Las Vegas – UFC® continues its run at UFC APEX with an exciting middleweight matchup between two surging contenders as No. 13 Anthony Hernandez ranked takes on No. 14 Michel Pereira. Also on the card, No. 7 ranked flyweight contender Matheus Nicolau aims to defend his spot in the Top 10 against No. 14 Asu Almabayev.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: HERNANDEZ vs. PEREIRA takes place Saturday, October 19 in Las Vegas. The entire event will stream on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) beginning with the prelims at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon Girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Hernandez (12-2 1NC, fighting out of Sacramento, Calif.) aims to start his run towards the title by clinching the biggest victory of his career. With eight of his 12 wins coming by way of submission, Hernandez has shown off his grappling skills in wins over Roman Kopylov, Marc-Andre Barriault and Rodolfo Vieira. He now has his sights set on snapping Pereira’s win streak and turning his attention towards the top of the division.
Pereira (31-11 2NC, fighting out of Tucuma, Para, Brazil) plans to continue his streak of bonus-earning performances in his first UFC main event opportunity. One of the most unpredictable athletes on the roster, he has delighted fans with highlight-reel finishes of Ihor Potieria, Michal Oleksiejczuk and Andre Petroski. Pereira now looks to remain undefeated in the UFC middleweight division and extend his overall winning streak to nine as he attempts to break into the Top 10.
Nicolau (19-5-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returns to the Octagon for the second time in 2024 hoping to notch his first victory of the year. A perennial top contender, he has established himself as one of the best in the world with wins over Matt Schnell, Tim Elliott and Manel Kape. Nicolau now intends to become the first person to beat Almabayev in the UFC with a vintage performance.
Rising star Almabayev (20-2, fighting out of Almaty Kazakhstan) is just three fights into his UFC career, but has already established himself as one of the top prospects in the flyweight division. Currently on a 16-fight win streak dating back to 2017, he has earned impressive victories over Ode’ Osbourne, C.J. Vergara and Jose Johnson. Almabayev now seeks to add Nicolau to his resume and springboard himself into the title conversation.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Darren Elkins (28-11, fighting out of Portage, Ind.) aims to continue to add to his memorable resume when he faces Daniel Pineda (28-16, 3NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas) in a featherweight bout sure to deliver action
- No. 10 ranked bantamweight contender Rob Font (20-8, fighting out of Woburn, Mass.) takes on No. 11 ranked Kyler Phillips (12-2, fighting out of Glendale, Calif.)
- A bantamweight scrap pits Brady Hiestand (9-2, fighting out of Spokane, Wash.) against Jake Hadley (11-3, fighting out of Oldbury, Sandwell, England)
- The Ultimate Fighter seasons 27 and 31 winner Brad Katona (16-3, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland by way of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) looks to knock Jean Matsumoto (15-0, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) from the ranks of the unbeaten in a bantamweight bout
- Joselyne Edwards (13-6, fighting out of Panama City, Panama) faces Tamires Vidal (7-3, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at bantamweight
- An exciting flyweight bout sees Charles Johnson (16-6, fighting out of St. Louis, Mo.) battle Sumudaerji (16-6, fighting out of Chengdu, Sichuan, China)
- Veteran Jessica Penne (14-8, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.) meets Elise Reed (7-4, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) in a strawweight contest
- Heavyweight action pits Austen Lane (12-5 1NC, fighting out of Jacksonville, Fla.) against Robelis Despaigne (5-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba)
- Rayanne Santos (14-8, fighting out of Belem, Para, Brazil) and Alice Ardelean (9-6, fighting out of Birmingham, England) vie to secure their first UFC wins in a strawweight matchup
Via UFC Press
