UFC Vegas 115 is less than 24 hours away …
It all goes down in “Sin City” this weekend (Sat., April 4, 2026) inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, former UFC Lightweight title challenger, Renato Moicano, tries to hold off Scottish madman (and teammate), Chris Duncan.
We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we predict will slap in “Sin City” when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s you!),
so please tell us your most confident UFC Vegas 115 betting lock in the comments section below (see full UFC Vegas 115 odds here)
Last week’s recap: We cashed at UFC Seattle as Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas definitely didn’t start round three; in fact, Douglas steamrolled Erosa in less than four minutes (watch highlights).
We’re on a three-week win streak, so let’s keep rolling below:
On the main card, rising Light Heavyweight prospect, Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, takes on Brendson Ribeiro in a fight that feels tailor-made for violence. This week, I’m locking in Yakhyaev vs. Ribeiro to, “not start round two” at (-300).
Here’s why:
I’ll be honest — I’ve been burned here before. Last time out, I backed Yakhyaev to score a knockout over Raffael Cerqueira, a fighter who had never been submitted … and Yakhyaev went out and tapped him (watch highlights). That’s the trap with this guy — you try to predict the exact method, and he flips the script.
So, this time, we’re keeping it simple.
Yakhyaev is an absolute fast starter. Six of his eight career wins have come in the first round. And not just early, but very early, with all six finishes happening inside three minutes. He’s young, aggressive and fights like someone who knows he can end things at any moment. Everything about his style screams “future contender” at 205 pounds.
On the flip side, Ribeiro has serious durability concerns. He’s been knocked out three times in UFC — all of them in the first round. That’s a massive red flag heading into a matchup against a power puncher who thrives on early chaos. Ribeiro’s defensive lapses and tendency to get caught in exchanges make him extremely vulnerable, especially against someone who pressures the way Yakhyaev does.
This is one of those classic setups: a surging, aggressive prospect versus a hittable opponent with a shaky chin. When you combine that with Yakhyaev’s proven ability to finish quickly, it’s hard to imagine this fight making it past the opening five minutes.
What could go wrong?
The biggest risk is overthinking the chaos. If Yakhyaev decides to slow down things or approach this more methodically — especially after his last outing — the fight could stretch longer than expected. There’s also always the chance Ribeiro survives the early storm and forces a different kind of fight.
Still, given the trends, styles and durability concerns, Yakhyaev vs. Ribeiro to, “not start round two” at (-300) looks like one of the most reliable early-finish plays on UFC Vegas 115’s card.
- Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: -120
- Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev To Win By Submission: +125
- Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev To Win By Decision: +1000
- Brendson Ribeiro To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +2200
- Brendson Ribeiro by Submission: +3500
- Brendson Ribeiro To Win By Decision: +2500
