You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Five rookies made their first walks to the Octagon yesterday (Sat., March 21, 2026) at UFC London inside the O2 Arena in London, England. The newcomers went 2-3 overall, with one highlight knockout but mainly underwhelming performances.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective debuts.
Kurtis Campbell
Kurtis Campbell earned his UFC contract on Season 9 of Contender Series with a quick knockout (watch highlights) — and because of that, the
promotion went all in, slotting him on the main card against the ultra-durable Danny Silva and even giving him Sean O’Malley’s pink shorts.
And yeah … it was too much, too soon.
Campbell had early success with his trademark kicks and even mixed in a couple of takedowns, but once Silva adjusted, the tide turned quickly. Silva began walking him down, and in round two, Campbell left his guard open and got cracked with a right hand that dropped him.
Silva poured it on from there, scoring multiple knockdowns before the referee stepped in (watch highlights).
I was high on Campbell heading into this one — even labeled him this weekend’s must-watch fighter — but this was a reminder of just how steep the jump to the UFC can be.
He’ll be back, and he’ll be fun. But this is a big learning moment.
I would like to see him fight fellow Contender Series vet Javier Reyes for his second UFC fight.
Final grade: D-
Shanelle Dyer
Despite losing on Season 9 of Contender Series, Strawweight prospect Shanelle Dyer still received a contract from UFC brass because the fight was a banger — and there’s no doubt they saw the talent. She was tasked with opening the card as the curtain-jerker, and “The Nightmare” absolutely kicked off the prelims in style.
Dyer spent the first round finding her range against Ravena Oliveira. Oliveira opened with aggressive blitzes and heavy swings, but Dyer largely evaded the pressure with a disciplined jab and frequent calf kicks. After a brief clinch exchange along the fence, Dyer closed the round on the offensive with a series of elbows and leaping feints to seal the frame.
The second round lasted less than two minutes. Dyer hurt the Brazilian with a heavy right hand and a head kick, then locked Oliveira in a clinch and brutalized her with knees before tossing her to the canvas and unleashing ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in (watch it).
At just 24 years old, Dyer looks like a legitimate female prospect, and she’s especially exciting because she scores knockouts with crisp Muay Thai striking. I’m calling it now: she’ll be ranked within a year and become a staple of the division.
I’d love to see her fight Loma Lookboonmee next, purely for the striking.
Final grade: A+
Losene Keita
At long last, Losene Keita made his highly anticipated UFC debut after his original debut was canceled last year because of a botched weight cut. Keita drew the supremely underrated Nathaniel Wood for his first fight, and it turned into an extremely close contest.
There wasn’t a lot of action in the opening round. Keita spent most of it counterstriking while Wood stayed busy with combinations. The action picked up a bit in the second round, with Keita throwing more often, including teep kicks and step-in knees. Both men had their moments in the third.
Ultimately, Wood spoiled Keita’s debut via split decision.
It’s no secret that I’m a massive Keita believer and think he’s going to become a title contender. Losing to Wood is not a nail in the coffin whatsoever because Wood is extremely good and should be ranked next week, but the hesitation from Keita was the real head-scratcher.
Was it Octagon jitters? Too much respect for Wood? Falling into Wood’s game plan?
I have no idea.
He should fight Morgan Charriere in his sophomore outing.
Final grade: C
Mantas Kondratavicius
Mantas Kondratavicius came into his debut with buzz after a quick Contender Series finish (watch it) — but this one didn’t live up to it.
The fight started with some promise, as Kondratavicius threw with power early, but it quickly turned into a clinch-heavy affair against Antonio Trocoli. Both fighters spent long stretches pressed against the fence, trading short shots without much impact.
There were flashes — including an elbow that dropped Trocoli — but Kondratavicius couldn’t capitalize, instead opting to clinch again. A low blow halted momentum at one point, and from there, the fight never really found a rhythm.
By the third round, both fighters were visibly exhausted, and the final minutes were a grind, with fence clinching and minimal offense drawing warnings from the referee.
Kondratavicius got the unanimous decision, but as a massive favorite (-800) against a guy who is now 0-4 in the promotion, this was extremely underwhelming.
Ultimately, a win is a win — but this didn’t help his stock.
A fight with Eric Nolan would be fun for his second UFC outing.
Final grade: C-
Felipe Franco
After losing on Season 9 of Contender Series, Felipe Franco returned to the regional scene and scored two knockouts — one of them just 42 days ago — before getting the call on short notice, up a weight class, for his UFC debut. Unfortunately for him, he ran into one of the better Heavyweight prospects on the roster in Mario Pinto, though he did stand his ground for the most part.
I’m going to keep this one short because the fight sucked. It was your standard Heavyweight slop.
Franco came out extremely aggressive, cracked Pinto in the opening round, and defended several takedown attempts, but that was about it. He was simply outsized and lost a unanimous decision.
I’m assuming he’ll drop back down to Light Heavyweight for his sophomore outing, where he should shine a bit more. I have no idea how successful he’ll ultimately be inside the Octagon, but I have a sneaking suspicion he’ll go 0-4 and get cut.
He can fight Rafael Tobias, who lost his UFC debut at UFC 326.
Final grade: F
For complete UFC London results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
