We get one more glimpse at how the middleweight division has come a long way here as one of the more intriguing prospects in the 185-pound ranks squares off with another experienced hand in his second UFC start.
Johnson is 7-0 and coming off a second-round submission win in his promotional debut last November. He has good size and athleticism, some clear pop given that he’s put guys out at heavyweight, and the kind of solid base and raw materials where you can see an avenue where he develops into a Top 15 fighter. Brundage is a solid test as a short-notice replacement as he’s got finishing abilities and far more experience, plus he’s up against it a little, entering on a 3-fight run without a victory.
Ricky Turcios vs Alberto Montes
This is a classic “what do we actually have here?” kind of matchups between a pair of graduates from UFC shoulder programs looking to start the year on a positive note.
Turcios won the bantamweight tournament on TUF 29, beating Brady Hiestand, who has looked good when healthy. His first two losses in the UFC came against Aiemann Zahabi and Raul Rosas Jr., both of which are look much different now. Montes has a slick submission win on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, but hasn’t fought since, and fought the kind of slate on the regional circuit that makes it difficult to know exactly what he brings to the table until he’s in there against someone that provides a real frame of reference, as Turcios will here.
Cody Durden vs Nyamjargal Tumendemberel
A pair of flyweights meet up looking to garner some momentum early in 2026 as the division continues to shuffle and fill with fresh talent at the top, as evidenced by Lone’er Kavanagh’s win over Brandon Moreno in Mexico City.
Cody Durden has some solid wins on his resume since joining the roster in August 2020, including wins over Charles Johnson and Matt Schnell. However, the win over Schnell in September 2024 was his latest, and he has lost three in a row since. Nyamjargal Tumendemberel is coming off a win on Road to UFC in August 2025 when he submitted Terrance Saeteurn in the first round and is keen to score his first official UFC victory in Las Vegas.
