The UFC closes out 2025, capping the year with a high-stakes flyweight showdown for the final main event of the year. Top contenders Brandon “Raw Dawg” Royval and Manel “Starboy” Kape finally meet in a headliner that promises fireworks and potential title implications.
The entire event will be broadcast live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Not only will this be the final UFC event of the year, but it also marks the final UFC event for the fight promotion’s historic broadcasting partnership with ESPN. After this Saturday night, coverage will transition to Paramount Skydance beginning in January 2026.
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Dana WhiteGetty
Broadcast Schedule
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Preliminary Card Start Time: 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT
Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT
Full Fight Card
Prelims Start: 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT
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Women’s Flyweight: Tereza Bleda vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
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Heavyweight: Allen Frye vs. Guilherme Pat
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Women’s Bantamweight: Luana Santos vs. Melissa Croden
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Heavyweight: Sean Sharaf vs. Steven Asplund
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Welterweight: Yaroslav Amosov vs. Neil Magny
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Featherweight: Joanderson Brito vs. Isaac Thomson
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Women’s Strawweight: Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Robertson
Main Card Start: (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT)
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Catchweight (160 lbs): King Green vs. Lance Gibson Jr.
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Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Marcus Buchecha
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Featherweight: Melquizael Costa vs. Morgan Charriere
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Middleweight: Cesar Almeida vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk
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Featherweight: Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos
Main Event Estimated Start Time: (12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT)
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Flyweight Main Event: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
How to Watch: For the final time, the full card will be available for ESPN+ subscribers at no additional cost, as well as ESPN 2.
Flyweight Main Event Years in the Making
This main event is a fight that has been twice delayed, making Saturday’s clash all the more anticipated. The bout was first scheduled for March 2025 before Royval withdrew due to multiple concussions. It was rebooked for June, but this time, Kape was forced out with a broken foot. Now, both fighters are healthy and ready to settle their business in the Octagon.
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For both men, the stakes are high, as a victory puts them directly in the conversation for a shot at the UFC Flyweight belt against the newly crowned champion, Joshua Van.
The fight is a compelling clash of styles. Royval is known for his relentless, chaotic pressure and elite grappling, while Kape is a calculated sniper with devastating one-shot power.
Experts analysis from former UFC fighters-turned ESPN desk analysts Din Thomas and Anthony Smith is split. Thomas believes Kape’s speed and skill will lead to a knockout, while Smith favors Royval’s diverse arsenal and grappling edge.
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When Will the UFC be Back?
Following the final ESPN-broadcast card this Saturday, the promotion will return in January 2026 with a historic change. For the first time in the modern UFC era, most numbered events will be available without a pay-per-view fee through Paramount+.
The first card of the new year was announced by Dana White in an advertisement during Thanksgiving (via Paramount UFC Crew on X):
“All you need is Paramount Plus. No more pay-per-view!” White exclaimed in the advertisement.
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The 2026 fight schedule kicks off with a massive pay-per-view-level card that will be included with a streaming subscription. The first event, UFC 324, is set for Saturday, Jan. 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
This flagship event will feature two championship bouts. The main event will be an interim lightweight title fight between fan favorites Justin Gaethje and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, with the winner earning a shot at champion Ilia Topuria.
For the co-main event, a highly anticipated women’s fight takes place as champion Kayla Harrison faces the returning former champion and MMA legend Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title.
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Following UFC 324, the schedule remains packed, with UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 31 and a full slate of Fight Nights and numbered events throughout the first quarter of the new year.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
