*Renato Moicano rains down heavy ground and pound shots onto Benoît Saint Denis. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an exciting Fight Night card. The entire card is filled from top to bottom with hyped prospects, established veterans, and ranked contenders, all looking to secure a landmark victory this Saturday. In the co-main event, two top-ten Strawweights will go toe-to-toe when dangerous grappler Virna Jandiroba takes on the hard-hitting Tabatha Ricci. A spot in the Lightweight rankings will be on the line in the main event when submission ace Renato Moicano squares off with a heavy-handed brawler in Chris Duncan. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

José Delano vs. Robert Ruchała

*José Delano lands a stiff jab on Manuel Exposito. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Featherweight Bout

José Delano: 16-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Robert Ruchała: 11-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Delano has won four of his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. He’s a precise striker who’s constantly coming forward and doing damage. He has excellent head movement and range management, regularly landing heavy counter strikes and moving in and out of the pocket without taking damage. Delano is extremely accurate, fighting behind his jab and throwing everything in combination without loading up or telegraphing his attacks. Training with Brazilian Top Team, he does a great job mixing up his targets and will constantly mix vicious body kicks and knees into his punch combinations. He’s willing to grapple and holds a purple belt in BJJ as well as outstanding takedown defense, typically choosing to keep the fight standing where he’s most comfortable. Delano can push a heavy pace across three rounds comfortably and has gone five rounds twice outside of the UFC.

*Robert Ruchała fires a straight left hand at Willliam Gomis. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Ruchała has won three of his last five bouts and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s an unorthodox scrapper with a dangerous arsenal of kicks and excellent wrestling. He favors his kicks to his punches when he’s standing, varying his shots well and constantly throwing kicks to the legs, body, and head. Ruchała improves as the fight goes on, letting his hands go more often and constantly coming forward. Training at Grappling Krakow, He’s a tenacious grappler, willing to work or string multiple attempts together to secure a takedown, and has excellent top control when he gets the fight to the mat. He’s always working in top position, constantly looking to improve, posture up, or secure a submission. Ruchała has excellent cardio, having fought in multiple five-round title fights in KSW, and is dangerous at all times.

Tommy McMillen vs. Manolo Zecchini

*Tommy McMillen charges at David Mgoyan with a stiff left hand. Credit: Bloody Elbow.*

Featherweight Bout

Tommy McMillen: 9-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Manolo Zecchini: 11-4-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

McMillen is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a dangerous submission ace who loves to brawl. He’s a lengthy striker but will regularly look to close the distance, constantly dipping his head before firing looping shots and lunging straights. McMillen is willing to eat a shot to land one and heats up as the fight continues, letting his hands go more often and taking more risks. Training at Red Hawk Academy, he’s a relentless grappler who will regularly look to clinch up and bring the fight to the mat. He has excellent scrambles and reversals and will typically find himself in top position where he’ll immediately pursue submissions, typically chokes. McMillen pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell, having only left the first round once in his career, and can secure chokes very quickly, even while standing.

*Manolo Zecchini fires a kick to the head of Morgan Charrière. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Zecchini has won three of his last five outings and is looking to secure his first UFC victory. An explosive striker, he’s constantly moving and pressing forward and is willing to eat a shot to land one. He’s always pursuing a finish, providing his opponent with a steady dose of looping shots and heavy leg kicks. Despite his aggression, Zecchini is elusive and has excellent distance management, but he can sometimes get pulled into brawls. Training at Jackson-Wink MMA, his kicks are his best weapons, often damaging his opponent from range before blitzing in to throw combinations. He won’t often initiate grappling exchanges, but has shown great takedown defense and solid clinch control. Zecchini has nine first-round finishes and has only gone to a decision twice in his professional career, always fighting with a true “kill or be killed” attitude.

Ethyn Ewing vs. Rafael Estevam

*Ethyn Ewing tags Malcolm Wellmaker with a sharp jab. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Bantamweight Bout

Ethyn Ewing: 9-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Rafael Estevam: 14-0-0, 4 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Ewing is on a nine-fight win streak and has a UFC victory over Malcolm Wellmaker (9-2-0). He’s a heavy-handed boxer with solid grappling skills who’s always pressing the action. He’s a technical striker, always fighting behind his jab, picking his shots, and throwing in combination. Ewing has excellent head movement and range management, regularly slipping punches before landing several of his own. Training at CSW, he does a great job varying his targets between the head and body and has heavy kicks that he regularly mixes into combinations. He has a brown belt in BJJ with great wrestling, both offensively and defensively, and has solid takedowns and throws from the clinch. Ewing maintains a heavy pace throughout and is always gaming, having just come off a massive upset win on just two days’ notice in his UFC debut.

*Rafael Estevam fires a front kick to the body of Charles Johnson. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Estevam is undefeated, holding UFC victories over #13 ranked Flyweight Charles Johnson (19-8-0), Jesús Aguilar (12-4-0), and Felipe Bunes (14-9-0). He’s a BJJ black belt and a relentless grappler with solid punching power. He’s averaging about six takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and is willing to work for takedowns or shoot repeatedly to bring the fight to the mat. Estevam has solid power in his hands and varies his targets well, but won’t typically stay standing for long, usually using his striking to set up his grappling and punching into takedown attempts. Training at Nova União, he’s focused on control and damage from top position, and does a great job not allowing his opponent to sweep him or escape back to their feet. He won’t typically hunt for submissions and is willing to stay in his opponent’s guard, posture up, and land ground and pound. Estevam is always looking to bring the fight to the mat, having shot 50 takedowns in just three UFC fights and landed 19 of them.

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs. Brendson Ribeiro

*Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev viciously slams Rafael Cerqueira to the mat. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev: 8-0-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Brendson Ribeiro: 17-9-0, 9 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Yakhyaev is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Rafael Cerqueira (11-4-0). He’s a marauding scrapper who comes out guns blazing and looking to finish the fight by any means necessary. He throws every shot with power and is always coming forward, regularly mixing heavy kicks into his combinations. Yakhyaev holds the rank of Master of Sport in both combat sambo and MMA, but can get flashy on his feet, throwing jumping attacks and spinning kicks. He has devastating takedowns and can perform brutal slams from the clinch before securing a dominant position on the mat. Training at MMA & Combat Nurnberg, he is very active in top position, constantly looking to posture up and land ground and pound or secure a choke. Yakhyaev has earned quick finishes in all of his last four fights, spending a total of just 4:58 inside the cage across those outings.

*Brendson Ribeiro snatches up a slick kimura on Diyar Nurgozhay. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Ribeiro has won three of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Caio Machado (8-4-1) and Diyar Nurgozhay (11-2-0). He’s a wild brawler with solid power and dangerous submissions. He throws everything with knockout intentions, fighting behind his jab before unloading long, looping hooks. Ribeiro has heavy kicks and throws them constantly, regularly mixing leg kicks into combinations. Training at Brazilian TKO, he is an explosive grappler and can land powerful takedowns even when on the back foot. He can survive in deep waters on his back, has solid scrambles and reversals, and has heavy pressure in top position. He stays patient on top, not putting himself in bad spots while looking to land ground and pound. Ribeiro has secured four of his seven submission victories via guillotine and will regularly pursue chokes if the fight hits the mat.

#3 Virna Jandiroba vs. #7 Tabatha Ricci

*Virna Jandiroba submits Amanda Lemos with a vicious armbar. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Women’s Strawweight Bout

Virna Jandiroba: 22-4-0, 1 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

Tabatha Ricci: 12-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Jandiroba has won four of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Strawweight Yan Xiaonan (19-5-0), #6 ranked Strawweight Loopy Godínez (14-5-0), and #8 ranked Strawweight Amanda Lemos (15-6-1). She’s a tenacious grappler with excellent takedowns and lethal submissions. She’s a bit limited on her feet, mostly throwing straight punches and 1-2 combinations before closing the distance and pursuing takedowns. Jandiroba is averaging nearly three takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, and will constantly look to get her opponent in the clinch along the fence. Training at Academia Fight House, she holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, heavy top control, and always works for a finish on the ground. She has excellent sweeps and reversals, almost always ending up in top position when the fight hits the mat. Jandiroba has secured nine of her fourteen submission victories via choke, with six of those being rear-naked chokes, and is extremely dangerous if she can get a hold of her opponent’s neck.

*Tabatha Ricci blasts Amanda Ribas with a stiff right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Ricci has won three of her last five outings, holding UFC victories over #5 ranked Strawweight Gillian Robertson (17-8-0), #10 ranked Strawweight Amanda Ribas (12-7-0), and #14 ranked Strawweight Angela Hill (18-16-0). She’s a speedy, well-rounded scrapper who holds black belts in Judo and BJJ. She’s in perpetual motion on her feet, never staying in one spot for long, while constantly peppering her opponents with shots. Ricci throws everything in combination, has great distance management and head movement, and regularly mixes kicks into combinations, particularly to the legs. She’s averaging nearly three takedowns landed per 15 minutes and has excellent timing, able to secure them in open space and the clinch. Training at Paragon BJJ, she’s always working in top position, constantly advancing while staying safe and not putting herself in dangerous positions. Ricci has landed at least one takedown in all her UFC victories and always looks to take the fight to the mat.

#10 Renato Moicano vs. Chris Duncan

*Renato Moicano lands a thudding left hand on Drew Dober. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

Renato Moicano: 20-7-1, 2 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Moicano has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Lightweight Benoît Saint Denis (14-3-0), Drew Dober (29-15-0), and Jalin Turner (15-9-0). He is a grappling ace with an excellent submission game who’s always willing to brawl. He’ll typically shoot for a takedown early on and is very active in top position, constantly alternating between posturing up, landing ground and pound, and looking for submissions. Moicano will almost immediately look to take the back when the fight hits the mat and look for his patented rear naked choke, by which he has secured all of his submission victories. He has smothering top control and is very tough to get away from, doing a great job of floating from the back directly into full mount and maintaining control. On the feet, he has solid speed and power in his hands and loves to throw uppercuts and elbows when in close. Training at American Top Team, he’s always pushing the pace and looking for a finish, having gone the distance just three times in his last fourteen UFC fights.

*Chris Duncan locks up a tight anaconda choke on Terrance McKinney. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Duncan has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Mateusz Rębecki (20-4-0), Bolaji Oki (10-4-0), and Terrance McKinney (18-8-0). He’s an exciting brawler with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s always coming forward and throwing everything with power, constantly unloading long, straight punches and powerful kicks. Duncan has great footwork and distance management and will regularly batter his opponents with step-in elbows and knees when they enter his striking range. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always dangerous on the ground, especially in top position, but has outstanding submissions and can find them off his back. Duncan is exceptionally durable and heats up as the fight continues, earning half of his finishes in the second or third rounds.

Best Bets

José Delano by Decision: This is an exciting matchup of two entertaining fighters. Both of these fighters are comfortable on their feet, but I believe Delano has the edge in the striking. Ruchała is a rather unorthodox striker who seems to favor his kicks over his punches, whereas Delano has very sharp hands and solid kicks to back them up. I expect Delano to get on the pressure from the opening bell, not allowing Ruchała to stay at kicking distance and forcing him to engage inside the pocket. As the fight continues, I expect Delano to piece Ruchała up and wear down his cardio, slowing Ruchała’s output and allowing Delano to take over the fight. Once Delano is in full control of both the pace and the range, I believe he’ll force Ruchała to fight defensively and pursue takedowns, only further slowing him down and allowing Delano to do more damage. Ruchała is durable and has plenty of high-level experience, so he will be tough to finish inside the cage, but I’m confident Delano will earn an impressive decision victory.

Tommy McMillen by Submission: This is an intriguing matchup of a hyped UFC debutant and a returning brawler. Zecchini only has one UFC fight, which he lost by knockout in the first round in 2023, and was essentially dominated for the full time he was in the cage. McMillen, who’s under the tutelage of Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch, is coming off an impressive comeback win on the Contender Series and looks to be a very solid prospect. Despite a lack of UFC experience for both of these fighters, McMillen seems to be the far more well-rounded of the two and has a massive advantage on the ground. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with both fighters exchanging blows in the center of the cage and McMillen using his huge size and reach advantage to get the better of Zecchini. I expect McMillen to shoot for a takedown early on and secure it before dominating and controlling Zecchini on the ground. Once McMillen has gotten the fight to the floor, I don’t imagine it will take long before he secures a submission and a big win in his debut.

Chris Duncan Moneyline: This is an outstanding matchup of two excellent Lightweights that I’ve been looking forward to. While both fighters have well-rounded skill sets and even train at the same gym, I believe Duncan has the skills to match Moicano on the ground and has an advantage on the feet. Moicano is willing to engage in striking exchanges but isn’t the most technically skilled or powerful striker, whereas Duncan has very solid hands, a great chin, and big-time punching power. I expect this fight to get going quickly, with both fighters meeting in the middle of the cage and letting their hands go. I believe Duncan will get the better of the early striking exchanges and deny Moicano's inevitable takedown attempts, forcing him to stay standing and striking with Duncan. As they continue to exchange on the feet, I expect Duncan to start damaging Moicano and force him onto his back foot, making it much harder for him to grapple or return fire. Once Duncan has him backed up, I expect him to batter Moicano with heavy kicks and punches, and whether it’s via finish or decision, I’m confident Duncan will walk away with a victory and likely a spot in the Lightweight rankings.

UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan Preview