January 10, 2025, Las Vegas, Nv, Las Vegas, Nv, United States: Chris Curtis steps on the scale for the official weigh-ins at Palace Station for UFC Fight Night – Dern vs Ribas 2 on January 10, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV, United States. /PxImages Las Vegas, Nv United States – ZUMAp175 20250110_zsa_p175_044 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
UFC Vegas 114 fight week is here. This Saturday, the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world continues its homestand in the Las Vegas area for the second of two straight weeks of events in Nevada before returning to the road next Saturday for UFC Seattle.Â
Live coverage of UFC Vegas 114 at the Meta Apex begins in the late afternoon on the day before Selection Sunday in college basketball at 5 pm ET/ 2 pm PT with the prelims. Main card action caps the night at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT.
Inside the United States of America, the entirety of Saturday night’s schedule can be seen via Paramount Plus. If there are no adjustments needed, the bout order for this weekend’s show will feature a slate of 14 bouts.
UFC Vegas 114 Featured Prelim: No. 15 Contender Vitor Petrino vs. Stephen Asplund
At the top of the bill for the undercard, the heavyweights go to battle when No. 15 contender Vitor Petrino (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) meets Steven Asplund (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC.) All fights mentioned herein are an advertised three rounds at five minutes per round.
Petrino enters the weekend on the strength of a 3-2 record in his last five trips to the cage. Currently, he’s on a two-fight winning streak, including a third-round knockout (right uppercut and left hook0 of Thomas Petersen (10-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) on October 13.
He was scheduled to have faced Kennedy Nzechukwu (14-6-1 MMA, 8-6-1 UFC) at UFC Vegas 114 before the latter was forced to withdraw from the card for reasons unknown. Petrino’s new opponent is no slouch when he enters the Octagon.
Steven Asplund is 4-1 in his last five fights. The 2025 graduate of Dana White’s Contender Series has won four fights in a row, including a second-round standing TKO (punches) against Sean Sharaf (4-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) on the UFC on ESPN finale last December.
Saturday’s contest in UFC Vegas 114 is Asplund’s second in the UFC, but it’s moving day for him, as he could find a number next to his name as soon as Monday morning. How will he fare here?
UFC Vegas 114 Co-Featured Prelim: Brad Tavares vs. Eryk Anders
Immediately beforehand, the middleweights take to the cage for a contest matching Brad Tavares (21-11 MMA, 16-11 UFC) with Eryk Anders (17-9, 1 NC MMA, 9-9, 1 NC UFC.) Tavares comes into UFC Vegas 114 on Saturday having posted a record of 2-3 in his last five bouts.
Back in September, he was on the receiving end of a third-round knockout (right cross and follow-up strikes) from Robert Bryczek (18-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC.) Despite MMA fans wanting Tavares to retire in the aftermath of UFC Paris late last summer, his MMA career continues.
He has a new article of clothing in his wardrobe as of Wednesday. Tavares received a jacket commemorating his 50th clean drug test, but he can also secure another milestone when the cage door shuts Saturday. With a victory, he’ll break the record for most wins by a middleweight in the UFC, currently held by Michael Bisping.
Across the way, Eryk Anders sports a 3-2 record in his last five outings. Last August, he dropped a first-round knockout (spinning back elbow followed by punches) at the hands of Christian Leroy Duncan (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at the selfsame Meta Apex where UFC Vegas 114 is held this weekend.
This is a milestone fight for Anders, as he’ll be making the walk to the Octagon for the 20th time. Will the milestone be commemorated with a victory?
UFC Vegas 114: Chris Curtis vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Also on Saturday’s undercard, the welterweights square off when Chris Curtis (32-12, 1 NC MMA, 6-4, 1 NC UFC) meets Myktybek Orolbai (15-2-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC.) The former comes in with a record of 2-2 with one no-contest in his last five encounters dating back to 2023.
Last time out, he secured a split decision win against Max Griffin (20-12 MMA, 8-10 UFC) in Nashville last July. The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak.
By the time UFC Vegas 114 begins, Chris Curtis will not have fought in more than eight months. How much ring rust will he need to shake off ahead of this one?
In the other corner, Myktybek Orolbai has posted a 4-1 mark since joining the UFC’s active roster in November of 2023. He’s won two successive fights going into the weekend. Most recently, he bested Jack Hermansson (24-10 MMA, 11-8 UFC,) stopping him with an overhand right on Nov. 22 in Qatar.
Orolbai is on a hot streak, and any fighter who’s on a hot streak is one at his most dangerous. Can he keep up the streak?
Rest of the Prelims:
UFC Vegas 114’s undercard is rounded out by these contests:
A lightweight contest between Bolaji Oki (10-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and Manoel Souza (13-1 MMA, UFC promotional debut,)
a bantamweight encounter pairing Luan Lacerda (13-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with Hecher Sosa (14-1 MMA, UFC promotional debut,)
a women’s bantamweight fight matching Bia Mesquita (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) against Montse Rendon (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC,)
a bantamweight bout versing Elijah Smith (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Su Young You (16-3, 2 NC MMA, 2-0 UFC,)
and a strawweight tilt pairing Piera Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) with Sam Hughes (11-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC.)
Which undercard fights are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.