The UFC has arrived at its final event of the year — and despite all the challenges of 2020, the promotion is closing out its schedule on a high note.
UFC Fight Night on Saturday from the Apex facility in Las Vegas will feature 10 fighters ranked inside the top 10 of their respective divisions and two former champions, Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. In the main event, two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson will square off against up-and-comer Geoff Neal.
Saturday will mark Neal’s first UFC main event, and it represents a big opportunity for the 2017 Contender Series alum. Neal is 5-0 in the UFC with four finishes and is looking to build his case for a 170-pound title shot in 2021. Neal, 30, is seven years younger than Thompson and he’s riding a seven-fight win streak. To many, his time has come. Will that translate into a win?
Thompson last fought in November 2019 when he beat Vicente Luque via unanimous decision. But Thompson has lost three of his last five, and he’ll need a win to stay part of the title conversation. Are his best days behind him?
The co-main event features Aldo facing Marlon Vera, and one of the most anticipated fights on the card is a welterweight bout between Michel Pereira and Khaos Williams, who is 2-0 in the UFC with two knockouts within a combined 57 seconds.
All fights will air on ESPN+.
First fight:
Lightweight: Carlton Minus (10-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Christos Giagos (17-8, 2-2 UFC)
Still to come:
Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (15-4-1, 11-4-1 UFC, -110) vs. Geoff Neal (13-2, 5-0 UFC, -110)
Men’s bantamweight: Jose Aldo (28-7, 10-6 UFC, -150) vs. Marlon Vera (16-6-1, 10-5 UFC, +125)
Welterweight: Michel Pereira (24-11, 2-2 UFC, -125) vs. Khaos Williams (11-1, 2-0 UFC, +105)
Men’s bantamweight: Marlon Moraes (23-7-1, 5-3 UFC, -150) vs. Rob Font (17-4, 7-3 UFC, +125)
Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura (20-6, 7-5 UFC, +105) vs. Greg Hardy (7-2 1 NC, 4-2 1 NC UFC, -125)
Welterweight: Anthony Pettis (23-10, 10-9 UFC, -240) vs. Alex Morono (18-6 1 NC, 7-3 1 NC UFC, +200)
Women’s bantamweight: Sijara Eubanks (7-5, 5-3 UFC, -160) vs. Pannie Kianzad (14-5, 2-2 UFC, +135)
Catchweight (195 pounds): Deron Winn (6-2, 1-2 UFC, +140) vs. Antonio Arroyo (9-3, 0-1 UFC, -165)
Women’s flyweight: Gillian Robertson (9-4, 6-2 UFC, -115) vs. Taila Santos (16-1, 1-1 UFC, -105)
Middleweight: Tafon Nchukwi 4-0, 0-0 UFC, -330) vs. Jamie Pickett (11-4, 0-0 UFC, +260)
Men’s flyweight: Jimmy Flick (15-5, 0-0 UFC, -155) vs. Cody Durden (11-2-1, 0-0-1 UFC, +130)