Thomas Gantt to face Artur Minev at UFC Vegas 117 after opponent change

Thomas Gantt (11-0) will make his UFC debut against Artur Minev (7-0) in a lightweight bout at UFC Vegas 117 this weekend. Minev replaces the injured Trey Ogden on short notice. Gantt is a wrestling specialist from University of North Carolina who transitioned to MMA in 2023 and impressively fought 14 times between February 2024 and February 2025, including winning on Dana White's Contender Series in September. He has 10 finishes in 11 professional wins. Minev represents Ukraine but trains in the United States, competing primarily in Cage Fury with 6 finishes in 7 fights (4 knockouts and 2 submissions) since starting his professional career in 2023.