Incredible main event reportedly set for first UFC Fight Night on Paramount

The first UFC Fight Night card of the Paramount era will reportedly be headlined by two of the promotion’s top-ranked bantamweight contenders.

The bantamweight division took center stage last Saturday for the main event of UFC 323, which saw Petr Yan reclaim the 135 lbs. title when he defeated Merab Dvalishvili in their rematch and stifled the Georgian’s attempt to defend his belt four times within a calendar year.

A trilogy fight may well be in store for Yan and Dvalishvili early next year, but Ag Fight reports that top contenders Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira will also try to move closer towards a title shot when they headline the first UFC Fight Night of 2026 on February 7.

Mario Bautista Looks To Start Another Winning Streak

Currently the UFC’s #9-ranked bantamweight contender, Bautista joined the UFC in 2019 and secured back-to-back “Performance of the Night” bonuses before being knocked out by Trevin Jones at UFC 259.

The 32-year-old rebounded in a big way by going on an eight-fight win streak that began with a unanimous decision over Jay Perrin in 2022. Bautista followed that result up with four-straight finishes, and he also bested UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo before he gave former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Patchy Mix a rude welcome to the Octagon at UFC 316 last June.

Jose Aldo (red gloves) fights Mario Bautista (blue gloves) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The MMA Lab product’s championship aspirations were temporarily halted in his last outing, as former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov defeated him via unanimous decision at UFC 321 to halt the American’s impressing win streak.

Vinicius Oliveira Set For First UFC Main Event

While Bautista is coming off just his second loss in the UFC, Oliviera has yet to taste defeat in the Octagon after winning a UFC contract with a brutal first-round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

The former UAE Warriors titleholder followed up his victory on DWCS with a third-round finish of Bernardo Sopaj in his formal promotional debut, winning bonuses for both “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night” in the process. "Lokdog" has gone the distance in his last three outings, earning another “Fight of the Night” nod for his win over Said Nurmagomedov in between victories over Ricky Simon and Kyler Phillips.

Ricky Simon (red gloves) fights Vinicius Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The UFC’s new deal with Paramount is set to kick off with a pair of stacked numbered events with UFC 324 on January 24 and UFC 325 the following Saturday, but now fans can also look ahead to what the promotion’s first UFC Fight Night show at the UFC Apex will offer on February 7.

UFC Vegas 113 Fight Card

• Main Event: Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira

• Uran Satybaldiev vs. Julius Walker

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