Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas

This heavyweight contest was always going to be “Williams vs. Tafa,” but after a little game of musical chairs, Karl Williams will face off with Justin Tafa this weekend.

RELATED: Women’s Flyweight Division Takes Center Stage To Close Out March

Williams followed up his contract-winning effort on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) with a pair of victories in 2023, grinding out decision nods over Lukasz Brzeski and Chase Sherman. Now 9-1 overall and riding a six-fight winning streak, the Atlanta-based big man looks to take another step forward in the division with a third straight UFC triumph on Saturday.

After his little brother Junior tagged in for him opposite Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 298, big bro Justin returns the favor here, replacing his sibling against Williams. The 30-year-old “Bad Man” has registered three first-round stoppage wins in his last four outings, most recently dispatching Austen Lane in 81 seconds after their first encounter several weeks earlier was halted prematurely due to an accidental eye poke.

Edmen Shahbazyan vs AJ Dobson

It’s a main card meeting between DWCS grads in the middleweight division as Edmen Shahbazyan and AJ Dobson lock horns at the UFC APEX.

MORE UFC VEGAS 89: Fight-By-Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas

Shahbazyan halted a three-fight slide while ending an extended layoff with a win over Dalcha Lungiambula at the close of 2022, but was forced right back to the wrong side of the results last time out by Anthony Hernandez. There have been flashes of brilliance in the past, but it remains to be seen if “The Golden Boy” can rediscover that form going forward.

Dobson registered his first UFC victory last summer, posting a unanimous decision win over Tafon Nchukwi. He was originally scheduled to return in February opposite Tresean Gore before the TUF alum was forced out, resulting in his stepping in for Dusko Todorovic here.

Payton Talbott vs Cameron Saaiman

Payton Talbott and Cameron Saaiman meet in this matchup of dynamic, young bantamweights in Las Vegas this weekend.

One of the more intriguing contract winners from Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Talbott began his UFC run with a third-round submission win over Nick Aguirre in November to move to 7-0 as a pro. Laid back and seemingly unflappable, the Reno native has yet to taste defeat in a dozen combined appearances as an amateur and pro.

Saaiman pushed his record to 9-0 with a first-round stoppage win over Terrence Mitchell in July at UFC 290 but suffered the first loss of his career three months later, dropping a decision to Christian Rodriguez. Now 3-1 in the UFC and 9-1 overall, “MSP” looks to bounce back and will surely be buoyed by the success of his teammate, middleweight champ Dricus Du Plessis.

Billy Quarantillo vs Youssef Zalal

Billy Quarantillo welcomes Youssef Zalal back to the Octagon this weekend in a featherweight battle that should be a banger for as long as it lasts.

A popular veteran, Quarantillo has alternated wins and losses over his last seven outings, touching down in Las Vegas following a rally to defeat Damon Jackson in the summer. Allergic to boring fights, “Billy Q” owns a nice piece of property just outside the Top 15 and is a vital part of the featherweight ecosystem.

After registering three victories in seven months to begin things in the UFC, the Factory X man dropped decision to Ilia Topuria, SeungWoo Choi, and Sean Woodson before fighting Da’Mon Blackshear to a draw and getting released in 2022. Zalal has since won three straight, ending each bout in the opening frame.

Fernando Padilla vs Luis Pajuelo

Fernando Padilla and Luis Pajuelo kick off the main card in a potentially combustible featherweight fight.

Order The Epic UFC 300 Event

Padilla impressed in his long-awaited promotional debut last April, registering a first-round stoppage win over Julian Erosa. But he struggled in September against Canadian veteran Kyle Nelson and will look to get things moving in the right direction again in this one.

The 29-year-old Pajuelo registered one of the more devastating finishes last season on Dana White’s Contender Series, driving home a knee to the midsection of Robbie Ring while he was on the canvas to kick off the closing sequence. It pushed the Peruvian’s winning streak to five and graduated him to the UFC roster, where he’ll look to keep things rolling this weekend.

Preliminary Card Fights

Kurt Holobaugh vs Trey Ogden

Veteran lightweights Kurt Holobaugh and Trey Ogden meet in the final preliminary card pairing of the day.

After four years away from the Octagon, Holobaugh returned with a second-round stoppage win over Austin Hubbard at UFC 292 in Boston to win the lightweight tournament on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter. Ogden has struggled since matriculating to the UFC, posting a 1-2 record with one no contest, which came last time out in a fight with Nikolas Motta that was halted prematurely.

Ricardo Ramos vs Julian Erosa

It’s a clash of all-action featherweights in this one as Ricardo Ramos shares the Octagon with Julian Erosa.

Still just 28, Ramos has alternated wins and losses since relocating to the 145-pound weight class, entering off a first-round loss to Charles Jourdain last September. After winning three straight beginning with his own matchup against Jourdain, Erosa arrives on a two-fight skid, having been stopped in the first round of each of his last two appearances.

Miles Johns vs Cody Gibson

Miles Johns and Cody Gibson face off in this battle of bantamweights on Saturday’s prelims.

A former LFA champion, Johns is 4-2 with one no contest through seven UFC appearances, having lost just once since his loss to Mario Bautista four years ago. Gibson landed on the wrong side of the results in his TUF 31 finale punch-up with Brad Katona last summer in Boston, but earned a place on the roster nonetheless after showing a ton of grit and tenacity, both on the show and in that contest.

Jarno Errens vs Steven Nguyen

Jarno Errens welcomes Steven Nguyen to the Octagon for the first time this weekend in this preliminary card contest in the featherweight division.

Errens has landed on the wrong side of the cards in each of his first two UFC appearances, most recently dropping a decision to SeungWoo Choi last August. A three-time DWCS competitor, Nguyen finally earned the call to the Octagon with a second-round stoppage win over AJ Cunningham last season.

Montserrat Rendon vs Daria Zheleznyakova

It’s “Sophomore vs. Freshman” in the bantamweight division as Montserrat Rendon takes on Daria Zheleznyakova on Saturday.

Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas

Rendon pushed her record to 6-0 overall with a grueling decision win over Tamires Vidal in September. Originally slated to debut last October opposite Tainara Lisboa, the 8-1 Zheleznyakova instead makes her first walk to the Octagon this weekend in Las Vegas.

Igor Severino vs Andre Lima

It’s a battle of undefeated Brazilians in the flyweight division as recent DWCS grads Igor Severino and Andre Lima clash this weekend.

The 20-year-old Severino pushed his record to 8-0 with a second-round stoppage win over Jhonata Silva in September. A few weeks later, Lima advanced to 7-0 with a unanimous decision win over Rickson Zenidim, setting up this fascinating flyweight matchup early on Saturday’s fight card.

Mohammed Usman vs Mick Parkin

Heavyweights open the event, as Mohammed Usman and Mick Parkin are tasked with kicking off this weekend’s festivities.

Usman has pushed his winning streak to four with victories in each of his first three UFC appearances, most recently landing on the right side of the scorecards in a clash with Jake Collier. A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Parkin went 2-0 in his rookie year on the roster, posting decision wins over fellow DWCS graduates Jamal Pogues and Caio Machado.