Thomas Gantt (11-0) will meet Artur Minev (7-0) in a lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 117 this weekend. Minev replaces Trey Ogden, who withdrew due to injury. Gantt is a wrestler who competed for the University of North Carolina and fought 14 times between February 2024 and February 2025, including 11 professional bouts with 10 finishes. He won a DWCS bout in September. Minev represents Ukraine, trains in the US, and has 6 finishes in 7 fights, primarily competing in Cage Fury before this UFC debut.
Two undefeated lightweights will collide at UFC Vegas 117 this weekend as Thomas Gantt takes on Artur Minev in what will serve as the UFC debut for both men. Minev steps in as a late replacement after Trey Ogden was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Gantt enters the Octagon riding an 11-0 professional record, built almost entirely on finishing opponents. The University of North Carolina product turned in a remarkable stretch of activity between February 2024 and February 2025, competing 14 times across amateur and professional competition and logging 10 finishes in his 11 pro bouts. He punched his ticket to the UFC by winning a Dana White Contender Series bout in September, showcasing the wrestling pedigree he developed in college.
Minev arrives equally unblemished at 7-0, with 6 of those victories coming by way of finish. The Ukrainian fighter, who trains in the United States, built his record primarily in Cage Fury Fighting Championships before earning this UFC opportunity. Like Gantt, he steps into the promotion having yet to taste defeat as a professional.
Ogden, the original opponent, is a 36-year-old American fighter out of Marathon MMA who carries an 18-7 record. He lands 3.2 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy and averages 1.89 takedowns per 15 minutes, and his absence reshapes what would have been a very different stylistic test for Gantt.
Why it matters
- Both Gantt and Minev enter the UFC with perfect records, giving the lightweight division a rare all-unbeaten debut matchup
- A finish-heavy meeting is plausible given Gantt's 10 finishes and Minev's 6 in their respective professional outings
- The winner gains immediate credibility at 155 pounds and stakes a claim for a ranked opponent down the line
- Ogden's injury opens a question about when the 18-fight veteran returns and who he faces next
