Chaves, 6-0 to start the night heading into UFC Vegas 118, took on Yuneisy Duben at the Meta Apex on Saturday, in flyweight action.

Duben was looking to bounce back from a loss in her own promotional debut; both fighters had joined the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series.

The fight started with a couple leg kicks from Chaves. Duben caught a body kick but couldn’t find her range. That was evident in the striking early, as she had trouble finding her range. She timed Chaves coming in and got a strong bodylock takedown. Chaves easily got right back up and landed some good stuff off the break. Back at space, it was Chaves landing leg kicks and flurries as she circled away. Duben timed a leg kick with an overhand right. An ugly round one that likely favored Chaves as she did a bit more.

In round two, they crashed in the center early. Duben was the stronger girl, pushing Chaves against the cage. A lack of technique meant she couldn’t hold the position for too long. Chaves was looking to engage more, biting down on her mouthpiece and throwing. It didn’t really matter, though, as she eventually got a takedown. Chaves didn’t find the takedown easy at all but took the back quickly. She had the RNC that looked tight, but the angle was off. Duben was content to sit on her knees and protect her neck, waiting for the bell.

In the final round, it was likely Duben needed some sort of finish. She did land a nice one-two to start the round. Unfortunately for her, Chaves clinched up and was able to work in a takedown. Duben didn’t give up her back that time and got to her feet. Duben was gaining some confidence in her striking until Chaves ducked under for another takedown. Chaves did have the back for a moment before Duben could turn towards her. Chaves got up, but Duben dumped her back down. Duben scored some top time in half guard but did little damage, possibly letting the fight slip away.

Official Result: Jeisla Chaves def. Yuneisy Duben by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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Both men were making their respective UFC debuts; South Korea’s Lee had gone 8-1 to start his pro career, while Brazil’s Dias had earned a shot in the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series.

The two middleweights got off to a slow start, feeling each other out on the feet during the opening minute. Dias warmed things up with a series of low kicks that forced Lee Yi-sak to start moving on the outside, but the Brazilian opened up with his hands, the fight quickly turned into an onslaught.

Dias continuing to push forward, dropped Lee with a hook, planting him on the mat and forcing the South Korean to quickly recover back to his feet. Though the hunt continued from Luis Felipe Dias, who soon landed another beautiful right hook that smashed into Lee’s chin, knocking him down for a second and final time as referee Lukasz Bosacki rushed in to put a stop to the the fight.

For Luis Felipe Dias, he scores his first UFC victory; improving his record to 17-6 while extending his winning streak to four. Meanwhile, Lee Yi-sak suffers just the second loss of his professional career, falling to 8-2.

Official Result: Luis Felipe Dias def. Lee Yi-sak by TKO, Round 1, 3:40

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China’s own Zhu was a 25-fight veteran and had previously competed on Road to UFC, as well as for ONE Championship. Vera, hailing from Peru, also had over 20 fights on the regional circuit. He’d been circling a spot on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, didn’t land a spot, but jumped straight to the UFC anyway.

The two debutants got things started on the feet, with the opening minutes bringing chaos inside the Octagon. Zhu Kangjie threatened early, working behind his jab and bouncing in and out of the pocket as the crowd rallied behind the hometown fighter.

It didn’t take long for Rodrigo Vera to change the momentum. Around the three-minute mark of the first round, Vera caught Zhu with a heavy left hook that badly hurt him. He followed up with clean ground-and-pound shots, eventually securing the knockout victory in his UFC debut.

With the win, Rodrigo Vera improves to 22-1-1 and extends his winning streak to 14 straight. On the other side, Zhu Kangjie drops his promotional debut, falling to 21-5.

Official Result: Rodrigo Vera def. Zhu Kangjie by TKO, Round 1, 1:50

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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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Australia’s Johnston had been out since a fight in Eternal MMA back in 2024. Schultz had dropped his own debut to Damian Pinas earlier this year, and was looking to bounce back.

While Schultz initiated a takedown right off the opening bell, it was Johnston coming out on top in a scramble. He got to work in half guard, though Schultz did manage to shrimp back to the fence. Still, Schultz was trapped on his back, and Johnston found space to land some right hands. Another minute ticket away, two left on the clock, and Schultz was no closer to getting back to his feet. About 30 seconds later, he’d finally scramble free, only to essentially accept another takedown, pulling Johnston down on top of him.

An early clinch in round two saw Schultz connect with a solid knee! He went after a guillotine, thought Johnston survived, only to have to endure a second choke attempt. He’d scramble free after that and get on top, only for another scramble to see Schultz make it to side control. A few seconds later, yet another scramble, and it was Johnston in top position. This time, he was able to add some short elbows; when Schultz found space, however, he wrapped up another guillotine. Again, Johnston survived.

With two minutes still on the clock the second frame had been a busy one. Lots of grappling from both me, lots of submission attempts by Schultz. After more action, Schultz’s corner called for a knockout, claiming Johnston’s chin wasn’t there.

Instead, Schultz went after another guillotine early in the third. Johnston had lost his mouthpiece and was in a horrible spot, but gutted it out and pulled free. Schultz then answered a knee with several punches and a kick to the body before Johnston clinched up and got Schultz down. He punctuated that with a big ground strike on the way down. Yet just as it seemed like Johnston was in control, Schultz wrapped up another guillotine choke. And this time, he was able to force the tap!

"It means all my student loans are paid off now, that's what that means. Suck it, uncle Sam!" – Wes Schultz on what winning his first UFC bout means to him. #UFCPerth

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) May 2, 2026

Official Result: Wes Schultz def. Ben Johnston by submission (guillotine choke), Round 3, 1:50

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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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Featherweight McMillen was 9-0 entering the promotion, while Zecchini had lost his promotional debut back in 2023, and was returning for the first time since that fight.

The fight opened at a frantic pace, with Zecchini charging forward aggressively. McMillen met him head-on, snapping off a clean one-two as both fighters quickly abandoned any real concern for defense. It turned into a chaotic exchange early, but McMillen was the one landing with more consistency, even buckling Zecchini in the opening moments.

That same wildness gave Zecchini opportunities, though, as McMillen’s aggression bordered on reckless. A brief pause came after McMillen landed an accidental groin strike, but once action resumed, they went right back to trading in tight quarters.

McMillen’s corner was urging him to embrace the chaos, and he did just that—starting to separate himself as the exchanges piled up. He backed Zecchini to the cage and unleashed a barrage: body kicks, straight punches, and knees up the middle to both the head and body. The sustained offense overwhelmed Zecchini, forcing the stoppage and earning McMillen a TKO victory.

A true barnburner, but ultimately one where Zecchini couldn’t keep up with McMillen’s pace and power.

Official Result: Tommy McMillen def. Manolo Zecchini by TKO (punches and knees), Round 1, 3:57

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Known as “The Pink Panther” after fighting in pink fight shorts on the regional scene (he’d get them again on Saturday), Campbell was an unassuming figure outside the cage, but a perfect 8-0 inside it. Silva, 2-1 in the UFC to date, had lost to rising star Kevin Vallejos in his last fight.

The fight opened with Campbell immediately going to his kicks, throwing a variety of looks to keep Silva at range and disrupt his rhythm. Silva pressed forward aggressively but was a bit sloppy on the entry, allowing Campbell to secure an early takedown. Campbell looked to transition to the back and, after a brief scramble, managed to get there. Silva responded well, picking an ankle to reverse position and working his way back to his feet.

Back at distance, Campbell pushed Silva to the cage again, but Silva showed strong takedown defense and avoided being grounded. The round closed on the feet, with both fighters having their moments and likely feeling confident heading into the second.

Round two flipped the fight instantly. Silva dropped Campbell with a big right hook. Campbell got back up, but Silva stayed on him, landing two more right hands that put him down multiple times, forcing the TKO stoppage. That spoiled the debut of Campbell, and marked the best Silva had looked in the UFC.

Official Result: Danny Silva def. Kurtis Campbell by KO (right hands), Round 2, 0:31

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