Las Vegas – UFC® returns to UFC APEX with a thrilling bout between elite welterweights, as No. 8 Gilbert Burns faces off against undefeated No. 12 ranked contender Michael Morales. In addition, an entertaining light heavyweight bout will see Paul Craig lock horns with Rodolfo Bellato.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: BURNS vs. MORALES takes place Saturday, May 17 in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be available on exclusively on ESPN+ (English and Spanish). The prelims will air at 1 p.m. PT / 4p.m. ET, followed by the main card airing at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET.
UFC APEX VIP Experience packages are available via On Location, UFC’s Official VIP Experience Provider. Enjoy exclusive access with an official ticket package that includes premium seating, all-inclusive hospitality, in-seat beverage service, meet-and-greets with UFC Octagon Girls and more. Visit UFCVIP.com for more information.
Burns (22-8, fighting out of Boca Raton, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returns to action for the first time in 2025. A decorated grappler that also wields knockout power, Burns has made a name for himself at 170-pounds by securing victories against Jorge Masvidal, Neil Magny, and Stephen Thompson. The Brazilian now sets forth to derail the Morales hype train with a statement performance.
Morales (17-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico by way of Pesaje, Ecuador) steps back inside the Octagon for his first UFC main event. The undefeated prospect has made a splash at welterweight by delivering emphatic finishes of Neil Magny, Jake Matthews, and Max Griffin. Morales now turns his attention towards Burns as he looks to secure the biggest win of his career and enter the Top 10 rankings.
Always entertaining, Craig (17-9-1, fighting out of Coatbridge, Scotland) returns to the light heavyweight division looking to make an immediate impact. A submission specialist, he has impressed with stoppage victories over UFC champion Magomed Ankalaev, as well as former champions “Shogun” Rua and Jamahal Hill. Craig now intends to hand Bellato his first loss in the UFC in emphatic fashion.
Dana White’s Contender Series signee Bellato (12-2-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to deliver another bonus-earning performance. A proven finisher with 11 of his 12 wins coming before the final bell, Bellato showed he has what it takes to compete in the UFC with his debut stoppage of Ihor Potieria. He now has his sights set on adding Craig’s name to his resume.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- Julian Erosa (31-12, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) and Melquizael Costa (23-7, fighting out of Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil) return to the Octagon for an all-action featherweight showdown
- Featherweight standouts meet at lightweight as Sodiq Yusuff (13-4, fighting out of Bladensburg, Md. by way of Lagos, Nigeria) takes on The Ultimate Fighter season 32 winner Mairon Santos (16-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. by way of Duque De Caxias, Rio de Janeiro)
- Lightweight veterans face off as Jared Gordon (20-7, 1NC, fighting out of Queens, N.Y.) battles Thiago Moises (19-8, fighting out of Indaiatuba, Brazil)
- Gabe Green(11-4, fighting out of San Pedro, Calif) welcomes UFC newcomerMatheus Camilo (9-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) to the lightweight division
- A middleweight contest pits Dustin Stoltzfus(16-6, fighting out of Germersheim, Germany) against Nursulton Ruziboev(35-9-2 2 NC, fighting out of Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
- No. 14 ranked strawweight contender Luana Pinheiro(11-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and No. 15 Tecia Pennington(14-7, fighting out of Colorado Springs, Colo. by way of Fall River, Mass.) square off in a high-stakes matchup
- Elise Reed(8-4, fighting out of Princeton, N.J.) takes on Denise Gomes(10-3, fighting out of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at strawweight
- Road to UFC Asia signee HyunSung Park(9-0, fighting out of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea) takes on Dana Whites Contender Series contract winner Carlos Hernandez(10-4, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.)
- Bantamweights Luana Santos(8-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Tainara Lisboa(7-2, fighting out of Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil) look to steal the show
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for the event.
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About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 259 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
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ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.?ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.