You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Four rookies stepped into the Octagon in “Alamo City” yesterday (Sat., Sept 13, 2025) at Noche UFC 3 inside Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The newcomers went 3-1 overall, with three earning highlight wins — including a pair of short-notice knockouts.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Santiago Luna reacts after defeating Quang Le of Vietnam in a bantamweight fight during the Noche UFC event at Frost Bank Center on September 13, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Making his UFC debut on just 10 days’ notice, Santiago Luna made a gigantic splash, stopping Quang Le in under three minutes with a furious combo against the fence and a single, fight-ending punch on the mat (watch highlights)
The 21-year-old Mexican prospect showed poise and finishing instincts beyond his years — but it wasn’t flawless. Luna was actually dropped by a jab seconds into the fight, and if Le had sharper killer instinct, things could have gone south quickly. Instead, Luna steadied himself, turned up the pressure, and showed why he’s now a fighter to watch.
At 7-0, Luna is clearly going to be learning on the job, but his crisp boxing, power, and underrated grappling give him a very high ceiling.
I would like to see him fight Garrett Armfield in his next outing.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Alden Coria reacts after defeating Alessandro Costa of Brazil in a flyweight fight during the Noche UFC event at Frost Bank Center on September 13, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Flyweight Alden Coria may have been the most impressive rookie of the night. On short notice, he faced a very underrated Alessandro Costa and beat him everywhere. Coria built an early lead on the scorecards, then poured it on in the third round, eventually finishing a compromised Costa (watch highlights).
I’ve been watching Coria since he was an amateur, and while he had ups and downs on the regional scene, he always improved, and that tends to happen when you are training partners with Joshua Van, who is going to fight for the UFC Flyweight title soon.
As for the fight itself, the 27-year-old stayed disciplined with consistent pressure, clean bursts of offense, and smart shot selection. By Round 3, Costa was visibly broken (and hurt).
Coria should fight Costa’s original opponent, Edgar Chairez, for his sophomore outing.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Daniil Donchenko of Ukraine reacts after defeating Rodrigo Sezinando of Brazil in a welterweight fight during the Noche UFC event at Frost Bank Center on September 13, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The night kicked off with Daniil Donchenko earning a violent first-round knockout over Rodrigo Sezinando in The Ultimate Fighter 33 Welterweight finale (watch highlights).
The Ukrainian had to weather an early takedown and sharp counters, but once he found his rhythm, the momentum swung hard. Close-range elbows opened a nasty cut, then a clean right hand sparked the finishing sequence, capped by brutal ground-and-pound.
At just 24, Donchenko is raw but undeniably dangerous. His grappling isn’t polished, but his physicality and power make him chaos inside the cage. Simply put, the Ukrainian is going to be extremely fun to watch, but who knows what his ceiling is.
I’d like to see him fight a veteran like Jeremiah Wells in his next outing.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: (R-L) Montse Rendon of Mexico punches Alice Pereira of Brazil in a bantamweight fight during the Noche UFC event at Frost Bank Center on September 13, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The lone rookie to come up short was Brazil’s Alice Pereira, who, at just 19, is the youngest fighter on the UFC roster. Unfortunately, her split-decision loss to Montserrat Rendon was as lackluster as it was frustrating.
Pereira started strong, flashing sharp counterstrikes and smooth boxing in Round 1. But she never pulled the trigger consistently, and once Rendon’s pressure and near-submission in the second round took over, the fight slipped away.
The UFC might be betting on her youth and potential, but the reality is she looked out of her depth against one of the worst fighters in the division. Pereira feasted on soft opposition on the regional scene, and her debut exposed just how far she has to go. The hard truth is, she’s not UFC caliber.
I have no idea where she goes from here, and if she is going to survive her first contract inside the Octagon. Perhaps a fight with Hailey Cowan?
For complete Noche UFC 3 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.