Featherweights Yadier del Valle and Ezra Elliott are reportedly set to meet at UFC Fight Night 297, also called UFC Vegas 125, on Saturday, January 23, 2027, at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The UFC has not officially announced the bout.
What was reported
MMA Junkie's Nolan King reported the booking on November 13, citing two people with knowledge of the matchup who asked to remain anonymous because the promotion has made no announcement. King also wrote on X that the fight is headed to UFC Vegas 125, "multiple sources say". MiddleEasy also covered the report.
The other bout reported for the card is Vinicius Oliveira against Pat Sabatini at featherweight, according to MMA Junkie. Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana first reported that matchup in early November. It is not official yet either.
This is a report, not a confirmed fight. Until the UFC makes it official, the matchup and the card could still change.
Yadier del Valle
The 30-year-old Cuban featherweight is 11-1 as a pro and 3-1 in the UFC. He earned his contract with a decision win on Dana White's Contender Series in October 2024 and opened his UFC run with two first-round rear-naked choke wins, over Connor Matthews in May 2025 and Isaac Dulgarian in November 2025. Our database lists both as first-round submissions.
His first pro loss came on February 21, 2026, a unanimous decision against Jordan Leavitt. He rebounded on August 8 with a first-round knockout of Darren Elkins after just 35 seconds, in what MMA Junkie and MiddleEasy describe as Elkins' retirement fight. His official UFC profile lists three wins by knockout, four by submission and six first-round finishes.
Ezra Elliott
Elliott, 26, is unbeaten at 8-0 and 1-0 in the UFC. Pugna MMA's data shows his wins as two by knockout or TKO, five by submission and one by decision. He made his UFC debut on July 18, 2026, at UFC Fight Night: du Plessis vs. Usman, taking a unanimous decision over fellow debutant Damien Anderson on short notice. MMA Junkie reported that he missed weight for that fight by 1.5 pounds.
According to MMA Junkie, Elliott splits his training between The MMA Lab and Redhawk Academy. MiddleEasy, citing his athlete-support agency, describes a wrestling background that includes a 2019 Illinois high school state title.
What comes next
Del Valle brings finishing power and a quick rebound win; Elliott brings an unbeaten record and his first full camp for a UFC fight. Follow the UFC Fight Night 297 card as it fills in, and make your free picks in the Pugna MMA prediction game on pugnamma.com or in our free Android app.
Sources
This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.