UFC Vegas 103 is a couple of days away. This Saturday night, the month of March kicks off from the UFC Apex, where this week’s installment of UFC Fight Night originates from. Live coverage of UFC Vegas 103 begins with the undercard at 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT on ESPN+ inside the United States.
If you are a subscriber of Disney Plus, the card will be carried in its entirety on that platform, as well. Main card action caps the evening off at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on ESPN+ and Disney Plus.
All told, barring any late adjustments to the bout order, the final version of the show will feature a full 12-fight slate from MMA’s No. 1 promotion. Our focus on this day is on fights taking place during the main card.
UFC Vegas 103 Main Event: Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev
At the top of the bill on the main card is the lone all-ranked matchup taking place the entire night on Saturday. Flyweights take to the famed UFC Octagon when No. 6 contender Manel Kape (20-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC), a veteran of RIZIN Fighting Federation, squares off against No. 8 contender Asu Almabayev (21-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC.)
This is a five-round fight at five minutes per round to close out the show, but Almabayev wasn’t initially supposed to be Kape’s opponent on Saturday night. When the March 1 card was confirmed, the sixth-ranked Kape was scheduled to square off against Brandon Royval (17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in this contest, but Royval withdrew prior to the show due to sustaining an injury.
As far as Kape is concerned, he enters the UFC Vegas 103 main event having gone 4-1 in his last five fights dating back to December of 2021. Most recently, he returned to the win column thanks to a third-round knockout (unanswered strikes) of Bruno Silva (14-6-2, 1 NC MMA, 4-3, 1 NC UFC) during the year-end UFC Tampa on Dec. 14.
He’s been given a quick turnaround, with just 77 days having passed between fights by the time the cage door shuts over the weekend. Will the short hiatus be helpful or a hindrance to him?
Across the way, Asu Almabayev is preparing for his third different opponent ahead of Saturday’s main event of the evening at UFC Vegas 103. Prior bookings between Steve Erceg and Allan Nascimento were scrubbed, with Erceg now scheduled for March 29 versus Brandon Moreno. In the case of Nascimento, he won’t make his 2025 debut until May 31 against Jafel Filho.
Almabayev has yet to lose since joining the UFC’s active roster in August of 2023 as part of an ongoing 17-fight winning streak. Last time out, he scored a unanimous decision victory over Matheus Nicolau (19-5-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) back in October at the UFC Apex.
Another victory for Asu Almabayev on Saturday night would make it 18 in succession. He’ll find himself in the UFC Flyweight Championship picture if he keeps this up.
UFC Vegas 103 Co-Main Event: Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez
Immediately prior, the UFC Vegas 103 co-main event sees action in the middleweight ranks as Cody Brundage (10-6, 1 NC MMA, 4-5, 1 NC UFC) battles it out with Julian Marquez (9-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC). Brundage enters the fight having posted a mark of 2-2 with one no-contest in his past five bouts.
Back in July of last year at UFC Denver, he saw his fight with Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-7, 1 NC MMA, 6-7, 1 NC UFC) end after just 37 seconds of the opening round due to a no-contest caused by illegal blows.
Much like both fighters in the main event, Brundage has had to deal with a change in opponent for this week’s card. Initially, his foe was supposed to have been 2024 Ultimate Fighter graduate Ryan Loder (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who won the middleweight final last August, but Loder withdrew from the card back in December. No word was given as to why he bowed out of UFC Vegas 103.
Meanwhile, Julian Marquez has hit a rough patch of late. He’s gone 2-3 in his last five contests and has dropped three in succession.
During UFC Louisville on June 8 of last year, he was on the losing end of a first-round knockout by Zach Reese (8-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the KFC Yum! Center. Marquez hasn’t won in close to four years’ time. Can he turn it around on Saturday night?
UFC Vegas 103: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics
Also on the UFC Vegas 103 main card on Saturday, you’ll be seeing a lightweight affair pitting Nasrat Haqparast (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) against Esteban Ribovics (14-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC). Haqparast will be making the walk on the strength of a 4-1 record in his last five fights.
Currently, he’s won three fights in a row. Back in June of last year, during the UFC’s first trip to Saudi Arabia, he scored a split decision victory over Jared Gordon (20-7, 1 NC MMA, 8-6, 1 NC UFC) after 15 minutes of action.
Haqparast is on a roll of late, but his opponent in the other corner is no slouch, either. Esteban Ribovics is sporting a 4-1 record of his own. Like Haqparast, he’s also won three bouts in succession.
During Noche UFC last September at the Las Vegas Sphere, he bested Daniel Zellhuber (15-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) via split decision. This is a fight between two competitors down identical paths on the road to glory. Who will continue to drive forward this weekend?
Final Thoughts
Which main card fight or fights are you looking forward to on UFC Vegas 103? Let us know in the comments.