Rookie Report Card: Grading all Octagon newcomers UFC Vegas 116 post-mortem
You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut! Three rookies made their first walks to the Octagon this past weekend (Sat. , April 25, 2026) at UFC Vegas 116 inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The newcomers went 1-2 overall, with only one of them showing much of anything. Now that the dust has […]
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 25: Victor Valenzuela of Chile shouts at opponent Max Griffin in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on April 25, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut! Three rookies made their first walks to the Octagon this past weekend (Sat.
, April 25, 2026) at UFC Vegas 116 inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The newcomers went 1-2 overall, with only one of them showing much of anything. Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances.
Adrian Luna Martinetti Martinetti entered with hype after one of the best Contender Series fights ever — and he delivered on entertainment, if nothing else, in a war against veteran Davey Grant . He came out aggressive, constantly in Grant’s face, but paid for it by eating calf kicks, knees, and overhand rights. He briefly secured a takedown, but Grant quickly neutralized it.