UFC Fight Night 253 Main Card Preview

Published by Paul Browne on February 26, 2025

UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev

Following a fun trip to Seattle last weekend, the UFC returns to Las Vegas this Saturday as the Apex plays host to a fight card packed with interesting prospects.

Let’s take a look at some of the fights lined up for UFC Fight Night 253 this weekend.

Main Event: Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev (125 lbs)

Given the current state of play in the flyweight division, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that if either fighter in Saturday’s main event were to pick up a statement victory, that they might find themselves inserted into the title discussion at 125 lbs.

Champion Alexandre Pantoja looks to have effectively cleaned out the division, and although Manel Kape (20-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC) lost to the Brazilian back in 2021 before his title reign began, enough time has passed for a case to be made that “Starboy” could be due another crack at “The Cannibal”, particularly if he continues his impressive form this weekend.

17 of Kape’s 20 career wins have come by stoppage and he has won 5 of his last 6 fights, one of the better current streaks in the division, but the Angolan-born flyweight faces a big test this Saturday in the shape of Asu Almabayev (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

Almabayev took this fight just a few weeks ago following the injury-induced withdrawal of Kape’s original opponent, Brandon Royval. The 31-year-old Kazakh has won all 4 of his bouts inside the Octagon since his signing in 2023, exhibiting an impressive wrestling pedigree and a a dangerous kicking game.

Co-Main: Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez (185 lbs)

Both Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez may feel they are entering Saturday’s co-main event with their backs to the wall.

Brundage (10-6 MMA, 4-5 UFC) has struggled for consistency during his UFC tenure and has only won 2 of his last 7 fights, while Marquez (9-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) is currently riding a 3-fight skid and hasn’t won a bout since April 2021.

Whoever loses this one could be in serious trouble.

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics (155 lbs)

The rest of the main card is made up of fighters in considerably better form than either Brundage or Marquez.

Nasrat Haqparast (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) is currently riding a 4-fight winning streak at 155 lbs and fights for the first time since beating Jared Gordon in Saudi Arabia last June.

Esteban Ribovics (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) had an excellent 2024. The Argentinian knocked out Terrence McKinney in just 37 seconds in May (the fastest headkick finish in UFC lightweight history), and he followed that up with a ‘fight of the year’ contender when he outpointed Daniel Zellhuber at the Sphere in September.

William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil (145 lbs)

2 more fighters coming into Saturday’s event at the Apex in scintillating form are William Gomis and Hyder Amil.

Both men are unbeaten in their UFC careers so far, although Gomis (14-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) can consider himself very lucky to have walked away with a split-decision win over Joanderson Brito in Paris last September.

Former Bellator featherweight Amil (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) broke into the big leagues by way of a decision win over Emrah Somrez on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) in 2023, and “The Hurricane” picked up finishes over both Fernie Garcia and Jeong Yeong Lee in 2024 to get his UFC career off to a flying start.

Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson (170 lbs)

Tennessee knockout-artist Danny Barlow welcomes British welterweight Sam Patterson to the United States in Saturday’s main card opener.

Barlow (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), another DWCS graduate, flatlined Josh Quinlan in his Octagon debut at UFC 298 a year ago before picking up a decision win over Nikolay Veritennikov in his last outing in August.

In Sam Patterson (12-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Barlow faces a tricky submission artist who took less than a round to force the tap from both Yohan Lainesse and Kiefer Crosbie in 2024.