Wesley Schultz VS Brian Johnston

Schultz pulled off an impressive third-round submission to emerge victorious in a closely contested middleweight bout. After a grueling first two rounds filled with back-and-forth striking exchanges and positional battles along the fence, both men entered the final frame looking to make a decisive statement. As Johnston pressed forward and attempted to initiate a grappling sequence, Schultz capitalized on an exposed neck. He quickly snatched a deep guillotine choke and pulled guard to lock it in tight. With nowhere to go and the choke completely sunken in, Johnston was forced to tap at 1:50 of Round 3, handing Schultz a well-earned submission finish.

Ben Johnston is a 35-year-old former Muay Thai world champion and Eternal MMA middleweight titleholder who came out of retirement for this UFC debut, having gone 4-0 since 2022 with every win inside the distance — including a rear-naked choke title win over John-Martin Fraser. Wesley Schultz, the 29-year-old American from Syndicate MMA, earned his contract via a kneebar submission on the 2025 Contender Series but fell via TKO to Damian Pinas in his February 2026 UFC debut. Johnston's striking depth and finishing instinct collide with a live submission hunter who is still finding his UFC footing.