The much-anticipated UFC Rio fight week has arrived, with only nine remaining UFC events before 2026. This Saturday, the premier MMA organization heads back to Brazil for another installment of UFC Fight Night, taking place at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
For fans in the United States, the Saturday card kicks off in the late afternoon. Preliminary fights start at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT, leading into the main card at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT. All the action can be viewed live on ESPN+.
This event features a packed lineup of 13 fights in total. Let’s delve into the prelims scheduled for Saturday.
UFC Rio Featured Prelim: Jafel Filho vs. Clayton Carpenter
Kicking off the undercard is an exciting flyweight battle between seasoned fighter Jafel Filho (16-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and Clayton Carpenter (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Both fighters will compete for a maximum of three rounds, five minutes each.
Filho arrives in Rio with a 3-2 record since his last appearance in 2022 on Dana White’s Contender Series. Following a unanimous decision loss to Allan Nascimento on May 30 in Nevada, he seeks to return to the victory column. In contrast, Carpenter, having recently suffered his first professional loss in January at UFC 311, aims to rebound this weekend.
UFC Rio Co-Featured Prelim: Vitor Petrino vs. Thomas Petersen
Next, heavyweights Vitor Petrino (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Thomas Petersen (10-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) will clash in the co-main prelim bout. Petrino has had a fluctuating run recently but is coming off a first-round submission victory. He prepares for his second fight in under three months. Meanwhile, Petersen seeks to improve his record with a win after a recent unanimous decision victory.
UFC Rio: Bia Mesquita vs. Irina Alekseeva
Also featured on the undercard is a women’s bantamweight match-up between Bia Mesquita (5-0, UFC debut) and Irina Alekseeva (5-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). Mesquita, fresh off winning the LFA Women’s Bantamweight Championship, steps into the Octagon undefeated. Alekseeva, needing to bounce back from consecutive losses, looks to add a notable victory to her record.
Rest of the Prelims
The prelims round out with several key matchups:
- A flyweight contest featuring Lucas Rocha (17-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) against Stewart Nicoll (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
- A heavyweight bout with No. 15 contender Valter Walker (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) facing Mohammed Usman (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
- A women’s strawweight fight between Julia Polastri (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-9 MMA, 9-9 UFC).
- A bantamweight clash with Saimon Oliveira (18-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) going up against Luan Lacerda (12-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC).
Which of these prelims are you most excited to see at UFC Rio this Saturday? Share your thoughts in the comments!
