Thomas Gantt (11-0) will face Artur Minev (7-0) at UFC Vegas 117 this weekend in a lightweight bout, with both fighters making their UFC debuts. Minev replaces the injured Trey Ogden. Gantt is a wrestler who competed for the University of North Carolina, transitioned to MMA in 2023, and fought 14 times between February 2024 and February 2025, including 11 professional bouts with 10 finishes. He won a fight on Dana White's Contender Series in September. Minev represents Ukraine, trains in the United States, and has six finishes in seven fights (four knockouts and two submissions), primarily competing in Cage Fury since turning professional in 2023.
Two undefeated lightweights will collide this weekend at UFC Vegas 117, as Thomas Gantt takes on Artur Minev in a bout that doubles as a debut for both men. Minev steps in as a late replacement after Trey Ogden was forced out through injury.
Gantt arrives with a perfect 11-0 professional record and a relentless finishing instinct, having recorded 10 stoppages across his 11 bouts. The wrestler, who competed collegiately at the University of North Carolina, only turned professional in MMA in 2023 and wasted little time building a reputation. He fought 14 times in the span of roughly one year between February 2024 and February 2025, a remarkable pace that included his professional fights alongside amateur appearances. He punched his ticket to the UFC by winning on Dana White's Contender Series in September.
Minev brings an equally unblemished slate into the octagon, standing 7-0 since turning professional in 2023. The Ukrainian, who trains in the United States, has stopped six of his seven opponents, with four coming by way of knockout and two by submission. Much of his experience has come inside Cage Fury, where he established himself as one of the promotion's more dangerous finishers at lightweight.
Why it matters
- Both fighters enter the UFC undefeated, giving the bout genuine stakes for whichever man breaks through first
- Gantt's wrestling base sets up a classic striker-versus-grappler dynamic against Minev's knockout and submission finishing ability
- A win for either man in a short-notice setting immediately raises their profile inside a loaded lightweight division
- Ogden's withdrawal removes an 18-7 veteran from the card, but the replacement matchup between two unbeaten prospects carries its own intrigue
