The final UFC card of the year and of the ESPN era has been hit with a pair of significant changes during fight week.
After last weekend’s UFC 323 card closed out the year’s PPV slate and saw two title belts change hands, UFC Vegas 112 will officially bring an end to the UFC’s 2025 schedule when it takes place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV.
Top-ranked flyweight contenders Manel Kape and Brandon Royval are set to headline the event and serve as the final UFC fight of the year, but there were some changes to the card this week as one fighter was replaced and an entirely new matchup was added on short notice.
Isaac Thomson Steps In For UFC Debut vs. Joanderson Brito
First reported by Ag Fight, Melsik Baghdasaryan unfortunately withdrew from a featherweight matchup with Joanderson Brito that was scheduled to take place at UFC Vegas 112.
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The news came just a few days before weigh-ins, but it didn’t take long for the UFC to find a short-notice replacement opponent for Brito. The Brazilian will now square off with LFA standout Isaac Thomson, who is currently on a three-fight win streak and most recently took a split decision over Akbarjon Islomboev in the main event of LFA 219 in October.
Jack Shore (red gloves) fights Joanderson Brito (blue gloves) during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. | Jason Silva-Imagn Images
Brito enters UFC Vegas 112 on a two-fight skid, but before that the 30-year-old put together an impressive five-fight win streak where he finished every opponent he faced after initially dropping his UFC debut in 2022.
King Green Welcomes Lance Gibson Jr. To The UFC
Along with a new matchup between Brito and Thomson, Marcel Dorff also reports that UFC Vegas 112 will see longtime lightweight veteran King Green welcome former Bellator star Lance Gibson Jr. to the Octagon in a catchweight bout.
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A member of the UFC roster since 2013, Green previously held a spot in the promotion’s lightweight rankings but has been stopped in the first round of his last two outings. After suffering the first defeat of his MMA career in his final Bellator appearance in 2023, Gibson rebounded last year with back-to-back first-round finishes.
King Green (red gloves) prepares to fight Maurice Ruffy (not pictured ) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
UFC Vegas 112 now features a total of 13 bouts with Thomson stepping in to face Brito and Green set to square off with Gibson. “Fearless” won’t be the only Bellator veteran debuting on Saturday night, as the promotion’s former Welterweight Champion Yaroslav Amosov will also step into the Octagon for the first time to face Neil Magny.
UFC Vegas 112 Fight Card
• Main Event: Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
• Co-Main Event: Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos
• Cesar Almeida vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk
• Morgan Charriere vs. Melquizael Costa
• Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Marcus Buchecha
• King Green vs. Lance Gibson Jr.
• Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Robertson
• Joanderson Brito vs. Isaac Thomson
• Neil Magny vs. Yaroslav Amosov
• Sean Sharaf vs. Steven Asplund
• Luana Santos vs. Melissa Croden
• Allen Frye vs. Guillherme Pat
• Tereza Bleda vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
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• UFC 323 title fight cut short by absolutely disgusting arm break
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