Flying somewhat under the radar on the UFC 324 preliminary card was a middleweight match-up between Cameroon’s Ateba Gautier and Andrey Pulyaev of Russia.
While Pulyaev was 1-1 since entering the UFC off Dana White’s Contender Series, Gautier had won his first three bouts for the promotion. That run included two post-fight bonuses and three finishes in his three fights inside the octagon. A number that boded well, with the company introducing a finishing bonus in 2026.
Round 1 – Pulyaev opened up with front kicks to the body, looking to maintain range and keep Gautier away. Gautier slowly entered boxing range and dropped Pulyaev with the first punch he threw, a massive overhand right. Pulyaev got back to his feet but had to eat a knee and some other big punches on the way up.
Gautier proceeded to stalk Pulyaev around the cage, pushing him back with every punch he threw. Pulyaev landed a nice right hand down the middle to hold Gautier back, but it didn’t work as well as he would’ve liked. Gautier kept throwing the right hand at range, but Pulyaev started to get wise to it and circle to the left.
The Russian did a good job of making Gautier miss while landing some strikes, but none as impactful as his opponents’. Pulyaev actually finished the round with more strikes landed than Gautier, but he still had a lot of work to do.
Round 2 – Gautier started the round the same way he ended the first, pushing Pulyaev back while throwing big right hands. Pulyaev landed a nice body kick, but was immediately countered with a right hand and sent on the retreat, but seemed more comfortable than before. He continued to be the more active fighter, especially with his kicks, but was momentarily dropped again when Gautier got into range. A solid head kick into a left hand landed for Pulyaev, who was again rocked as Gautier started to tee off. Pulyaev fired back despite being hurt and stayed alive while maintaining his kickboxing range. Another big body kick ended the round for Pulyaev, who looked much better than previous Gautier opponents.
Round 3 – Gautier opened the round with a stunning right hand. Both men seemed to slow down and stuck to their basics, with Gautier just throwing massive right hands. Pulyaev was switching stances effectively, which opened up a nice left hand. Gautier responded with some kicks, none of which landed clean, but showed more than he previously had needed to. Pulyaev stayed reserved to end the fight, staying far at kicking range while Gautier stopped throwing punches.
The fight was a tough test for Gautier, showing he still has things to work on. Still, he came away with the unanimous decision win, the first of his career, and just the second time he’s gone to the judges.
Official Result: Ateba Gautier def. Andrey Pulyaev by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
