UFC Seattle Delivers Must-See Prelims to Climate Pledge Arena Saturday
UFC Seattle fight week is here. For the second year in a row, the Pacific Northwest is on the UFC’s travel plans. Just like last year, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the home venue of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, serves as the setting for another ed...
UFC Seattle fight week is here. For the second year in a row, the Pacific Northwest is on the UFC’s travel plans. Just like last year, Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the home venue of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, serves as the setting for another edition of UFC Fight Night.
Saturday’s card is another event in a busy stretch of shows on the UFC schedule in the early part of 2026. Counting UFC Seattle this Saturday night, the promotion will have one show every weekend through May 16, carrying fans through much of the spring season.
The next time that the UFC will have a night off will be May 23, the Saturday of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. There are plenty of fights to come between now and then.
UFC Seattle Featured Prelim: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev
At the top of the undercard, the lightweights do battle when Ignacio Bahamondes (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets Tofiq Musayev (22-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the latter’s second UFC appearance. All fights mentioned herein are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.
Bahamondes will be making the walk in the Pacific Northwest this Saturday having posted a record of 3-2 in his last five fights dating back to August of 2023. Last June, he saw a three-fight winning streak end by way of unanimous decision in Baku, Azerbaijan against Rafael Fiziev on ABC.
UFC Seattle’s featured undercard bout is a milestone appearance for Bahamondes and his camp. Saturday’s fight is the 10th under the UFC promotional banner in his career. Can he get back to victory lane?
Across the way, Musayev enters the weekend on the strength of a 3-2 record of his own over the last five contests. Like Bahamondes, Musayev also appeared on the Baku card nine months ago, losing via first-round submission (kimura) to Myktybek Orolbai (16-2-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC.)
Musayev is dealing with a change in opponent ahead of UFC Seattle. Initially, he was to have faced Samuel Sanches (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in what had been intended to be the latter’s UFC debut until Sanches suffered an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the event.
What kind of adjustments has he made to the gameplan? Only time will tell.
UFC Seattle Co-Featured Prelim: Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.
Immediately beforehand, the co-featured undercard bout of UFC Seattle happens at 155 lbs. Chase Hooper (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) sets foot inside the Octagon to take on Lance Gibson Jr. (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC,) an alumnus of the late Bellator MMA.
Hooper comes into Puget Sound over the weekend with a mark of 4-1 in his last five MMA fights dating back to November of 2023. Back in August of last year, he traveled to Chicago to face Alexander Hernandez (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in UFC 319.
That night, Hernandez finished Hooper with two seconds remaining in the opening round via knockout due to a right cross followed by ground and pound. Ahead of the Hernandez fight in Chicago, Hooper had won five contests in succession.
A fighter is at his or her most dangerous during an extended winning streak. By extension, he or she is equally dangerous in the first fight after such a streak ends. What happens on Saturday remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Lance Gibson Jr. is still in search of his first win under the UFC promotional banner in Seattle. Going into the weekend, he’s sporting a 3-2 record over the last five bouts.
Right before the Christmas holiday, his first walk to the Octagon was unsuccessful, with King Green (34-17-1, 1 NC MMA, 17-12-1, 1 NC UFC) emerging victorious by split decision after 15 minutes of action. Competing against a seasoned veteran of Green’s caliber was a tough assignment for Gibson in his first fight in the promotion.
Will he fare better in his sophomore appearance? Tune in and find out.
UFC Seattle: No. 8 Contender Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune
Also on UFC Seattle’s undercard, the heavyweights lock horns for a bout matching No. 8 contender Marcin Tybura (27-10 MMA, 14-9 UFC) with Tyrell Fortune (17-3, 2 NC MMA, UFC promotional debut,) another alum of Bellator. Tybura comes into this card on a 3-2 clip in his five most-recent bouts since March of 2024.
In September of last year, he appeared on the annual UFC Paris card, losing by first-round knockout (uppercut and ground and pound) to Ante Delija (26-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC.) Just like Tofiq Musayev later on the undercard, Marcin Tybura is also contending with a change in opponent here, with Fortune substituting for Valter Walker, who’s still nursing a leg injury.
Tybura may have a tough three rounds or less on Saturday. His opponent is on a hot streak.
In the other corner, Tyrell Fortune is 4-1 in his last five fights. Currently, he’s on a three-fight winning streak, extended against Demoreo Dennis (9-7 MMA) last September by third-round TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage. One constant about heavyweight fights could come into play once again this weekend: As little as one punch could write the end to the story.
Rest of the Prelims
The UFC Seattle prelims are rounded out by these contests:
- A women’s flyweight tilt between No. 12 contender Casey O’Neill (10-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and No. 14 contender Gabriella Fernandes (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC,)
- a light heavyweight contest versing Navajo Stirling (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) with Bruno Lopes (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC,)
- a bantamweight showcase pairing Ricky Simon (22-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) against Adrian Yanez (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC,)
- and a strawweight fight pitting No. 13 contender Alexia Thainara (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) with Bruna Brasil (11-6-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC.)
Which of the prelims are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.
