five wins by knockout. Cannonier possesses the reach advantage (77″ vs. 75″), but Rodrigues is four inches taller (6’3″ vs. 5’11”).
Another veteran that is in desperate need of a victory is No. 10 Calvin Kattar. He has lost his last three contests while dropping four of his previous five. If he wants to have a chance to inch closer to the top of the featherweight division, a win over Zalal is necessary. Zalal is one of the best-unranked fighters in this division. He is on a three-fight win streak in the promotion, with three submissions in the first two rounds. Zalal is unbeaten in his last seven fights and hasn’t lost since June 2021. He is the biggest favorite on this main card at -485, as Kattar is +370.
Check out the full card 12-fight card below.
Main Card | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| No. 7 Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues Main Event | 17-8 (10-8 UFC) vs. 16-5 (7-2 UFC) | Middleweight | +190 vs. -230 |
| No. 10 Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal | 23-8 (7-6 UFC) vs. 16-5-1 (6-3-1 UFC) | Featherweight | +370 vs. -485 |
| Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dylan Budka | 13-5 (6-5 UFC) vs. 7-4 (0-2 UFC) | Middleweight | -280 vs. +300 |
| Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov | 20-4 (2-1 UFC) vs. 9-1-1 (2-0-1 UFC) | Lightweight | -230 vs. +190 |
| Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski | 10-2 (5-2 UFC) vs. 12-4 (7-2 UFC) | Middleweight | -290 vs. +235 |
| Connor Matthews vs. Jose Delgado | 7-2 (0-1 UFC) vs. 8-1 | Featherweight | +320 vs. -410 |
Prelims | 4 p.m. ET | ESPN+
| Matchup: | Records: | Weight Class: | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook: |
| No. 13 Angela Hill vs. Ketlen Souza | 17-14 (12-14 UFC) vs. 15-4 (2-1 UFC) | W Strawweight | -105 VS. -115 |
| Rafael Estevam vs. Jesus Aguilar | 12-0 (1-0 UFC) vs. 11-2 (3-1 UFC) | Flyweight | -500 VS. +380 |
| Gabriel Bonfim vs. Khaos Williams | 16-1 (3-1 UFC) vs. 15-3 (6-2 UFC) | Welterweight | -205 VS. +170 |
| Vince Morales vs. Elijah Smith | 16-8 (3-6 UFC) vs. 7-1 | Bantamweight | +120 VS. -142 |
| No. 15 Don’Tale Mayes vs. Valter Walker | 11-7 (4-5 UFC) vs. 12-1 (1-1 UFC) | Heavyweight | +205 VS. -250 |
| No. 12 Julia Avila vs. No. 13 Jacqueline Cavalcanti | 9-3 (3-2 UFC) vs. 8-1 (3-0 UFC) | W Bantamweight | +500 VS. -700 |
