Fights come together fast these days, and if you blink, you can easily miss them. Fight Roundup brings you the most recent matchups so you’re always up-to-date with the latest news.
All bouts featured have been officially announced or confirmed with MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz, Mike Heck, and Damon Martin via sources with knowledge of the matchups.
Andre Fili vs. Lucas Almeida
Andre Fili rings in a landmark.
The featherweight veteran makes his 20th UFC appearance at UFC Vegas 70 when he fights Lucas Almeida (14-1) at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Feb. 25. Eurosport was first to report the matchup.
Fili (22-9, 1 NC) has been a member of the UFC roster since 2013. He holds notable wins over Charles Jourdain and Dennis Bermudez, with a 10-8 (1 NC) record inside the octagon. Although “Touchy”, despite struggling to produce consistent results in the last few years, is now coming off a split-decision win against Bill Algeo.
Almeida made an impressive UFC debut this past June, finishing The Ultimate Fighter 27 winner Mike Trizano via strikes. It was the second straight win for Almeida, whose lone loss came during an appearance on Dana White‘s Contender Series in September 2021. All of the Brazilian standout’s wins have come by way of knockout or submission.
Mario Bautista vs. Guido Cannetti
Mario Bautista (11-2) has a veteran test up next as he aims to continue his climb up the bantamweight ladder.
The 29-year-old’s next fight will be against Guido Cannetti (10-6) at UFC Vegas 71, which is expected to take place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas on March 11. MMA Island was first to report the matchup.
Bautista is coming off of a sterling 2022 campaign that saw him go 3-0 with first-round finishes in his past two wins against Benito Lopez and Brian Kelleher. Overall, Bautista has gone 5-2 in the UFC.
Cannetti, who will be 43 by the time March rolls around, has experienced a resurgence as he navigates the deep 135-pound division. “Ninja” submitted Randy Costa in just 64 seconds this past October to score his second straight win, his first win streak since 2013.
Javid Basharat vs. Matheus Mendonca
Javid Basharat vs. Matheus Mendonca is set for UFC Vegas 67.
The undefeated bantamweights have been added to the Jan. 14 card, which takes place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Basharat enters the contest at 13-0, with Mendonca having gone 10-0 since making his pro debut in 2019.
The matchup was first reported by Ag. Fight.
Basharat was signed off of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021 and he has not disappointed as a member of the UFC roster so far, scoring back-to-back unanimous decisions over Tony Gravely and Trevin Jones in 2022.
Mendonca is also a Contender Series signing, having inked a UFC deal in 2022. The 23-year-old Brazilian earned his contract with a 48-second knockout of Ashiek Ajim this past September.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/17/23512788/ufc-fight-roundup-featherweight-veteran-andre-fili-fights-lucas-almeida-at-ufc-vegas-70?rand=96749
