The UFC Apex has seen its fair share of battles, from pandemic-era showdowns to career-making moments. Back when COVID first hit, this venue became the unlikely hero of combat sports, hosting fights when the world stood still. This gave the UFC a massive boost in publicity, growing it’s fanbase close to 300%.

Now in 2025, it is still serving up classic matchups, albeit with a full crowd and without those eerily quiet punches fans used to hear. This weekend’s UFC Fight Night 251 brings fans another helping of fights that could shake up several divisions.

UFC Fight Night 251 Main Card

In our main event, the ever-dangerous Jared “Killa Gorilla” Cannonier takes on the fan-favorite Gregory Rodrigues. Cannonier, who once fought at heavyweight before finding his home at 185 pounds, brings that rare mix of technical striking and raw power. He is looking to bounce back after that wild fight with Caio Borralho last year. 

Gregory Rodrigues, meanwhile, has been on a tear, knocking out opponents with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for kids at a candy store. He is on a three fight win streak with two of those wins coming by way of KO. The fight between these two is sure to garner massive excitement from the fans.

The co-main brings us a featherweight scrap between UFC veteran Calvin Kattar and Youssef Zalal. Kattar, known for having some of the crispest boxing in the division, is trying to reclaim his spot in the top 5. Remember his insane fight with Max Holloway? The one where he showed great heart taking on the former champion’s record breaking strike tally? 

The rest of the main card is stacked too. Fans have got Edmen Shahbazyan hoping to recapture his early career magic against Dylan Budka in an entertaining middleweight bout. The always entertaining Ismael Bonfim will face the rising Nazim Sadykhov in a lightweight bout.
A middleweight bout between Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski is expected to be a barnburner. Fans will witness a final featherweight on the main card between Connor Matthews and Jose Delgado.

UFC 251 Fight Night Preliminary Card

The prelims of UFC 251 Fight Night aren’t slouching either. The first fight of the prelims will be headlined by Angela Hill who will take on Ketlen Souza in what should be a striking fan’s delight. Fans have also got Jared Gordon, who is still chasing that elusive winning streak in the UFC, taking on newcomer Mashrabjon Ruzibaev. 

A flyweight fight between Rafael Estevam and Jesus Aguilar. The next fight includes Gabriel Bonfim, who has been compared to a young Charles Oliveira, minus the missed weight cuts and plus some extra welterweight muscle. He will be taking on Kalinn Williams. Vince Morales will take on Elijah Smith in a bantamweight bout.

Don’Tale Mayes will take on Valter Walker in a heavyweight bout. This fight is sure to bring on fireworks. The last fight on the UFC 251 Fight Night prelims will be between Jacqueline Cavalcanti and Julia Avila.

Betting Odds For UFC 251 Main Card

Looking at the main event, the bookmakers have Gregory Rodrigues as a solid -218 favorite over the veteran Jared Cannonier (+180). These odds might surprise some fans who remember Cannonier’s explosive knockout power, but “Robocop” Rodrigues has been on an absolute tear lately. The Brazilian’s recent three-fight win streak, including that brutal finish of Brad Tavares, has the oddsmakers convinced. In the co-main event, we’re seeing even wider odds, with Youssef Zalal sitting as a hefty -395 favorite against Calvin Kattar (+310).

Moving down the card, Edmen Shahbazyan is getting a lot of love from the bookies at -335 against Dylan Budka’s +280. Makes sense, given Shahbazyan’s recent return to form, but those odds seem a bit steep for a guy who once lost three straight. The lightweight scrap between Ismael Bonfim (-198) and Nazim Sadykhov (+164) is where things get interesting – closest odds on the main card and probably the hardest fight to predict.

Speaking of close calls, Rodolfo Vieira (-245) versus Andre Petroski (+200) has submission specialist written all over it, and the odds suggest Vieira’s jiu-jitsu might be the difference. Finally, Jose Delgado opens as a solid -290 favorite over Connor Matthews (+235), though Matthews has made a habit of proving people wrong.

Conclusion

What makes this card particularly interesting is how it mixes veterans with hungry newcomers. The betting odds across the card suggest we’re in for some close fights, with only a couple of clear favorites. If past Apex events are any indication, we might see some surprising upsets – something about that smaller cage tends to level the playing field and turn expected decisions into unexpected finishes.

Also Read: UFC GOAT: Is Jon Jones better than Khabib and GSP?

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