UFC Vegas 116 adds Brennan vs Marshall to save thin Apex card
UFC Vegas 116 picked up a last-minute lightweight bout Saturday when the promotion signed former Bellator standout Lucas Brennan to face Francis Marshall at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Brennan took the booking on five days’ notice, per a report first carried by Eurosport. The addition comes as UFC attempts to bolster what has been viewed as one of the weaker Apex lineups in recent memory, now headlined by Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal after the original main event fell through.
Brennan brings dangerous finish rate to UFC debut
Brennan, the 25-year-old son of former UFC veteran Chris Brennan, went 9-0 with eight finishes during his early Bellator run before hitting a rough patch in 2024. He dropped back-to-back fights to Dimitre Ivy in PFL and another loss under the Fury FC banner, but has since rebounded with consecutive first-round submission wins on the Texas regional circuit at Xtreme Knockout. Overall, “Skywalker” owns an 11-2 record with a 91 percent finish rate — eight by submission, two by knockout — according to MMA Mania.
Marshall sits 3-3 in UFC and is coming off a first-round submission of Erik Silva at UFC Mexico City in February, a result that led to Silva’s release from the promotion. Prior to that, “Fire” dropped a controversial split decision to Marion Santos. The 9-3 lightweight has two finishes inside the Octagon and will look to build momentum against a short-notice opponent with dangerous grappling.
The card also underwent a second late change when Cody Durden replaced the injured Lucas Rocha against Jafel Filho at flyweight, Sherdog reported Monday. Durden enters on a four-fight skid and less than a week’s notice. UFC Vegas 116 streams Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount Plus.
Photo by yousef samuil on Unsplash
Original reporting:
Related Fighters & Stats
Get Ringside Updates
Fight announcements, results, and analysis delivered to your inbox. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.