Diego Ferreira (11-7 in the UFC) is set to face Markel Mederos (4-0-1 in the UFC) at UFC Dallas on January 16. The bout will take place at lightweight. Mederos confirmed the matchup himself on social media.
Diego Ferreira will return to the lightweight division at UFC Dallas on January 16, where he is set to meet Markel Mederos. Mederos confirmed the matchup himself on social media.
Ferreira, a 41-year-old Brazilian who trains with Fortis MMA, holds a 20-7 professional record and is 11-7 inside the UFC. He comes in off a unanimous decision win over Billy Quarantillo at UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld on August 8, his most recent recorded fight. That result snapped a two-fight skid, with a second-round TKO loss to Alexander Hernandez in September 2025 and a unanimous decision defeat to Grant Dawson at UFC 311 in January 2025.
An orthodox fighter who stands five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach, Ferreira lands 4.95 significant strikes per minute at 40 percent accuracy. He also averages 1.08 takedowns and 0.5 submission attempts per 15 minutes, a profile that blends volume striking with a persistent grappling threat.
Mederos arrives with a 4-0-1 mark in the UFC, an unbeaten run that makes him one of the more intriguing names in the lightweight ranks heading into the matchup. He confirmed the booking on social media.
Why it matters
- Ferreira is trying to build on his August win and string together back-to-back victories for the first time since the losses to Dawson and Hernandez.
- Mederos is looking to extend his unbeaten run in the UFC against an opponent with 18 UFC appearances behind him.
- The gap in experience is stark: Ferreira has fought 18 times in the promotion, while Mederos has five UFC fights on record.
The pairing sets a veteran with a deep UFC résumé against a younger fighter who has yet to taste defeat in the organization.
