40-year-old Grant avenges loss to Martinetti at UFC event

TJ Grant picked up a victory over Mark Vologdin at a recent UFC event, settling a score that dated back to a previous meeting on the Contender Series where Grant had come out on the losing end. The rematch went the full distance, with the outcome left in the hands of the judges.

Grant, now 42 years old, improves to 21-5-0 with the win. The Canadian orthodox striker stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and has long been respected for his technical precision, landing significant strikes at a rate of 3.95 per minute on a 54 percent accuracy clip. He also mixes in the takedown threat effectively, averaging 1.63 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. His experience and well-rounded game appear to have been the deciding factors in what was a closely contested fight.

Vologdin, 26, falls to 12-4-2 and will feel the sting of a defeat that visibly surprised him when the scorecards were read. The orthodox fighter stands five-foot-three with a 65-inch reach and brings an aggressive output to the cage, landing an impressive 7.8 significant strikes per minute. Despite that volume, he was unable to sway the judges in his favor on the night.

Why it matters

• Grant's win at 42 underscores that veteran ring savvy can still outpoint younger, high-output opponents in a judges' decision
• Vologdin's striking volume at 7.8 significant strikes per minute made the decision result a genuine surprise, as reflected by his visible reaction
• The event featured multiple disputed decisions, adding broader context to the contested nature of the night's judging
• Both fighters' paths forward will depend heavily on where the promotion places them after a card that generated notable controversy at the scorecards