Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed back to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the first time in a long time to stage UFC Rio from inside Farmasi Arena. Headlining the ESPN+-streamed event will be a Lightweight
bout between Charles Oliveira and Mateusz Gamrot. In the co-main event, Deiveson Figueiredo will battle Montel Jackson in a Bantamweight showdown.
What’s Hot:
UFC RIO CHEAT SHEET
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Rio: “Oliveira vs. Gamrot”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Rio? Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot fight is the five-round Lightweight main event.
What time does UFC Rio start? TONIGHT (Sat., Oct. 11, 2025), beginning at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Where will UFC Rio take place? Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
How can I watch UFC Rio? ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard matches are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on UFC Rio? Checkout the latest lines at DraftKings.com
Where can I get UFC Rio updates and results? Get full UFC Rio play-by-play updates and live coverage at www.MMAmania.com right here.
After a stretch that saw him go unbeaten in four years, enjoying an 11-fight win streak including winning the Lightweight title thanks to a knockout win over Michael Chandler, Charles Oliviera has alternated wins and losses in his last five fights to collect a record of 2-3. Granted. “Do Bronx’s” three defeats came against the cream of the crop in the form of Arman Tsarukyan, Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, which is nothing to hang your head low over. That said, Oliveira needs a win in order to not fall further down the rankings where he currently sits at No. 3, which is a very good spot all things considered. Nevertheless, “Do Bronx” doesn’t want to suffer back-to-back defeats for the first time since 2016.
As for Gamrot, he has a big opportunity to crack into the Top 5 with a win after filling in for Rafael Fiziev. Currently ranked No. 8, Gamrot is coming off a win over Ľudovít Klein, pushing him to 4-1 in his last five fights. Gamrot hasn’t quite gotten over the hump during his time inside the Octagon, but has collected big wins over the likes of the aforementioned Rafael Fiziev, Rafael dos Anjos and Arman Tsarukyan. A win over Oliveira, however, will be one of his biggest feats to date that could get him closer to the title shot he’s always wanted. Gamrot is a great submission artist but that is the last thing he wants to get involved in when it comes to facing someone like Oliveira, who makes living off twisting humans into pretzels. That said, Gamrot’s best bet is to try to win a striking battle, which is easier said than done because “Do Bronx” is as well-rounded as they come. This one should be fun.
What’s Not:
In the co-main event of the evening, former Flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, will attempt to snap his two-fight win streak when he faces Montel Jackson. Indeed, “Daico” has seen better days, losing his last two fights against Petr Yan and and Cory Sandhagen. A third straight defeat — which will be the first of his career — would be detrimental for his hopes of getting back to a title fight. As for Jackson, he has won six straights fights, and is currently ranked No. 15 in the division. This is odd matchmaking to me because putting Figueiredo up against someone on a nice win streak is head-scratching.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries:
Oliveira was originally set to face Rafael Fiziev before he was removed from the fight with an undisclosed injury. Also, Santiago Ponzinibbio was forced to bow out of his scheduled Welterweight collision against Vicente Luque. Stepping in to fill the void is Joel Alvarez. Also, Valter Walker and Muhammad Usman were set to tango at this event before the but was scrapped after Usman withdrew with was initially with was initially called an injury, though it seems now that elevated levels of testosterone is the real culprit.
New Blood:
Undefeated Bantamweight Brazilian bruiser, Beatriz Mesquita, will make her UFC debut after rattling off five straight wins since beginning her pro MMA career just 15 months ago. “Bia” will take on Irina Alekseeva, who goes by the nickname of “Russian Ronda,” who is in desperate need of a win after losing her last two fights. If she loses to a newcomer with less than two years of experience, it could punch her ticket out of the big show one and for all.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
After earning his way into the UFC ranks with a win on the Contender Series, Lucas Rocha threw up a dud in his official UFC debut, getting knocked out by Clayton Carpenter a year ago. Now, he will attempt to get back on track against Stewart Nicoll, who also lost his UFC debut against Jesus Santos Aguilar. Speaking of Clayton Carpenter, he will attempt to get back on track when he faces off against Jafel Filho.
Karolina Kowalkiewcz is back to her losing ways. After bouncing back from a horrid five-fight losing streak from 2018 to 2021 streak to rattle off four consecutive wins in the two years that followed, she has now last her last two. She will look to avoid a third loss when she goes up against Julia Polastri, who is coming off a loss at the hands of Loopy Godinez.
In hard-hitting Heavyweight action, Vitor Petrino will face off against Thomas Petersen. Petrino snapped his two-fight losing streak in his last outing by submitting Austen Lane in the very first round this past summer. As for Petersen, he is coming off a unanimous decision win over Don’Tale Mayes.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
The loser of the opening fight of the night between Luan Lacerda and Saimon Oliveira could be on their way out of the UFC ranks. Lacerda has lost his first two fights with the promotion after coming in on a 10-fight win streak, while Oliveira has lost his first three bouts under the UFC banner. It’s win or go home (possibly for good), especially for Oliveira, who missed weight by a whopping eight pounds.
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In another 265-pound matchup, Jhonata Diniz and Mario Pinto will throw hands in a hard-hitting affair that will more than likely end in a highlight finish. Diniz is 3-1 since making his way into the Octagon straight out of the Contender Series, so he is looking to keep his momentum going with a win against an undefeated monster who has won 10 straight fights, six via knockout, which includes his UFC debut victory over Austen Lane.
In Featherweight action Ricardo Ramos and Kaan Ofli will throw down in a battle of struggling fighters in search of a much-needed win. Ramos is 1-3 in his last four fights while Ofli has last his first two fights under the UFC banner. A third straight loss for him would more than likely lead to his release, unless he puts on a barn-burner of a fight in defeat.
Kicking off the main card will be another 145-pound bout between Lucas Almeida and Michael Aswell. Almeida is just 2-3 inside the Octagon and was last seen losing to Danny Silva via razor-thin split decision. Aswell, meanwhile, is on the hunt for his first-ever UFC win after losing to Bolaji Oki, so getting a win here is of the utmost importance if he wants a prolonged career inside the Octagon.
Enjoy the fights!
FULL UFC RIO FIGHT CARD
UFC Rio Main Event On ESPN+:
155 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot (not Rafael Fiziev)
UFC Rio Main Card On ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET):
135 lbs.: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Montel Jackson
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Joel Alvarez (not Santiago Ponzinibbio)
265 lbs.: Jhonata Diniz vs. Mario Pinto
145 lbs.: Ricardo Ramos vs. Kaan Ofli
145 lbs.: Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswell
UFC Rio ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Jafel Filho vs. Clayton Carpenter
265 lbs.: Vitor Petrino vs. Thomas Petersen
135 lbs.: Irina Alekseeva vs. Beatriz Mesquita
125 lbs.: Lucas Rocha vs. Stewart Nicoll265 lbs.: Valter Walker vs. Mohammed Usman — CANCELED (details here)
115 lbs.: Julia Polastri vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz
135 lbs.: Luan Lacerda vs. Saimon Oliveira
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Rio fight card, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Rio: “Oliveira vs. Gamrot” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
