*Gilbert Burns cracks Khamzat Chimaev with a left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX Center with an outstanding Fight Night card. This card is filled with top-notch matchups and outstanding fighters looking to make their name on the biggest stage in combat sports. In the co-main event, veteran grappling ace Paul Craig will take on the quickly rising newcomer Rodolfo Bellato. In the main event, perennial Welterweight contender Gilbert Burns faces a red-hot knockout artist in Michael Morales. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Julian Erosa vs. Melquizael Costa

*Julian Erosa fires a left hook to the body of Charles Jourdain. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Featherweight Bout

Julian Erosa: 31-12-0, 12 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

Melquizael Costa: 23-7-0, 7 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Erosa has won three of his last five fights and has wins over Hakeem Dawodu (13-4-1), Charles Jourdain (16-8-1), and Nate Landwehr (18-6-0). He utilizes an awkward style on the feet, staying upright with his hands down and throwing lots of looping hooks from strange angles. He is seemingly always moving forward, whether to initiate a grappling exchange or land strikes, and has the cardio to do so over three rounds easily. Erosa is willing to get into brawls on the feet, gladly hanging in the pocket and exchanging combinations. Training at Xtreme Couture, he averages over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is a slick submission artist, with two UFC victories via D’arce choke, one of which was standing. He has proven to be a bit of a slow starter, but he heats up as the fight goes on. Erosa has secured over half of his finishes after the first round and is always dangerous.

*Melquizael Costa batters Christian Rodriguez with a step-in elbow. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Costa has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Christian Rodriguez (12-3-0), Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-12-0), and Andre Fili (24-12-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with impressive power in his hands and excellent grappling. He has an outstanding arsenal of kicks, regularly unloading powerful shots to the head and body from range before blitzing into the pocket to throw power punches. Training at Chute Boxe JE, Costa typically doesn’t absorb much damage, utilizing solid footwork, head movement, and distance management to remain elusive. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes and is very active on the ground, whether in top or bottom position. He’s constantly looking to improve or posture up and has outstanding sweeps and reversals. Costa is most dangerous early on, with nine of his fifteen finish victories coming in round one.

Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Nursulton Ruziboev

*Dustin Stoltzfus unloads brutal ground and pound shots onto Marc-André Barriault. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Middleweight Bout

Dustin Stoltzfus: 16-6-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Nursulton Ruziboev: 35-9-2, 13 KO/TKO, 20 Sub.

Stoltzfus has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Dwight Grant (11-6-0), Punahele Soriano (11-4-0), and Marc-André Barriault (17-9-0). He’s a solid wrestler with impressive power who’s always willing to engage in the pocket. He won’t rush on the feet, favoring power to volume and tending to throw kicks at range. Stoltzfus has good distance management and is always coming forward, often using his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is capable of brutal slams. Training at Xtreme Couture, he advances quickly on top and has solid top pressure, rarely letting his opponent out from under him. Stoltzfus has heavy ground and pound and a slick submission game, holding a victory via twister on his record.

*Nursulton Ruziboev fires a powerful right hand at Brunno Ferreira. MMA Fighting.*

Ruziboev has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Brunno Ferreira (13-2-0), Eric McConico (9-3-1), and Sedriques Dumas (10-3-0). On the feet, he throws a lot of single shots with plenty of power and loves to throw flashy spinning kicks. He’s constantly pressing forward and will typically pursue takedowns early, often using his wild offense to set up his wrestling. Ruziboev has a dangerous submission game and can finish the fight on top or off his back. He’s highly active on the ground and never stops moving, but he is much more of a wild man than a technician and can put himself in bad spots. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, he’s always looking to finish the fight, often choosing not to defend takedowns to pursue a kimura instead. Ruziboev has heavy ground-and-pound and has excellent sweeps and reversals if he finds himself in bottom position.

Sodiq Yusuff vs. Mairon Santos

*Sodiq Yusuff blasts Alex Caceres with a damaging leg kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

Sodiq Yusuff: 13-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Mairon Santos: 16-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Yusuff has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Alex Caceres (21-15-0), Andre Fili (24-12-0), and Gabriel Benítez (23-13-0). Yusuff is a powerful striker in constant pursuit of a knockout. He favors power to volume, fighting behind his jab before blitzing into the pocket to unload hooks and overhands. Training with Team Lloyd Irvin, Yusuff varies his shots well, attacking the head, body, and legs with equal brutality. He will occasionally pursue takedowns and is strong in the clinch, but he’ll typically look to keep it standing. He’s highly explosive, not utilizing much footwork or movement before suddenly letting his hands go. He has solid cardio and carries his power throughout the fight, but has secured five of his seven finishes in the first round and is most dangerous early on.

*Mairon Santos looks to land ground and pound shots after dropping Kaan Ofli. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Santos has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Kaan Ofli (12-4-1) and Francis Marshall (8-3-0). The winner of The Ultimate Fighter 32, He’s a dangerous striker with excellent power and footwork. He’s always moving, fighting behind his jab, and throwing everything in combination while looking to control the center. Santos is excellent at mixing up his shots, attacking the head, body, and legs evenly, and regularly mixing kicks into combinations. Training at Xtreme Couture, he’s dangerous at range and in the pocket, able to land significant damage from anywhere. He has solid takedown defense and won’t accept position on his back, always working hard to get the fight back to the feet. Santos heats up as the fight continues, carrying his power across all fifteen minutes, always remaining dangerous.

Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig

*Rodolfo Bellato charges towards Jimmy Crute while unloading punches. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Rodolfo Bellato: 12-2-1, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Paul Craig: 17-9-1, 4 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Bellato has won four of his last five fights with one draw and has a UFC victory over Ihor Potieria (20-8-0). He’s a heavy-handed scrapper who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes. He throws every shot with power and often headhunts, regularly closing the distance and firing powerful hooks at his opponent. Bellato can throw with power and volume but won’t get wild, remaining technical and carrying his power throughout the fight. He heats up as the fight continues, often taking some damage early before letting his hands go. Training with Team Nogueira, he has outstanding clinch striking and can do severe damage without much space, particularly with his elbows and knees. Bellato has proven exceptionally durable and capable of surviving in deep waters, always willing to eat a shot to land one while constantly pressuring forward.

*Paul Craig brutally submits and breaks the arm of Jamahal Hill. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Craig has won one of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Light Heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1), #4 ranked Light Heavyweight Jamahal Hill (12-3-0), and #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-10-0). He’s one of the most accomplished grapplers in the UFC, holding the UFC Light Heavyweight record for triangles with four and the second most Performance of the Night bonuses ever, with 8. He’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and is comfortable anywhere on the ground, whether on his back or on top. Training at Higher Level Martial Arts, Craig is highly experienced and always remains calm and technical on the ground, never rushing or putting himself in dangerous spots. On the feet, he tends to throw kicks at range and looks to close the distance and get the fight to the mat. He finds submissions quickly on top and bottom and is very tough to get away from on the ground. Craig is highly durable and can find submissions even in the deepest waters.

#8 Gilbert Burns vs. #12 Michael Morales

*Gilbert Burns cracks Belal Muhammad with a right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Welterweight Bout

Gilbert Burns: 22-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Michael Morales: 17-0-0, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Burns has won two of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #11 ranked Welterweight Stephen Thompson (17-8-1), Neil Magny (29-14-0), and Jorge Masvidal (35-17-0). He’s a decorated grappler with serious power in his hands and is always pursuing a finish. He’s always moving on his feet, constantly looking to close the distance, dip his head, and unleash brutal overhands. Burns has explosive takedowns, excellent top control, and a fantastic submission game. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he has a granite chin and pushes a consistent pace across all 15 minutes. He favors power to volume, throwing everything with knockout intentions, and is always willing to brawl inside the pocket. Burns has been in the promotion for over a decade and is dangerous wherever the fight goes.

*Michael Morales lunges into a knee to the head of Jake Matthews. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Morales comes into this fight undefeated, with UFC victories over Jake Matthews (21-7-0), Max Griffin (20-11-0), and Neil Magny (29-14-0). He’s a technical kickboxer who remains patient and waits for openings to damage his opponent. He throws everything in combination, remaining technical throughout and always setting up his attacks with his jab. Morales often blitzes forward to throw long, devastating hooks and straights before quickly returning to range. Training at Entram Gym, he’s a well-rounded grappler, averaging over a takedown landed per fifteen minutes, and has defended 92% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. He’s shown great calmness when put in tough spots, able to survive on his back and return the fight to where he’s most comfortable. Morales has outstruck all his UFC opponents, landing, on average, about 60 significant strikes per fight.

Best Bets

Sodiq Yusuff Moneyline: This is an intriguing matchup of two skilled strikers that will surely have fireworks. Both are dangerous on the feet but with differing styles: Yusuff tends to favor his hands and his power, throwing naked kicks at range before entering the pocket to unload power shots. Santos has a similar pace, but tends to stay at range and utilize his kicks and volume striking. Although Santos is an excellent fighter, this is a massive step-up in competition: Yusuff has been in the UFC since 2018 and faced plenty of high-level opponents. Santos has only had one actual UFC fight, with his UFC debut being the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. Both fighters are coming up to Lightweight for this matchup, and considering Yusuff already has the size and power advantage, that won’t be doing Santos any favor. I anticipate this fight to start quickly, with both fighters coming out looking for a finish. I expect this matchup to primarily play out on the feet, with Yusuff getting the better of Santos inside the pocket while controlling the center of the octagon. Ultimately, I think Yusuff is too much too soon for Santos, and will walk away with the victory on Saturday.

Rodolfo Bellato by KO/TKO: This is a matchup of two Light Heavyweights with very different styles. Bellato, while well-rounded, often finds himself in wild brawls where he relies on his power and durability. Craig is practically a pure grappler, possessing limited skills on the feet but an ability to secure submissions from anywhere, whether on top or bottom. Getting the fight to the mat is generally Craig’s path to victory, something I anticipate him struggling with against Bellato. Although he’s only had two UFC fights, he’s denied all takedowns attempted on him and possesses a black belt in BJJ. Assuming Bellato can keep the fight standing, he’ll have a massive advantage in power and technique. Even if it ends up on the ground, I believe Bellato can survive any submission attempts and return to his feet. I expect Bellato to deny multiple takedown attempts early on, keep coming forward, and ultimately earn the knockout victory.

Burns vs. Morales Over 3.5 Rounds: An outstanding matchup of two well-rounded fighters is a great way to close the card. Although both are comfortable anywhere the fight goes, they have very different styles. Burns is a brawler with outstanding BJJ, utilizing the power in his hands while mixing in takedowns and submission attempts. Morales is a much more technical striker, remaining elusive on the feet while occasionally mixing in takedowns along the fence, using his Judo background. Despite both fighters being prolific finishers, I’d be surprised if either came out guns blazing in this matchup. Burns is on a tough three-fight losing streak and needs a big win, so I expect him to use a much more measured, precise game plan. Burns is easily the most challenging, highest-level opponent Morales has ever faced, so I expect him to fight very technically and cautiously. Beyond the striking exchanges, Burns seemingly has a grappling advantage, and I anticipate him regularly mixing in takedown attempts, slowing the pace, and trying to wear down Morales. Given the toughness and skills of both of these fighters, I’m confident this fight will last at least three and a half rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales Preview