Peru’s Diaz was making his promotional debut after winning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last October.

Diaz came out active early, chopping away with kicks to start the fight. He had trouble really landing clean, though, and seemed a bit hesitant to fully commit with Wellmaker’s power in mind. Wellmaker was just as patient, not throwing much unless the opening was there, but when he did, it counted—especially a couple of thudding body kicks that stood out more than anything Diaz was landing.

As the round went on, Wellmaker started to apply a bit more pressure, which pushed Diaz into changing levels for a takedown. Diaz was able to drag Wellmaker down a few times and even score some mat returns, but Wellmaker stayed composed, doing a good job preventing Diaz from threatening the back.

They separated in the closing seconds, and things got chaotic right up to the bell. Diaz actually dropped Wellmaker with a right hand after catching a kick, and as Wellmaker was getting back to his feet, Diaz landed a close illegal knee that came very near impact.

Into round two, Diaz once again caught a kick and fired back with that right hand. He followed it up with a right to the body as Wellmaker continued to fight at a low output. As Wellmaker tried to press forward, Diaz immediately changed levels and secured a quick takedown. He put Wellmaker in a tough position and gradually worked into top control.

Wellmaker eventually fought up to a knee and used the cage to get back to his feet, but Diaz stayed attached, dragged him down again, and took the back. From there, he locked in the rear-naked choke and forced the tap, pulling off a huge upset finish.

Official Result: Juan Diaz def. Malcolm Wellmaker by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:08

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The clash at the Meta Apex was set for a catchweight of 215lbs after Edwards stepped up to replace Rodolfo Bellato on short notice.

Round one opened with Bukauskas taking the center of the cage. Edwards was happy to operate off the back foot, looking to time him with that right cross. Around the two-minute mark Edwards shot for a takedown but couldn’t secure it, then followed up with a heavy leg kick before attempting another entry, though his positioning still wasn’t there.

Edwards kept using shoulder pressure to pin Bukauskas on the fence for stretches, mixing in short knees and punches, but nothing truly damaging landed. Once they separated, Bukauskas answered with a loud body kick that echoed over the broadcast. In the final minute, Edwards chipped away with a few more body kicks, but neither fighter really stamped the round.

Early in round two, Edwards came out with a teep and a right hand behind it. He landed another right shortly after, but Bukauskas fired back with one of his own that visibly wobbled Edwards. Bukauskas couldn’t fully capitalize though, opting to push Edwards to the cage instead of pressing the finish. Each time Edwards created separation, Bukauskas cracked him again with that looping right.

Edwards managed to buy time in the clinch again, though often with his back on the fence. He landed some decent knees before they broke. The final thirty seconds saw Bukauskas narrowly miss a head kick. It felt like Bukauskas let that round slip away after hurting Edwards earlier.

Heading into the third, Edwards likely needed a finish, though the fight still felt up for grabs. He opened with a big right hook he’d been looking for all night, but it kept coming up short due to poor setup. He ducked under a shot from Bukauskas and put him against the cage, continuing to threaten takedowns throughout the fight, but never quite finishing them.

He came close on a single-leg attempt, but Bukauskas showed good balance and stayed upright. Edwards did land a clean elbow in the clinch and kept applying pressure, but the urgency just wasn’t there for a fighter in a must-win round. They separated in the final minute and a half, with Bukauskas landing a spinning body kick late, but neither man added much else down the stretch.

Official Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Both men were undefeated; while Gantt had landed in the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series, Ukraine’s Minev was making the jump straight to the big show.

The round opened with Gantt immediately shooting for a takedown. Minev defended the first attempt but got pushed back to the cage. Gantt kept the pressure high, securing a couple of brief takedowns that forced Minev to stay active and constantly defend. Minev didn’t make anything easy, refusing to just settle on bottom.

Minev eventually reversed position in the clinch, but he didn’t separate when he had the chance, which allowed Gantt to get back to control. Gantt kept chaining attempts, dragging Minev down to a knee at times and staying close to completing takedowns, but Minev’s defense held up well against all the trips and finishes Gantt was hunting.

In the clinch, Minev did manage to land a short combination, but Gantt landed a shot below the belt that briefly halted the action and forced a reset. Once they restarted, Gantt quickly timed another takedown entry, but Minev defended it and they closed out the round there.

In round two, Minev clearly expected the wrestling. Gantt closed distance fast again, clinching him and pushing him into the cage. He landed solid knees to the body before they separated. Right after the break, Gantt fired a jab and immediately changed levels for another shot—this time finally getting the takedown.

Minev looked like he might accept bottom position at first, but he worked back up to his feet. Gantt stayed glued to him, hitting two mat returns and steadily improving position. He eventually took Minev’s back, secured both hooks, and started landing heavy punches and elbows, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight.

Official Result: Thomas Gantt def. Artur Minev via TKO (Ground n’ Pound), Round 2, 2:51

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Grant, now 40, was still a tough out in the bantamweight division, and coming off a loss to the resurgent Charles Jourdain.

Grant came out sharp, immediately establishing his kicking game. He battered Martinetti’s lead leg with calf kicks, attacking both the inside and outside, while Martinetti fired back with kicks of his own, though without nearly the same impact. Grant even caught one and dumped Martinetti to the canvas. A looping right hand also found the mark as Grant mixed his offense well, forcing Martinetti to defend at all three levels.

To Martinetti’s credit, he never let Grant’s pace overwhelm him and continued pressing forward. However, his tendency to dip his head made him vulnerable, and Grant capitalized with several well-timed knees. Martinetti shot for a takedown in the final minute of the round, but Grant defended easily before punctuating the frame with more damaging leg kicks.

Round two opened at a much higher pace. Recognizing the need to increase his output, Martinetti began letting his hands go, but Grant quickly slowed that momentum with more brutal calf kicks. The damage became so severe that Martinetti was forced to switch stances repeatedly. Grant was excellent at chaining his kicks off his boxing and shifting stances seamlessly, making him a difficult target to track down. Martinetti struggled to cut off the cage or put together sustained combinations. Grant cracked him with a huge looping right hand that, while not visibly hurting him, certainly got his attention. Martinetti answered with a pair of uppercuts, and after more leg kicks from Grant, Martinetti landed a spinning backfist just before the horn.

Entering the third, Martinetti likely needed a finish. He opened with an immediate takedown attempt, but Grant easily shrugged it off. Martinetti found some success with a nice combination to the body, though his punches lacked the power to truly trouble Grant. Grant, meanwhile, continued loading up on looping shots, and Martinetti struggled to find counters. A crisp left hook from Grant landed flush during an exchange, followed by a strong body combination and several sharp punches upstairs.

Martinetti finally secured a takedown late in the round, but Grant wasted no time returning to his feet. The fight closed with an entertaining flurry from both men, capping off a strong and well-rounded performance from Grant.

Official Result: Davey Grant def. Adrian Luna Martinetti def unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Marshall was returning to the lightweight division for the first time since 2021, prior to joining the UFC. Brennan was 11-2 as a pro and a perfect 9-0 in Bellator MMA, and a fighter known for his BJJ acumen.

Marshall opened with authority, cracking Brennan with heavy inside leg kicks and a few stiff straight rights. It didn’t take Brennan long to realize he’d need to grapple to find success. He looked for a takedown after throwing a knee in the clinch, but Marshall countered well, securing top position instead. From there, Marshall stayed heavy and composed, shutting down Brennan’s submission attempts. Brennan stayed active, attacking limbs and constantly adjusting his hips. He even threatened with a deep heel hook, but Marshall’s experience showed as he calmly worked his way free.

Brennan came out in the second round feinting often, but Marshall refused to bite. Instead, it was Marshall’s own feints that kept Brennan frozen, allowing him to land a powerful right hand. He immediately tied Brennan up in the clinch, giving him little chance to recover. Brenner lingered there too long, and Marshall capitalized with another takedown. Applying crushing shoulder pressure from top position, Marshall controlled the remainder of the round and left Brenner needing a finish.

That finish never came. Early in the third, Brennan had a kick caught and was swept to the mat. Marshall, brimming with confidence, allowed him back to his feet. Brennan continued to struggle with his wrestling, finishing the fight 0-for-6 on takedown attempts. Marshall punished him with a sharp straight right as Brennan dropped his guard, then followed with looping right hands to both the body and head. It was a dominant performance from Marshall, who dictated every phase of the fight and never allowed Brennan a real opening.

Official Result: Francis Marshall def. Lucas Brennan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Chile’s Valenzuela had suffered a loss on the Contender Series last year, but bounced back with a regional scene victory in March, earning himself a spot on Saturday’s Fight Night card. Griffin, meanwhile, was looking to snap a two-fight skid that saw him bested by Michael Chiesa and Chris Curtis.

Valenzuela was also coming into Fight Week with his grandmother having recently passed away.

Round one was a slow, tentative affair. Valenzuela marched forward, but Griffin stayed just out of range, clearly looking to avoid Valenzuela’s power while picking his spots. There was little meaningful action for most of the frame, though Griffin did time Valenzuela’s jab a few times. Valenzuela tried to close strong at the bell, but Griffin secured a brief takedown to cap off an uneventful opening round.

Round two wasn’t much different. With the fight badly needing some urgency, neither man provided it early. Valenzuela attempted a spinning backfist, which briefly appeared to give Griffin an opening for a rear-naked choke, though the replay showed it was far less dramatic than it seemed live. Griffin remained comfortable fighting off the back foot, landing calf kicks and countering effectively. The issue was that Valenzuela simply wasn’t applying enough pressure. Late in the round, Valenzuela made a mistake that allowed Griffin to score a takedown, though Valenzuela quickly scrambled back to his feet. Another lackluster round sent the fight to the third.

Valenzuela finally came out with some real urgency in Round three. Just as he started building momentum, Griffin changed levels for a takedown, though he couldn’t keep Valenzuela grounded for long. The first two minutes of the round featured more action than the entire fight up to that point. Valenzuela’s increased pressure forced Griffin to engage, and he found success working in the pocket with some effective dirty boxing. Both men exchanged freely at close range, turning what had been a dull fight into an entertaining final round.

Following his debut win, Valenzuela dedicated the fight to his grandmother. “I love you, thank you, because in some way you were with me today and this victory is yours.”

Official Result: Victor Valenzuela def. Max Griffin by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Herbert was entering his 10th UFC fight, Nallo his first. Yet fans have long wanted to see “Rat Garbage” in the UFC, after a strong start to his career and a stint in Bellator that included a Knockout of the Year candidate at Bellator 207 that made it all the way to ESPN.

When the fight started, Nallo was loose with the kicks, early going up high with the question mark kick. He was very aggressive early and dropped Herbert twice with a right hook, not even a minute in. When things looked as if the was going downhill for Herbert, he dropped Nallo with a right hand. Somehow, Nallo was able to use a leg lock to survive and get to his feet. He was still badly hurt. Herbert landed a left to the jaw, sitting down Nallo, and the GnP sent the ref in.

Official Result: Jai Herbert def. Mandel Nallo via R1 TKO (punches, GnP), 2:05

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It did snow during Fight Week in Winnipeg, but Barbosa was no doubt focused only on Buzukja, who entered the bout at 1-3 in the UFC off a loss against Francis Marshall. For Barbosa, the matchup presented an opportunity to continue building momentum against a fighter still searching for consistency inside the Octagon.

Meanwhile, Buzukja stepped into the fight with urgency, knowing a strong performance was crucial to getting back on track in the division. With both fighters carrying something to prove, the bout carried added importance beyond just another appearance on the card.

A methodical start to the round as Buzukja was active, going to all three levels. Barbosa was super patient, likely waiting for his opening. That opening came very soon, shortly after. As soon as Buzukja went to a combination, Barbosa slipped a punch and landed a left hook that sent Buzukja to the shadow realm brutally.

Barbosa came into the promotion with a lot of hype behind him, and at least thus far, it seems very much warranted. What a UFC debut!

Official Result: Marcio Barbosa def. Dennis Buzukja via R1 KO (left hook), 1:20

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At 34, Leblanc was getting a late start in the UFC, after compiling a 10-2 record on the regional circuit. Valentin, a TUF 32 finalist, had (including The Ultimate Fighter 32 finale) dropped three straight bouts under the UFC banner.

Leblanc started the fight, going up high and to the body with the kick. It kindly pissed Valentin off as he landed a few heavy leg kicks and went into an easy takedown. Valentin quickly sliced into mount and took the back very fast and smoothly. Valentin was firmly on the back with the body triangle. He was aggressive on the RNC, and it eventually snuck under, and Leblanc tapped.

An emotional Valentin dedicated the victory to the memory of his late mother who he lost just before he last fight.

Official Result: Robert Valentin def. Julien Leblanc via submission (RNC), round 1, 2:26

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Boser was allowed to walk off a win over Aleksa Camur, then struggled to find fights on the regional scene. A victory over Vinicius Moreira in 2025 was enough to land in a second look, with his return marking “Bulldozer” Boser’s first UFC fight on Canadian soil.

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