UFC Vancouver fight week continues. Dana White’s promotion travels north to Canada, specifically British Columbia, for the penultimate show of the month of October next weekend. If we include Saturday’s card, there are only eight more live shows scheduled before the calendar turns to 2026.
The action kicks off late Saturday afternoon at Rogers Arena with the undercard at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT. In the United States, the event can be watched from gavel to gavel ESPN+.
The action kicks off late Saturday afternoon at Rogers Arena with the undercard at 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT. In the United States, the event can be watched from gavel to gavel ESPN+.The main card action follows from British Columbia at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT. In the absence of any changes to the weekend’s schedule, the final version of UFC Vancouver will feature a 13-fight slate from the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world.
UFC Vancouver Main Event: No. 4 Contender Reinier de Ridder vs. No. 8 Contender Brendan Allen
At the top of Saturday night’s schedule is a crucial fight in the middleweight ranks. No. No. 4 contender and former ONE Middleweight (205 lbs) MMA champion Reinier de Ridder (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) meets No. 8 contender Brendan Allen (25-7 MMA, 13-4 UFC.)
This main event will consist of up to five rounds of five minutes each, concluding the evening activities at UFC Vancouver. RDR enters this event, his second straight main event, after posting a 5-0 record in his last five fights dating back to July 2024. Allen was not scheduled to be the Knights opponent for UFC Vancouver.
He was initially scheduled to fight Anthony Hernandez this weekend. Hernandez had to withdraw from the fight due to an injury last month, something he addressed on his Instagram page.
On July 26 on the ABC Television Network, RDR pushed Robert Whittaker to his limits, defeating him by unanimous decision after 25 minutes of action. It was a brief rise to the division’s elite at 185 for De Ridder, and he is now firmly in the conversation for the UFC Middleweight Championship.
Can he take the next step toward securing another championship in the main event of UFC Vancouver next weekend? Tune in and find out.
On the other side, Brendan Allen comes into this match with a 3-2 record over his past five games. Last summer, he defeated Marvin Vettori (19-8-1 MMA, 9-7-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in New Orleans at UFC 318. Vettori received a $50,000 (USD) retainer for the Fight of the Night Award that Saturday night.
Saturday’s match will be the 33rd of Allen’s professional career. A win over RDR this weekend would certainly boost his CV.
UFC Vancouver Co-Main Event: No. 15 contender Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott
Immediately preceding the headliner, the co-main event of UFC Vancouver features welterweight action between No. 15 contender Kevin Holland (28-14, 1 NC MMA, 15-11, 1 NC UFC) and Mike Malott (12-2-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). This is a three-round fight of five minutes per round.
Holland makes his 44th career walk to the cage on Saturday night and his 28th under the UFC banner with a 2-3 record in his last five fights. Last time out, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Daniel Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) at UFC 318.
Kevin Holland has been keeping quite busy in the lead up to UFC Vancouver. This fight serves as the fifth for Netherlands and his camp in 2025.
He has a .500 record so far this year, but as the year comes to a close, can he secure a winning record in 2025? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, Mike Malott has gone 4-1 in his past five games. Currently he has won two fights in a row.
Last spring, he stopped Charles Radtke (10-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) with a second-round knockout at UFC 315 in Montreal, Quebec. This is another “home game” for Malott, so will he pull off another victory for his compatriots?
UFC Vancouver: No. 7 contender Marlon Vera vs. No. 9 contender Aiemann Zahabi
Also on the UFC Vancouver main card is a bantamweight bout that pairs No. 7 contender Marlon Vera (23-10-1 MMA, 15-9 UFC) with No. 9 contender Aiemann Zahabi (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC). “Chito” enters the weekend with a 2-3 record in his last five trips to the cage.
However, it has been over fourteen months since he last fought. Last August, he dropped a unanimous decision to Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1 MMA, 14-5-1 UFC) at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Canceled fights have become a problem for the Marlon Vera camp. A scheduled bout between Vera and Mario Bautista on May 3 in Des Moines was postponed while the two were rebooked for UFC 316 in Newark, NJ.
The June 7 rescheduling was itself postponed after Vera suffered an injury. With the Marlon Vera-Mario Bautista pairing off the table for the time being, “Chito” now turns his attention to Zahabi for his first fight in over a year. How much ring rust does he have in this one?
In the other corner, Aiemann Zahabi has scored 5-0 in the last five games. Currently, he has won six fights in a row, dating back to February 2021. Most recently, he scored a unanimous decision victory against Jose Aldo (32-10 MMA, 14-9 UFC) on May 10 in Quebec.
As we’ve said many times in recent months, a fighter on edge is a fighter at his most dangerous. Add to that the fact that Zahabi will fight in his home country on Saturday night and this is a major 15 minutes (or less) of action in the legendary Octagon. Will he win his seventh fight in a row?
Rest of the map
The UFC Vancouver main card also features these exciting matches:
- A women’s flyweight bout pitting No. 2 Manon Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) against No. 5 Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC)
- a bantamweight affair between Cody Gibson (21-11 MMA, 3-6 UFC) and Aoriqileng (25-12, 1 NC MMA, 3-4, 1 NC UFC,)
- and a lightweight bout matching Kyle Nelson (18-6-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC.) with Matt Frevola (11-5-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC.)
Which fight or fights on the main card are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments.
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