You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut.
Seven rookies stepped into the Octagon this past weekend (Sat., Dec. 13, 2025) at UFC Vegas 112, which went down inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. UFC’s newest batch of talent finished with a 4-3 record.
There were some impressive debuts … and a few absolute stinkers.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s hand out some grades.
Yaroslav Amosov
At long last, former Bellator Welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov made his highly anticipated UFC debut —
and it could not have gone much better. Amosov tapped out Neil Magny inside four minutes of the first round (watch highlights), snapping the dreaded Bellator-to-UFC curse in the process.
After a brief feeling-out period with low kicks and feints, Amosov shot, adjusted on his second attempt, sliced through Magny’s guard, and locked up a tight anaconda choke for the finish.
It was about as close to a perfect debut as you’ll see. Whether or not he ever captures UFC gold remains to be seen, but Amosov looks like a Top 15 fighter immediately.
Give him a ranked opponent next. Former champion Leon Edwards makes sense.
Final grade: A+
Cezary Oleksiejczuk
Cezary Oleksiejczuk — brother of Michal Oleksiejczuk — finally made his UFC debut after earning a contract on Contender Series for his 36-second knockout, but the excitement didn’t follow him into the Octagon.
Oleksiejczuk got right in the face of former credentialed kickboxer Cesar Almeida, landing a jab while eating a few leg kicks. Once he saw the opening, he took Almeida down and controlled him for most of the first round while doing minimal damage.
The second and third rounds followed the same script: Oleksiejczuk would get cracked, immediately shoot for a takedown, secure top control, and pepper Almeida with light shots.
It worked — but no one is going to remember this fight. Honestly, I already forgot about it.
He can fight Djorden Santos next.
Final grade: C-
Lance Gibson Jr.
Stepping in on four days’ notice, Lance Gibson Jr. — son of UFC veteran Lance Gibson (UFC 24 & 29) — took on King Green and lost a split decision in a pretty forgettable fight.
From the opening bell, Green walked him down while talking trash the entire time, taunting Gibson to throw. When Gibson did let his hands go, he landed some power shots — including a calf kick that briefly dropped Green.
That said, the fight mostly boiled down to Green pressuring forward and Gibson circling away for three rounds.
Gibson landed a takedown after a low-blow stoppage in Round 2, but failed to do anything with it. Overall, he didn’t throw enough and didn’t capitalize on the few opportunities he had.
Maybe it was short notice. Maybe it was UFC jitters. Maybe King Green is still that guy — even at 39.
Still, if you can’t beat a two-fight-losing-streak Green, the questions are fair.
He should return on the UFC Seattle card in March. Kody Steele makes sense.
Final grade: D-
Isaac Thomson
The second fighter to step in on less than a week’s notice was Isaac Thomson — our Prospect of the Month from a few months ago — and while he lost a unanimous decision to Joanderson Brito, he showed a lot of heart.
Thomson found himself in top side control early and landed a nice knee in the clinch after Brito got back to his feet. The highlight of the first round was Brito landing two massive slams, but they didn’t faze the rookie.
The second round featured heavy exchanges, with Thomson surviving a tight D’Arce choke. The third round, however, was all Brito, who used his strength and experience to take over.
It was a brutal matchup, but Thomson proved he belongs. At just 23 years old, the ceiling is high.
Joo Sang Yoo should be next.
Final grade: B-
Steven Asplund
Steven Asplund — the fighter who publicly offered to suck Dana White’s toes for a UFC contract after his 16-second Contender Series knockout — won his debut by absolutely battering Sean Sharaf en route to a second-round stoppage (watch highlights).
It wasn’t pretty. It was sloppy at times. But Asplund beat the life out of Sharaf with crisp boxing, standing elbows, and front kicks.
His physique might not look like a typical Heavyweight, but the man can fight and has a gas tank that will drown other big men.
He’s going to gain fans quickly.
Ryan Spann next.
Final grade: A-
Guilherme Pat, Allen Frye
A few weeks ago at UFC Qatar, two Heavyweight rookies put on an all-time stinker — and while Guilherme Pat vs. Allen Frye wasn’t quite that bad, it still wasn’t good.
Frye served as a punching bag who clinched. Pat was an aggressive boxer who kept hurting his opponent before getting stuck in clinch positions.
The only positive takeaway for Frye is that he’s tough — which, in MMA, is something… just not much.
Also, both guys look like Light Heavyweights who refuse to cut weight.
Pat can fight Sean Sharaf next. Frye should probably head back to the regional scene.
Pat final grade: C
Frye final grade: F
For complete UFC Vegas 112 results and play-by-play, click here.
