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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Keita was supposed to take on Patricio Pitbull last year, but missed weight for the fight, which was scrapped. No such issues arose ahead of UFC London, but the result was not what the ex-Oktagon MMA champ was looking for.

The featherweight fight opened with both men working behind the jab and probing with leg kicks as they tried to establish range. Wood had the early edge, landing the cleaner shots while staying composed and not biting on Keita’s feints. Keita was more focused on counters, showing flashes of power with a couple of clubbing right hands. Wood prioritized optics with jabs, straight punches, and calf kicks, while Keita looked to land the more impactful shots. It was a contrast in styles, but a fairly measured opening round that didn’t fully clash.

Round two started with Wood going right back to the calf kick. Keita answered with a sharp jab and mixed in some leg kicks of his own. Wood landed a good counter as Keita loaded up, briefly taking out his legs, but Keita recovered quickly and fired back with a clean knee. Wood doubled up on the jab and followed with a leg kick that buckled Keita. Despite that, Keita’s offense did more visible damage, marking up Wood’s face and finishing the round strong with a big right hand at the bell, likely edging it on impact.

Heading into the third, it felt even and up for grabs. Keita came out with more urgency and a better feel for range, while Wood stayed consistent, continuing to chip away with leg kicks and short, scoring shots. The kicks added up, even if they didn’t significantly affect Keita. Keita was clearly pursuing damage, throwing with more intent, even at a lower volume. The final minute was fairly quiet, with Keita loading up and Wood staying disciplined, landing short punches in what remained a very close fight down the stretch.

It was split on the scorecards, with Wood getting the nod. Clearly not how Keita had envisioned his debut playing out.

Official Result: Nathaniel Wood def. Losene Keita by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Oki was 2-2 in the company, looking to rebound from a loss to Mason Jones. Sousa’s only loss had come to the formidable Archie Colgan.

The fight opened with feints from Sousa as he steadily walked Oki down. Oki landed a couple of solid outside leg kicks early, but the momentum quickly shifted when Sousa dropped him hard with a massive right hand. Oddly, Sousa opted to chase a kimura and held onto it even as Oki stood up, which allowed Oki to scramble into top position. From there, Oki landed several hammerfists and controlled the position until Sousa worked his way back to his feet. Sousa did manage to land a sharp elbow in the clinch, but Oki dictated the position, peppering him with knees to the body. It was a strong start from Sousa, but the decision to hunt the submission gave Oki the chance to regain momentum and get his offense going.

In the second round, Oki caught Sousa coming in as he loaded up and clipped him clean. Sousa began whiffing on big overhands and even shot a few blind takedowns as he struggled to close the distance. The pace started to wear on him, and he looked noticeably slower while having trouble finding his range. His best moments came during quick blitzes, but Oki defended them well. Sousa tried to mix in body shots as the round progressed, though he was often countered in the process. In the final minute, Sousa called Oki forward and managed to buckle him with a sharp left hook just before the bell.

Heading into round three, the fight was still up for grabs. Oki came out sharp, working behind his jab and mixing in leg kicks. Sousa, meanwhile, relied more on looping hooks and heavier kicks to the legs. As the round wore on, Sousa abandoned his shot selection and began swinging for the fences. The pace ramped up in the final minute as the fight turned into a full-on brawl. Oki started backing up while Sousa pressed forward, ripping hooks to the body and jabbing his way inside. Oki briefly regained momentum with a multi-punch combination, but Sousa immediately responded by pouring on relentless pressure. Trapping Oki against the cage, Sousa uncorked a brutal right hand that put him to sleep, sealing a dramatic comeback knockout.

Official Result: Manoel Sousa def. Bolaji Oki by knockout (right hand), Round 3, 4:14

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Born in and fighting out of Spain, Sosa, the “Guanche Warrior,” had won a UFC deal on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025, and apparently had no desire to wait any longer to make his debut.

Early in round one, Lacerda was the first to land a meaningful strike, cracking Sosa with a heavy leg kick. The shot seemed to spark Sosa’s aggression, as he immediately responded with a flying knee attempt. Despite the burst from Sosa, it was Lacerda who controlled the striking exchanges early. He eventually used his striking to set up a clean single-leg takedown. Sosa managed to create space and get back to his feet, but he was soon countered while throwing a kick that briefly dropped him.

Lacerda remained firmly in control of the round. He continued to win the stand-up exchanges and secured another clean takedown. To Sosa’s credit, he worked his way back up again, though he absorbed a knee during the separation. Late in the round, Sosa landed a sharp one-two that seemed to boost his confidence. Lacerda answered with two nasty body kicks to close the round. Sosa finished with some momentum, but the round was clearly dominated by Lacerda.

Round two began with Sosa pressing forward. He threw a number of front kicks but was reaching with his punches. As Sosa blitzed in, Lacerda timed another knee—similar to the strike that broke Sosa’s nose in the opening round. Sosa’s offense became increasingly sloppy; he wasn’t turning his punches over and often lunged forward with his body ahead of his hands. Lacerda was visibly slowing down but remained the cleaner, more technical fighter.

Still, Sosa’s pressure gradually turned the fight into a dogfight. His takedown defense improved significantly in this round, keeping the fight standing throughout. It was a much better frame for Sosa, as his aggression and chaotic blitzes helped him edge the exchanges.

In the final round, Lacerda opened with a quick takedown. As in the first round, however, Sosa quickly bounced back to his feet. On the break, Sosa landed a combination and began finding more success in close-range exchanges. At distance, Lacerda still had success with his jab and kicks. He managed to secure another takedown, though he wasn’t able to do much with it.

Sosa later threw a wild spinning backfist that was sloppy but followed it up by landing two right hands and an elbow. In the final minute, both fighters stood and traded wildly, closing the fight with a messy but competitive exchange.

Official Result: Hecher Sosa def. Luan Lacerda by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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Turcios was trying to stay afloat after posting a 2-3 record in the promotion, including his win in the The Ultimate Fighter 29 finale over Brady Hiestand. Montes, meanwhile, was making his debut after earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, then missing all of last year.

Round 1 – Turcios started the fight with some wild antics, yelling and stomping while circling the cage. He threw some big strikes at a distance before grabbing a leg and trying to land a takedown. He managed to push Montes to the cage, but after a separation, the two exchanged in the middle of the cage. Montes landed a big straight right and kept the combinations flowing with Turcios returning fire and keeping a high pace. After a couple of strong punches from Montes, Turcios grabbed him but was forced to let go and continued taking damage. Montes landed a pair of front kicks to the body, the latter seeming to hurt him. The round ended with more clean punches from Montes, whose striking looked great.

Round 2 – Montes landed more clean punches and forced Turcios to shoot a poor takedown, playing right into his game. Montes immediately locked up his signature Anaconda and had it tight, clearly a bad spot for Turcios. After rolling over, the ref stepped in and called the fight, with Turcios hitting the canvas out cold. Montes grabs a massive win in his UFC debut after becoming the last 2024 DWCS signee to debut.

Official Result: Alberto Montes def. Ricky Turcios by submission (Anaconda choke), Round 2, 0:40

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