UFC continues its run of shows at UFC APEX with a pivotal matchup in the middleweight division that will see No. 6 ranked Jack Hermansson look to snap the win streak of No. 7 Sean Strickland. In the co-main event, middleweight finishers Punahele Soriano and Nick Maximov lock horns.
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland will take place Saturday, Feb. 5 from UFC APEX in Las Vegas. All bouts will be available exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish), with the main card beginning at 7pm ET / 4pm PT. The prelims will kick off at 4pm ET / 1pm PT.
*The main event is scheduled for five rounds. The remaining fights are scheduled for three rounds. | Official Scorecards
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland Results
Just Happened:
Alexis Davis vs Julija Stoliarenko
- Bantamweight action sees Alexis Davis (20-11, fighting out of San Jose, Calif. by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) take on Julija Stoliarenko (9-6-1, fighting out of Utena County, Lithuania)
Jailton Almeida vs Danilo Marques
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Jailton Almeida impressed in his UFC debut, as he halted Danilo Marques in the first round of a clash between Brazilian light heavyweights.
Almeida took just seconds to get Marques to the mat, and though Marques briefly found daylight, Almeida stayed on him, took the fight back down to the ground and once he was in the mount position, it was just a matter of time before a series of unanswered hammerfists brought in referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight. The time was 2:57 of round one.
With the win, Bahia’s Almeida moves to 15-2. Sao Paulo’s Marques falls to 11-4.
Official Result – Jailton Almeida def. Danilo Marques via TKO (strikes) at 2:57 of round one
Jason Witt vs Philip Rowe
In welterweight action, Phil Rowe rebounded from a rough first round to stop Jason Witt in the second stanza.
Witt put Rowe on the mat a minute in, and while the Floridian got back to his feet, Witt put him right back on the canvas immediately and kept him there until the closing seconds of the round.
Rowe stayed out of Witt’s clutches in the second round, though, and as he got his range and let loose with his strikes, it was a thing to see, as a right-left-right combo dropped Witt to the mat. A couple hammerfists followed, and referee Chris Tognoni intervened, with the stoppage coming at 2:15 of round two.
Rowe moves to 9-3 with the win. Witt falls to 19-8.
Official Result – Phil Rowe def. Jason Witt via TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of round two
Malcolm Gordon vs Denys Bondar
An elbow injury spoiled the long-awaited UFC debut of Denys Bondar, with Malcolm Gordon leaving the flyweight opener with a first-round TKO victory.
Gordon (14-5) briefly stunned Bondar (16-4) in the opening minute, leading the Ukrainian to seek (and get) a takedown. After looking for a submission, Gordon got back to his feet, but in an ensuing scramble, Bondar injured his left elbow, bringing an end to the fight at 1:22 of the first round. The referee was Mark Smith.
Official Result – Malcolm Gordon def. Denys Bondar via TKO (injury) at 1:22 of the first round
Up Next:
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland Prelims
Chidi Njokuani vs Marc-André Barriault
- Dana White’s Contender Series alum Chidi Njokuani (20-7, 1 NC, fighting out of Saginaw, Texas) looks to make a splash in his debut against Marc-André Barriault (13-4, 1 NC, fighting out of Pompano Beach, Fla. by way of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada)
Hakeem Dawodu vs Michael Trizano
- Hakeem Dawodu (12-2-1, fighting out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada) plans to return to the winner’s circle when he matches up with The Ultimate Fighter season 27 champion Michael Trizano (10-1, fighting out of Ramsey, N.J.) at featherweight
Miles Johns vs John Castaneda
- Bantamweights Miles Johns (12-1, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) and John Castaneda (18-5, fighting out of Minneapolis, Minn.) aim to steal the show
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Strickland Main Card
Julian Erosa vs Steven Peterson
- An exciting featherweight bout sees Julian Erosa (26-10, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) match up with Steven Peterson (19-9, fighting out of Dallas, Texas)
Tresean Gore vs Bryan Battle
- Tresean Gore (3-0, fighting out of Norcross, Ga.) intends to prove that he is the best athlete from The Ultimate Fighter season 29 when he faces season champion Bryan Battle (6-1, fighting out of Matthews, N.C.) at middleweight
Sam Alvey vs Brendan Allen
- Veteran Sam Alvey (33-16-1, 1 NC, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) aims for another signature KO against short-notice replacement Brendan Allen (17-4, fighting out of Delray Beach, Florida by way of Covington, Louisiana) in a bout contested at light heavyweight
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs Carlston Harris
- Shavkat Rakhmonov (14-0, fighting out of Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan) looks to keep his undefeated, 100 percent finishing streak alive when he faces Carlston Harris (17-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at welterweight
Co-Main Event: Punahele Soriano vs Nick Maximov
- Dana White’s Contender Series alum Punahele Soriano (8-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) immediately showed off his punching power upon joining the UFC by earning consecutive knockouts over fellow strikers Oskar Piechota and Dusko Todorovic. He now hopes to bounce back into the win column with another show-stealing victory.
- Undefeated Nick Maximov (7-0, fighting out of Chico, Calif.) intends to produce a stand out performance and add his name to the list of top prospects in the UFC. A training partner of the Diaz brothers, Maximov made his Octagon debut last year with a win over Cody Brundage. He now plans to score his first UFC finish by becoming the only man to stop Soriano.
Main Event: Jack Hermansson vs Sean Strickland
- Talented grappler Jack Hermansson (22-6, fighting out of Oslo, Norway) has cemented himself as one of the toughest matchups in the middleweight division. Throughout his UFC run, he has delivered impressive finishes over Kelvin Gastelum, Thales Leites and Gerald Meerschaert. Hermansson now has his sights set on halting the momentum of Strickland and defending his spot in the rankings.
- Sean Strickland (23-4-1, fighting out of Corona, Calif.) looks to continue his ascension up the middleweight ladder with a statement performance. Undefeated since returning to the 185-pound division in 2020, he has secured victories against Brendan Allen, Krzysztof Jotko and Uriah Hall. Strickland now aims to capture the biggest victory of his career and make a case for title contention.
