Francis Marshall VS Dakota Hope

Dakota Hope defeated Francis Marshall by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) in a featherweight catchweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan on October 31, 2026. Marshall controlled the opening round with inside and outside leg kicks and scored a takedown off a body kick, but Hope rallied to take the final two frames. The fight turned in Round 3 when Hope landed a clean overhand right that staggered Marshall; he then sprawled a takedown attempt, secured the back, and landed hooks and a knee to the body to close out the frame convincingly. The bout was contested at 148 pounds after Marshall missed the non-title featherweight limit, costing him 20% of his purse. Hope, stepping in on short notice as a replacement for Gastón Bolaños, improved to 12-2 with the victory.

Francis Marshall looks to make it three straight UFC wins after a shaky 1-3 start in the promotion, welcoming short-notice replacement Dakota Hope, who steps in for the injured Gaston Bolanos and brings an 11-2 record into his second Octagon appearance desperate for his first UFC victory. Marshall's hard-earned confidence meets Hope's nothing-to-lose mindset in a featherweight preliminary bout with divisional trajectory implications for both men.