UFC News: October Fight Night Card Adds Heavyweight KO Artist & Top-Ranked Flyweights

Fight fans will be treated to the full range of UFC weight classes on October 19.

(Zuffa LLC) /

A UFC Fight Night card scheduled for October 19 will feature a matchup between top-ranked flyweights and the return of a hard-hitting heavyweight prospect.

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Ranked Flyweights Meet In Las Vegas

The second of back-to-back events at the UFC Apex before UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi, the UFC Fight Night card on October 19 recently got its first matchup when a middleweight tilt between Michel Pereira and Anthony Hernandez was moved from UFC 306 to serve as a five-round main event.

The card’s headlining bout is an important matchup for the middleweight division, and according to a report from Sport Kor (h/t Marcel Dorff) the event has also added a huge flyweight fight between Matheus Nicolau and Asu Almabayev.

Dec 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Matheus Nicolau (red gloves) reacts after fighting Matt Schnell (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Ranked as the UFC’s #8 flyweight contender, Nicolau is currently on the first two-fight skid of his career after being stopped by former title challengers Brandon Royval and Alex Perez in his two most recent outings.

The Brazilian will represent a significant step up in competition for Almabayev, who is currently on an impressive 16-fight win streak and has collected three victories since he made his UFC debut last year.

Robelis Despaigne Returns

With a pair of top-ranked matchups now set for the event, the UFC Fight Night card on October 19 will also reportedly see Robelis Despaigne return to the Octagon to face Austen Lane.

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A post shared by Robelis “The Big Boy” Despaigne. (@thebigboyufc)

An Olympic Bronze Medalist in taekwondo, Despaigne scored an 18-second knockout in his promotional debut at UFC 299 but dropped a unanimous decision to Waldo Cortes-Acosta in May for the first loss of his MMA career.

“The Big Boy” will try to get back on track when he faces Lane, who is still hunting for his first UFC victory after his debut against Justin Tafa ended in a No Contest and Tafa stopped him in their rematch at UFC 293 before Jhonata Diniz knocked the 36-year-old out in the second round of an April matchup.

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