The lineup for the first UFC Apex show of 2026 continues to build with the addition of a bantamweight bout.
Muin Gafurov (20-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) is set to meet Jakub Wiklacz (17-3-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at the UFC’s first Fight Night event in its new Paramount+ broadcast era. The 135-pounders will hook up Feb. 7 at UFC Fight Night 266 in Las Vegas. Gafurov’s management announced the fight on social media, though it has not been formally announced by the UFC.
Advertisement
Gafurov had his first shot to get into the UFC in 2021 on DWCS, but fell short. AFter two wins for LFA, including a vacant title win in 2022, he came to the UFC in 2023. Out of the gate, he struggled with losses to John Castaneda and Said Nurmagomedov.
Muin Gafurov def. Kyung Ho Kang, UFC on ABC 6
But in 2024, he bounced back with a win over Kyung Ho Kang, and he followed that up in January with one of the biggest betting upsets in the UFC in 2025 when he outworked Rinya Nakamura, who was more than a 6-1 favorite. Set to return seven weeks ago against Miles Johns, Gafurov pulled out with an injury.
Wiklacz won KSW’s bantamweight title in 2022 in his home country of Poland. He retained it three times with two wins and a draw before he came to the UFC in October to take on former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix. Although he was about a 3-1 underdog, the 29-year-old cruised to a unanimous decision upset.
Advertisement
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 266 lineup now includes:
-
Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira
-
Amir Albazi vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
-
Rizvan Kuniev vs. Ryan Spann
-
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
-
Farid Basharat vs. Jean Matsumoto
-
Uran Satybaldiev vs. Julius Walker
-
Wang Cong vs. Eduarda Moura
-
Priscila Cachoeira vs. Klaudia Sygula
-
Daniil Donchenko vs. Alex Morono
-
Bruna Brasil vs. Ketlen Souza
-
Muin Gafurov vs. Jakub Wiklacz
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Muin Gafurov vs. Jakub Wiklacz set for UFC Fight Night 266
