UFC Vegas 112 ended the year with a lot of finishes and some rather shocking moments, marking the end of the ESPN era.
Statements were made at the APEX, with some hoping to contest for the top 15 in their next battle, while one contender eyes a title shot.
Not to forget, some fighters made impressive debuts, hoping to become more recognised next year.
Here is everything that happened in the last UFC event of the year, from the headliner to the beginning of the prelims.
Portuguese star makes title statement
After Joshua Van became the new champion at 125lbs, Brandon Royval vs Manel Kape had been bannered as a possible title eliminator.
Royval was looking for redemption after losing to Van in an intense Fight of the Year contender at UFC 317.
Kape earned back-to-back third-round TKO victories over Bruno Silva and Asu Almabayev, hoping to extend his triumphant streak.
If these two fighters wanted to place themselves in title contention, they would need to earn a powerful finish early on in the scheduled five-round fight.
The battle lasted only one round, as Royval timed leg kicks while Kape continuously pressured the American.
‘Starboy’ eventually knocked down ‘Raw Dawg’ against the cage with a wicked right hook before a few more follow shots were enough to stop the bout.
While the stoppage looked premature at first, you could tell the referee made the correct decision as Royval stood up with his wobbly legs.
After defeating the #2 contender, Kape called out the UFC Flyweight Champion for a possible matchup in early 2026.
Introducing the next scariest 145lbs prospect
The co-main event was an intriguing featherweight matchup for fans as two strikers went face-to-face.
Giga Chikadze eyed a return to the win column after suffering back-to-back decision defeats against Arnold Allen and David Onama.
Kevin Vallejos prepared for his third UFC fight in his debut year after victories over Seung-Woo Choi and Danny Silva.
The bout was labelled as a veteran vs prospect fight as the Georgian wanted to maintain his position in the rankings, while the Argentinian attempted to enter the top 15.
The first round was relatively quiet with Chikadze timing his shots, making it difficult for Vallejos to turn aggressive.
However, in round two, ‘El Chino’ turned up the heat in the second round, pressuring Chikadze against the cage with some combinations.
After missing a punch, Vallejos landed a spinning backfist, which knocked down the #15 contender, before brutal elbows on the ground stopped the bout.
The 24-year-old earned the biggest win of his career and has put the featherweight division on notice after becoming the first to knock out Chikadze.
Other highlights from UFC Vegas 112
Cezary Oleksiejczuk made a good impression on his UFC debut, comfortably winning by unanimous decision against Cesar Almeida.
Melquizael Costa may be contesting for the featherweight rankings next after an incredible first-round head kick knockout against Morgan Charriere.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Marcus Buchecha ended in an unanimous draw, although if the Nigerian wasn’t deducted a point for an eye poke, he may have won the fight.
King Green broke his two-fight losing streak with a split decision win over debutant Lance Gibson Jr.
Yaroslav Amosov made a statement on his UFC debut, submitting Neil Magny with an Anaconda Choke in round one.
Joanderson Brito went the distance with short-notice opponent Isaac Thomson, winning by unanimous decision.
Sean Sharaf and Steven Asplund earned a Fight of the Night bonus, but ‘Concrete’ was victorious with a second-round TKO win.
Luana Santos put on a convincing performance against Melissa Croden, winning by unanimous decision.
Guilherme Pat extended his undefeated record to six after winning his UFC debut by unanimous decision against Allen Frye Jr.
Jamey-Lyn Horth earned her second straight victory after conquering Tereza Bleda by first-round TKO.
