TOP RANKED FLYWEIGHTS
(#5) MATHEUS NICOLAU AND (#6) MANEL KAPE
LOCK HORNS AT UFC® APEX
FEATURED BOUT:
(#11) RYAN SPANN vs. BOGDAN GUSKOV
UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a pivotal rematch featuring No. 5 ranked flyweight contender Matheus Nicolau taking on No. 6 Manel Kape. In addition, hard-hitting light heavyweights No. 11 Ryan Spann and rising contender Bogdan Guskov square off in a high stakes showdown.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: NICOLAU vs. KAPE 2 takes place Saturday, April 27 in Las Vegas and will be available on ESPN+ (English and Spanish) and ESPN. The prelims will air on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, followed by the main card airing on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ 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.
Nicolau (19-4-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to make the most of his first UFC main event. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a strong standup game, Nicolau has earned victories over Matt Schnell, David Dvorak, and Tim Elliott. The veteran contender now aims to secure a second win against Kape and make his case for a title shot later this year.
Kape (19-6, fighting out of Phuket, Thailand by way of Porto, Portugal) returns to action looking to avenge his 2021 loss to Nicolau. The Angolan-born fighter has made waves in the 125-pound division by delivering dominant performances against Felipe dos Santos, Zhalgas Zhumagulov, and Ode’ Osbourne. Kape now looks to finish Nicolau in emphatic fashion and cement his spot in the Top 5.
Veteran Spann (19-7, fighting out of Beaumont, Texas by way of Memphis, Tenn.) sets out to remind the world why he’s among the best at 205 pounds. A dominant force for the past six years, Spann has delivered highlight finishes against Dominick Reyes, Ion Cutelaba, and Misha Cirkunov. He now hopes for another first-round finish to derail Guskov’s momentum.
Guskov (15-3 fighting out of Dukent, Uzbekistan) looks to put the division on notice by taking out a top-ranked opponent. Making just his second Octagon appearance, Guskov wowed fight fans with his first-round knockout against The Ultimate Fighter season 30 finalist Zac Pauga. Uzbekistan’s own now sets forth to secure the biggest win of his career by getting his hand raised against Spann.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 11 ranked flyweight Ariane Lipski (17-8, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) and No. 12 Karine Silva (17-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) go toe-to-toe in a thrilling matchup
- Welterweights Tim Means (33-15-1, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) and Uroš Medić (9-2, fighting out of Anchorage, Alaska by way of Novi Sad, Serbia) square off
- Joel Álvarez (20-3, fighting out of Asturias, Spain) looks to secure back-to-back wins as he takes on Dana White’s Contender Series signee Mateusz Rębecki (19-1, fighting out of Szczecin, Poland) at lightweight
- Bantamweight veteran Rani Yahya (28-11-1 1 NC, fighting out of Brasilia, Brazil) collides with Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Victor Henry (23-6, fighting out of Southgate, Calif.)
- Dana White’s Contender Series heavyweight contract winners Don’Tale Mayes (10-6 1 NC, fighting out of Louisville, Ken.) and Caio Machado (8-2-1, fighting out of Vancouver, B.C., Canada) look to steal the show
- Gabriel Benitez (23-12, fighting out of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico) takes on Maheshate (9-3, fighting out of Sichuan, China) at lightweight
- Marnic Mann (6-2, fighting out of Bozeman, Mont.) locks horns with Brazil’s Ketlen Souza (13-4, fighting out of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) at strawweight
- Ivana Petrovic (6-1, fighting out of Tønsberg, Norway) faces Liang Na (17-1, fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) in a flyweight tilt
- Gabe Green (11-5, fighting out of San Pedro, Calif.) welcomes Dana White’s Contender Series signee James Llontop (14-2, fighting out of Lima, Peru) to the UFC 155-pound division
- Dana White’s Contender Series heavyweight contract winners Austen Lane (12-4 1NC, fighting out of Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jhonata Diniz (6-0, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) are set to deliver fireworks
- The Ultimate Fighter season 31 finalist Austin Hubbard (16-6, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) clashes with Michal Figlak (8-1, fighting out of Worcester, England by way of Poznan, Poland) in an electric lightweight matchup
For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are live and subject to change. Please click here to apply for the event.
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