UFC Vegas 41 will be the promotion’s final Las Vegas-based event before the organization hits the road for back-to-back pay-per-view events in Abu Dhabi and New York City.
The Oct. 23 card is headlined by a middleweight main event pitting two elite-level talents, and defeated former title challengers, in Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori. Both men will be looking to bounce back from championship losses to division king Israel Adesanya in their most recent Octagon outings.
How to watch UFC Vegas 41 on October 23
- UFC Vegas is a daytime affair that kicks of with preliminary action at 1 pm ET, then is followed by the main card at 4 pm ET
- The entire event will air exclusively on ESPN+
- You can purchase “VIP Experience” tickets to UFC APEX events directly from the promotion here
UFC Vegas 41 fight card
UFC Vegas 41 appointment television fights
Marvin Vettori (17-4-1) vs Paulo Costa (13-1)
Although this card is not deep on ranked talent and popular fighters, the headliner is a fantastic matchup pitting two of the best 185-pound fighters on the planet. In an alternate reality, where Adesanya does not exist both of these men easily could be the holder of the middleweight title. This booking between the #2 versus the #5 185-pounder will go a long way in getting the winner back into title contention. Vettori is the early favorite because of his durability and grappling gifts. However, “Borrachinha” has one loss for a reason and has a reset button punching power that needs to be respected at all times.
Prediction: Costa by TKO, round 3
Nick Negumereanu (10-1) vs. Ike Villanueva (18-12)
Nick Negumereanu versus Ike Villanueva is a must-watch fight not because they are world-class light heavyweights looking to close in on a title opportunity. No, this is a must-see because they are not built to go the distance. Win or lose, Texas’ Villanueva will leave it all out there and hasn’t gone to a decision since 2017. While the Romanian has nine finishes in his 10 wins. This fight is not going to the judges.
Prediction: Villanueva by TKO, round 3