Preview: UFC Vegas 116 Prelims

Behold, the neglected middle child of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ’s Q2 2026. As the industry leader has ramped up to 40-plus shows per year, the skill, talent and star power of its over 600 athletes is bound to fall more heavily on some of those events than on others. This week’s offering, UFC Fight Night 247 , comes right after the one-two punch of UFC 327 and UFC Winnipeg, and immediately before UFC Perth and UFC 328.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the card also known as “UFC Vegas 116” is thin even by the standards of an Apex fight night. That doesn’t mean the card won’t be entertaining—on the contrary, imperfect fighters with their backs against the wall have given us some of our most memorable bloodbaths—but it does mean we will need to dig a little deeper to find the prospect value and divisional relevance that makes these “in between” events matter. Here is the preview for the seven-fight undercard of UFC Vegas 116: Middleweights Rodolfo Vieira vs.

Eric McConico BETTING ODDS: Vieira (-225); McConico (+180) Vieira (11-4; 6-4 UFC) meets McConico (10-4-1; 1-2 UFC) in a clash of middleweights still smarting from knockout losses at UFC 322 last November. The 36-year-old Brazilian has weathered some boom and bust periods over his six-plus years in the UFC, but seems to have settled in as a solid not-quite-contender at middleweight. “The Black Belt Hunter” is, of course, one of the most accomplished grapplers ever to cross over to mixed martial arts, and while he is dangerous everywhere—you don’t win five Mundials gold medals without having the full tool set—he is most effective from top position, where he passes guard relentlessly, then threatens with arm-triangle chokes or forces foes to give up their back.

As such, Vieira’s success in MMA has always hinged on being able to bring the fight to the ground in the time, place and position of his choosing. Between his ridiculous physical horsepower and determined approach, he is able to do so more often than not, but when he is left to his own devices on the feet, the results have not been pretty. Witness his struggles against Chris Curtis and Andre Petroski , who were able to nullify his takedowns, and Bo Nickal , who flatly outwrestled him.