A highly touted featherweight prospect has booked his UFC debut following an impressive appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Austin Bashi (13-0) will face Christian Rodriguez (11-2) at the UFC’s first card of 2025, a Fight Night event in Las Vegas on January 11.
UFC officials announced the pairing on social media. And while another UFC Apex event to kick off 2025 might cause some groans among fans, the addition of the undefeated Bashi will add a reason to watch.
Bashi, a former Lights Out Championship and Shamrock FC bantamweight champ, moved to featherweight at the start of 2024, and has continued to find success in his new weight class. Posting a 2-0 record this year, he’s finished both of his opponents, most recently submitting Dorian Ramos on DWCS in September.
Christian Rodriguez (11-2) has lost only to Julian Erosa and Jonathan “JSP” Pearce, who have both found success under the UFC banner. “Ceerod” has become something of a litmus test for hot prospects, having fought (and defeated) both Raul Rosas Jr. and Cameron Saaiman early in their UFC runs.
UFC Vegas 101 takes place on January 11, 2025 at the UFC Apex, with the following bouts reported:
- César Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
- Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
- Trey Ogden vs. Thiago Moisés
- Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
- Uroš Medić vs. Punahele Soriano
- Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari
- Preston Parsons vs. Andreas Gustafsson
- José Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes
- Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
- Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz
- Victoria Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline
