Thomas Gantt VS Artur Minev

Thomas Gantt stopped Artur Minev by TKO (ground and pound) at 2:51 of round two in a lightweight preliminary at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa in Las Vegas on May 16, 2026. Gantt, a Contender Series graduate making his UFC debut, controlled the bout with wrestling-heavy pressure, repeatedly pushing Minev to the fence and working takedowns through the first round. A low blow in round one forced a brief reset, but Gantt returned to his game plan immediately and escalated in round two. After securing a takedown and taking Minev's back with both hooks inserted, Gantt landed unanswered punches and elbows until the referee waved it off. Both fighters were making their Octagon debuts, and Gantt's dominant grappling left no question about the outcome.