A Wave of UFC Fight Updates Surfaces on New Year's Eve
Who said New Year's Eve was a quiet period for combat sports news updates?
On Tuesday, we witnessed a steady influx of fight information for the first quarter of 2025. Some of these upcoming bouts are likely to headline or co-headline upcoming events.
Youssef Zalal is set to take a significant step towards title contention in the UFC's featherweight division. He confirmed on the Jaxxon podcast* that his next fight will be against No. 10-ranked Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 102 on February 15.
Zalal has been in excellent form in the featherweight division, especially since his 2020 debut with the UFC. After a slow start, he has since won six consecutive fights, with the last three coming in the UFC. He now faces Kattar, who is seeking a much-needed victory after a three-fight losing streak.
Kattar has suffered defeats in three of his last four fights. A loss to Zalal might keep him in the rankings, but it could put him on the brink of being unranked. Meanwhile, on the UFC Vegas 102 card, Andre Petroski announced his Instagram account that he will fight Rodolfo Vieira.
In March, UFC 313 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas features Armen Petrosyan vs. Brunno Ferreira in a fight likely to be on the prelims. This will be Petrosyan's first fight since getting knocked out by Shara Magomedov's double spinning backfist at UFC 308 in November. Ferreira and Petrosyan share a common experience: both were defeated by someone named Magomedov at UFC 308, albeit in different fights.
Later in March, UFC Mexico will see Joe Pyfer take on Kelvin Gastelum, a potential middleweight showdown. Gastelum returns to middleweight after an unsuccessful stint at welterweight.
Pyfer and Gastelum are two of the most dangerous strikers in the division. The winner could earn Performance of the Night honors and secure one of the year's biggest early moments.
On the undercard, Yazmin Jauregui faces Dione Barbosa in a strawweight clash. Both fighters have endured defeats in their most recent bouts but still have a chance to move towards a ranking at 115 pounds.
The winner remains in the advancement section of the UFC's matchmaking, while the loser might find themselves in the promotion's matchmakers' bad books.
The MMA community is eagerly awaiting details about the futures of Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria, Jon Jones, Belal Muhammad, Valentine Shevchenko, Alexandre Pantoja, and others.
For now, the leaked fight information and what we already know about UFC 311 and UFC 312 has only increased excitement for the UFC as it enters the New Year.
Dana White recently revealed some exciting new UFC fights on his social media, including Youssef Zalal facing Calvin Kattar at UFC Vegas 102 on February 15. This new UFC news has added to the buzz surrounding the UFC schedule for the first quarter of 2025.
UFC fans are also eager to learn about potential UFC fights involving Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria, Jon Jones, Belal Muhammad, and others, as mentioned by various sources. The UFC news circle is abuzz with the leaked fight information about UFC 311 and UFC 312, which has further fueled the anticipation for the upcoming UFC fights.
In addition, UFC president Dana White announced that Calvin Kattar's fight against Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 102 could determine Kattar's future in the featherweight division. A loss to Zalal in this UFC fight could potentially have Kattar falling out of the rankings, as he is currently on a three-fight losing streak.
