UFC FIGHT NIGHT: YUSUFF vs BARBOZA will take place Saturday, October 14 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The entire card will stream exclusively on ESPN+ in English and Spanish with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
Yusuff (13-2, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md.) intends to deliver his best performance yet in his first UFC main event. A signee from season two of Dana White’s Contender Series, Yusuff has proven himself as one of the toughest outs in the stacked featherweight division with wins over Alex Caceres, Andre Fili and Gabriel Benitez. He now looks to secure the biggest victory of his career by taking out Barboza in his first Octagon appearance of 2023.
Barboza (23-11, fighting out of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returns to action planning to show that he can still compete with the best in the division. Owner of some of the greatest highlights in UFC history, he cemented himself as a devastating finisher in victories over Terry Etim, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. Barboza now seeks to remain undefeated for the year and set himself up for a Top 10 bout in 2024.
Martinez (18-4, fighting out of Plainview, Texas) looks to defend his spot in the rankings and begin his run towards the bantamweight title. A rangy striker, he has quietly built an impressive five-fight win streak that includes victories over with Cub Swanson, Said Nurmagomedov and Vince Morales. Martinez now aims to extend his streak to six in his second UFC co-main event.
Always entertaining Yanez (16-4, fighting out of Houston, Texas) plans to make a statement with another signature KO. A top prospect since being signed from Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, Yanez has secured a post-fight bonus in all five of his UFC wins, including those over Tony Kelly, Davey Grant and Randy Costa. He now has his sights set on snapping the win streak of Martinez in emphatic fashion.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 9 ranked flyweight contender Jennifer Maia (21-9-1, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) looks to secure the longest win streak of her UFC career against No. 10 Viviane Araujo (11-5, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil)
- Featherweight veteran Darren Elkins (27-11, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) takes on TJ Brown (17-10, fighting out of Little Rock, Ark.) in an all-action contest
- Entertaining middleweights collide as Marc-Andre Barriault (16-6 1NC, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada) faces Michel Pereira (28-11, fighting out of Tucuma, Para, Brazil)
- Bantamweight prospects Christian Rodriguez (9-1, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.) and Cameron Saaiman (9-0, fighting out of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa) intend to make a statement in an early Fight of the Night contender
- Irina Alekseeva (5-1, fighting out of Chelyabinsk, Russia) aims to spoil the UFC debut of undefeated Melissa Dixon (5-0, fighting out of Coventry, England) in a bantamweight bout
- Terrance McKinney (14-6, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) and Chris Duncan (11-1, fighting out of Alloa, Scotland, United Kingdom) lock horns in a battle of lightweight finishers
- Ashley Yoder (8-8, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) and Emily Ducote (12-8, fighting out of Oklahoma City, Okla.) meet in a strawweight tilt
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Don’t miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs Barboza, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prelims begin at 4pm ET/1pm PT, while the main card kicks off at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
