Andrey PulyaevvsAteba Gautier

Ateba Gautier is on an absolute tear right now, and the middleweight division better be paying attention. "The Silent Assassin" has finished three straight opponents in the first round, and we're talking nasty finishes. That knee to the head that put away Jose Daniel Medina in Mexico City? Brutal. Then he slept Robert Valentin with a punch in just 70 seconds in New Orleans. Most recently at UFC 320, he needed less than two minutes to stop Tre'ston Vines with ground and pound.

The dude is hunting for heads. Andrey Pulyaev brings a different energy to this fight. The Russian southpaw from Storm Shlemenko Fight Team showed serious power when he dropped Nick Klein with a body kick in round two back in August. But here's the thing, he took a tough loss to Christian Leroy Duncan in London earlier in 2025, getting outworked over three rounds and losing every round on the scorecards. That's gotta be in the back of his mind.

This matchup is all about whether Pulyaev can survive the early storm. Gautier's switch stance makes him unpredictable as hell, and he's finishing guys before they even get warm. Pulyaev's got power in that left hand and those kicks, but he's never faced someone this hot. If the Russian can weather those first few minutes and drag Gautier into deeper water, we might see something interesting. But that's a massive if when you're staring down someone who hasn't seen round two in a year.