According to L\u00e9o Guimaraes<\/a>, Lebosnoyani is slated to make his UFC debut opposite former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford at UFC Fight Night Houston on February 21. <\/p>\n Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani Has Only Seen The Judges’ Scorecards Once<\/p>\n A former lightweight titleholder in California\u2019s Lights Out Xtreme Championship, Lebosnoyani put together an impressive 7-0 amateur career that saw him finish every opponent he faced before he made the jump to professional fighting in 2018. <\/p>\n READ MORE: Is this top UFC contender training to fight UFC Champion Khamzat Chimaev in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n The 26-year-old\u2019s finishing skills translated well into his pro career, as he went 5-2 over his first seven pro outings and secured four of his five stoppage-victories inside the first round. Following a loss to JaCobi Jones at LFA 158, Lebosnoyani scored three-straight wins to earn a chance at a UFC contract on this year\u2019s edition of Dana White\u2019s Contender Series<\/a> and needed just over a minute to floor Jack Congdon on Week 4.<\/p>\n DON’T BLINK \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n Jean Paul Lebosnoyani gets the first round finish at #DWCS<\/a> <\/p>\n [ LIVE every Tuesday on @ESPNPlus<\/a> ] pic.twitter.com\/A4wdFuB4Ta<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 UFC (@ufc) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The incredible knockout drew a strong reaction from UFC CEO Dana White, and it was no surprise when Lebosnoyani became one of four fighters on Week 4 to earn an invitation to the UFC. <\/p>\n Austin Vanderford Joined The UFC Last Year<\/p>\n Lebosnoyani certainly hasn\u2019t been handed an easy matchup for his UFC debut, as Vanderford faced a high level of competition during a successful run with Bellator before making the jump to the UFC. <\/p>\n READ MORE: Ex-UFC champion admits “decent paycheck” could make him switch to boxing<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Gentleman\u201d actually secured a second-round submission over Angelo Trevino on DWCS in 2018 but failed to earn a UFC contract, and he eventually brought his pro record to 11-0 before falling short to Gegard Mousasi in a middleweight title bout at Bellator 275 in 2022. Following one more Bellator appearance and a one-off fight with the LFA, Vanderford stopped Nikolay Veretennikov in his UFC debut but was submitted by Ramiz Brahimaj in his sophomore outing in October.<\/p>\n Austin Vanderford (blue gloves) celebrates defeating Nikolay Veretennikov (red gloves) in the catchweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Climate Pledge Arena. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Fans can expect to see Vanderford\u2019s wife and former UFC standout Paige VanZant<\/a> in Houston when the 35-year-old welcomes Lebosnoyani to the UFC, and right now the Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez-headlined card is currently shaping up like this. <\/p>\n UFC Houston Fight Card<\/p>\n \u2022\tMain Event: Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez<\/p>\n \u2022\tSerghei Spivac vs. Ante Delija<\/p>\n \u2022\tOde Osbourne vs. Alibi Idiris<\/p>\n \u2022\tZach Reese vs. Michel Pereira<\/p>\n \u2022\tAlden Coria vs. Luis Gurule<\/p>\n \u2022\tJacobe Smith vs. Seok Hyeon Ko<\/p>\n \u2022\tAustin Vanderford vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani<\/p>\n More MMA Knockout News<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Ex-UFC champ aims to snap losing streak on Holloway vs. Oliveira undercard at UFC 326<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC legend Anderson Silva shares puzzling response regarding Dana White relationship<\/a> <\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0UFC shockingly parts ways with fighter boasting undefeated UFC record<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0MMA fans put on notice after fighter scores insane walk-off KO in first pro fight<\/a><\/p>\n Stick with\u00a0MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Austin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01kd5y0a26333f2h5zx5.jpg\" "\\"Austin")
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