UFC Legends Step into the Cage: April 24-25 Matchups

Return of the UFC to Home Base

With UFC Fight Night 277 set for Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, I'm fired up to dive into the action that awaits! This event features a thrilling featherweight face-off between former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and rising star Youssef Zalal.

But beyond the octagon in Vegas, it's fascinating to see what our UFC veterans have been up to. Many are still chasing greatness across various combat sports, giving us thrilling matchups to keep an eye on this weekend.

Last Weekend's Showdowns

Before we look ahead, let's analyze the outcomes from last week's battles where several veterans showcased their skills in the regional circuits. Spoiler alert: the competition was fierce!

• Caolan Loughran: Secured a submission win against Alan Philpott at PFL Belfast, demonstrating grappling finesse.

• Tyson Pedro: Faced Dovlet Yagshimuradov at PFL Belfast, ending in a unanimous decision loss.

• Rhys McKee: Brought home a unanimous decision win over Alex Lahore, proving his mettle.

• John Teixeira: Earned a unanimous decision victory against Robson Silva over at Shooto Brasil 136.

• Deron Winn: Showed his striking power with a TKO victory over Erick Lozano at BKFC 88.

• Josh Fremd: Followed suit with a TKO win vs. Jared Torgeson at BKFC 88.

• Josh Copeland: Unfortunately, he faced a TKO loss against Corey Willis at BKFC 88.

• Chris Camozzi: Experienced a TKO loss against Esteban Rodriguez at BKFC 88.

• Brok Weaver: Suffered a unanimous decision loss vs. Rowdy Legend Montgomery at BKB 53.

• Kaynan Kruschewsky: Fell short with a submission loss to Jose Santos at MFC 5.

• Spike Carlyle: Highlighted the evening with a TKO victory over Minoru Kimura at Knock Out 63.

• Phil de Fries: Showed impressive grappling with a submission win over Marcin Wojcik at KSW 117.

• Paweł Pawlak: Also left victorious with a TKO over Mamed Khalidov at KSW 117.

• Lucie Pudilova: Yet to finalize her result against Katerina Dvorakova; stay tuned!

• James Llontop: Faced a TKO loss at the hands of Magomed Saliev at JSC 4.

• Molly McCann: Bounced back with a decision win over Ashleigh Johnson at Whitaker vs. Suarez boxing event.

Spotlight: Veterans in Action This Weekend

Armen Petrosyan

Record: 9-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC
Next fight: April 24 vs. Mikhail Kolobegov at BetCity Fight Nights 136
Last fight: Submission loss to Vladislav Kovalev

Kazula Vargas

Record: 16-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC
Next fight: April 24 vs. Miguel Villegas at Lux Fight League 60
Last fight: Winning submission against Alejandro Cerquera

Josefine Knutsson

Record: 8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC
Next fight: April 25 vs. Mileide Simplicio at OKTAGON 87
Last fight: Decision loss to Piera Rodriguez

Joshua Weems

Record: 13-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC
Next fight: April 25 vs. Tommy Cuozzi Jr. at CFC 8
Last fight: TKO win against Jason Faglier Jr.

Drako Rodriguez

Record: 7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC
Next fight: April 25 vs. Jaylon Bates at XFC 54
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss vs. Cris Lencioni

Viacheslav Borshchev

Record: 8-7-1 MMA, 3-6-1 UFC
Next fight: April 25 vs. Jose Ferreira at XFC 54
Last fight: Decision loss to Matheus Camilo

Whether they continue to dominate or carve a new path, the spirit of competition remains strong with these fighters. Stay tuned as we cheer for their journeys this weekend!

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: These UFC veterans compete on the regional scene April 24-25.