UFC Fight Night 277 takes place tomorrow in Macau and you can see our predictions for all the fights below.
Main Card
Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Song Yadong has only emerged with one win from his last three fights, and now goes up against Deiveson Figueiredo, who has lost three of his last four bouts.
Yadong’s recent record doesn’t seem so bad when you consider that his losses came against current champ Petr Yan and former champion Sean O’Malley, while his victory was over ex-double-champ Henry Cejudo. The 28-year-old Yadong is a fast, athletic striker who can pace himself well over five rounds and has good technical ability. He’s an assured boxer with quick, accurate punches that are delivered with good power, and he comfortably blends kicks into the mix too. He’s better on the feet than on the mat, but he can work for an occasional takedown and scramble back to his feet if taken down.
A former flyweight champion, the 38-year-old Figueiredo is on the small side for a bantamweight and will give up 3″ in height to Yadong here. Still, though in the last year-and-half he’s lost a few times to some of the division’s leading talents, he has previously beaten the likes of Marlon Vera, Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt at 135lbs. For his age Figueiredo is still quick and can explode into his power punches while maintaining his accuracy, but his overall offensive output is on the low-side. Figueiredo is also a solid wrestler who will seek out submission opportunities on the mat and can scramble well too.
Yadong is a decade younger than Figueiredo and has a size advantage too. He’ll also be the more active of the two offensively, and while he’ll have to be wary of his opponent’s threat on the mat I think he can get the better of the striking exchanges over 25 minutes to get a win on the scorecards.
Pick: Song Yadong wins by decision.
Zhang Mingyang vs. Alonzo Menifield
Zhang Mingyang’s four‑fight UFC streak ended with a TKO loss last August, and he now meets Alonzo Menifield, who was knocked out in 87 seconds last November after having briefly got in the win column with two wins earlier in the year.
The 27-year-old Mingyang is a fast‑starting power puncher with a long history of early finishes on the regional circuit in China that he managed to continue in the Octagon, delivering four straight 1st‑round stoppages at the start of his UFC run. His aggressive offense and punching power means he’s always dangerous, but his defense is less convincing and he can be quite hittable. In fact, early in his career his record was just 7‑6, including a number of stoppage losses via strikes and submission. And last time out Johnny Walker was able to hurt him with hard low kicks to compromise his lead leg before stopping him with strikes.
The 38-year-old Menifield’s latest swift KO loss is a red flag when you consider it adds to two knockout losses in a row back in 2024 that included a 12‑second KO by Carlos Ulberg. Menifield is still a stocky, muscular pressure fighter with heavy punches and kicks and punishing ground‑and‑pound on top too. It’s hard to ignore that declining chin though, and his cardio can also be an issue in the later rounds too.
Mingyang is almost certain to come out the blocks aggressively here, and I’m not convinced Menifield’s chin will hold up to the heavy leather heading his way, leading to a 1st round TKO finish.
Pick: Zhang Mingyang wins by TKO in Rd1.
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tallison Teixeira
Sergei Pavlovich comes in off two decision wins last year to fight Tallison Teixeira, who is 2–1 in the UFC following his February win over Tai Tuivasa.
The 34-year-old Pavlovich earned an interim heavyweight title shot in 2023 by smashing through six opponents in the first round thanks to his heavy-handed boxing, but a 69‑second KO loss to Tom Aspinall has since pushed him towards a more cautious, measured approach. That switch initially led to a decision loss against Alexander Volkov, but he’s since picked up wins on the scorecards against Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes‑Acosta. Still, it feels like he’s not yet found the right balance between his former and current styles as he has become a bit gun-shy at times and lacks his former killer-instinct.
The 34-year-old Teixeira is a towering 6’8″ heavyweight who makes the most of his long limbs with a versatile striking style that brings punches, kicks, knees and elbows into play, delivering seven first‑round finishes along the way. His size may give him a false sense of security though as his defense is lacking and he often leaves his chin exposed, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Derrick Lewis knock him out in just 35 seconds last year.
Teixeira’s size and versatility could be tricky to deal with over three round, but the defensive lapses in his game hand Pavlovich a perfect opportunity to go back to his roots and blast him with big combinations early in the fight to win by KO.
Pick: Sergei Pavlovich wins by KO in Rd1.
Kai Asakura vs. Cameron Smotherman
After a couple of losses, Kai Asakura seeks his first UFC win as he moves up to bantamweight to face Cameron Smotherman, who lost both of his fights last year.
The 32-year-old Asakura arrived in the UFC as a two‑time Rizin bantamweight champion and was handed an immediate flyweight title shot against Alexandre Pantoja, but lost by submission and was then tapped out by Tim Elliott as well. Still, he’s a dangerous, aggressive striker with big power, sharp counters, and had a knack for unleashing well‑timed knees. In total that’s led to 13 stoppages via strikes from 21 career wins. His wrestling defense isn’t the most convincing though, and his recent submission losses are a concern, though it’s worth noting that he’d never been stopped in that fashion prior to joining the UFC.
Smotherman initially lost a Contender Series bout in just 60 seconds back in 2023, but got back to winning ways on the regional circuit before eventually getting a late replacement spot in the UFC, which he won by decision. Two losses since then mean he’s back to having to prove he belongs in the Octagon though. Smotherman is a capable boxer who fights at a steady pace from range, has some nice combinations and reasonable power, but can be drawn into a fire-fight that’s not always in his best interests. Smotherman can also wrestle offensively, but it’s not something he calls upon often.
I think Asakura will have the edge her in the striking exchanges thanks to his bigger power, and will emerge with a 2nd round stoppage win via TKO.
Pick: Kai Asakura wins by TKO in Rd2.
Carlston Harris vs. Jake Matthews
Carlston Harris steps in on short notice after two losses to fight Jake Matthews, who looks to rebound from a submission defeat in September of last year that halted a three‑fight winning streak.
There’s a lot of pressure on Harris here as he’s nearly 39-years-old, is returning from a 16‑month lay-off, and suffered KO and TKO losses to Khaos Williams and Santiago Ponzinibbio respectively in his last two fights. Harrison is a tall, well-conditioned welterweight who does good work in the clinch, as well as with takedowns, and top control, while also being a threat via chokes. His striking can be a bit ungainly though and lacks polish, but he does throw with power. That can lead to him overcommitting though, which leaves defensive gaps, which is worrying given that he’s been finished three times via strikes during the last three years he was actively competing.
Matthews first arrived in the UFC when he was just 19, and now at the age of 31 has compiled a 15–8 run in the Octagon. There was a spell in recent years where he was alternating between wins and losses, but he managed to build some momentum lately with three wins before a competitive fight with Neil Magny ended in a late submission defeat. Matthews is a solid all‑rounder who’s most effective when wrestling and working for submissions, with nine to his name so far, but though he’s been caught a few times himself. Meanwhile, he’s worked to improve his striking to a serviceable level and he’s generally proven to be durable.
There’s a lot going against Harris here in this short-notice fight, and so I favor Matthews relative youth, sturdiness, and full fight camp give him the edge over three rounds.
Pick: Jake Matthews wins by decision.
Alex Perez vs. Su Mudaerji
Alex Perez earned a TKO win in January and now fights Su Mudaerji, who has put together three wins in a row.
That win early in the year was important for the 34-year-old Perez as he’d lost four of his previous five fights while going up against a tough slate of opposition. He’s a pressure fighter with active boxing fundamentals, solid power, and impactful leg kicks. He’ll also look to utilize his respectable wrestling to get the fight to the mat and work for ground‑and‑pound or submissions. The concern though is that his own submission defense has been a weak point over the years that’s led to six of his 10 career losses.
The 30-year-old Mudaerji is 6-4 overall in the UFC, but has strung together a few wins in a row over the past year. He’s a bit taller than Perez and carries a big 7″ reach advantage. Mudaerji is a striker with fast, accurate boxing and dynamic kicks. He racked up numerous finishes on the Chinese regional scene, but so far only one of his UFC wins has come inside the distance. His underwhelming ground game has long been an issues as six of his seven losses have been by submission, but there has been positive signs that he is now improving defensively.
Mudaerji’s speed and reach will be important in the early striking range, but I think Perez’s broader skill set, experience and wrestling advantage will combine to tilt the fight in his favor once he lands a takedown, leading to a 2nd round submission win.
Pick: Alex Perez wins by submission in Rd2.
Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)
Lee Yi-sak vs.Luis Felipe Dias
Ding Meng vs. José Henrique Souza
Aori Qileng vs. Cody Haddon
Angela Hill vs. Xiong Jingnan
Loma Lookboonmee vs. Jaqueline Amorim
Zhu Kangjie vs. Rodrigo Vera
Rei Tsuruya vs. Luis Gurule
