UFC Fight Night 265: Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley Preview & Prediction
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Featherweights close out the prelims, with Luke Riley making his highly anticipated UFC debut against Bogdan Grad at 145 pounds.
Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley facts
What time are Bogdan Grad and Luke Riley expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena, Al Rayyan, Qatar
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What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker main card
Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Belal Muhammad vs Ian Machado Garry (Welterweight)
Volkan Oezdemir vs Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Jack Hermansson vs Myktybek Orolbai (Welterweight)
Serghei Spivac vs Shamil Gaziev (Heavyweight)
Alex Perez vs Asu Almabayev (Flyweight)
UFC Fight Night 265: Tsarukyan vs Hooker prelims
Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley (Featherweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Rafael Cerqueira (Light Heavyweight)
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Aleksandre Topuria (Bantamweight)
Ismail Naurdiev vs Ryan Loder (Middleweight)
Nurullo Aliev vs Shaqueme Rock (Lightweight)
Nicolas Dalby vs Saygid Izagakhmaev (Welterweight)
Marek Bujlo vs Denzel Freeman (Heavyweight)
Bogdan Grad: The DWCS alum looks to spoil Riley's debut and steal his spotlight
Looking to push his UFC record above 1-1, Bogdan Grad (15-3) has alternated wins and losses since joining the promotion in 2024, stopping Lucas Alexander in his debut before coming up short to Muhammad Naimov by decision last time out. "The Unleashed" needed two attempts on the Contender Series before finally making it to the UFC, avenging a disappointing KO loss to Tom Nolan with an entertaining decision over Michael Aswell. A well-rounded combatant with above average cardio and solid striking, Grad looks to upset the applecart and make the most of his latest foe's hype.
Luke Riley: The British MMA prodigy looks to make good in his promotional debut
Widely touted as the UFC's next potential British superstar, Luke Riley (11-0) arrives in the promotion oozing confidence as he looks to preserve his undefeated professional record. A gritty striker who can never resist a brawl, Riley possesses legitimate knockout power, a state of affairs evidenced by eight KOs in eleven professional victories. Having fought his entire career in Cage Warriors, the 26 year old Next Generation MMA standout was briefly linked to a Contender Series matchup against Kevin Vallejos before finally punching his ticket to the big leagues with a stoppage victory over Tariel Abbasov in March.
Bogdan Grad vs Luke Riley prediction
The main concern for Riley here is his takedown defence. While he ultimately went on to score the highlight reel KO, the Scouser found himself being taken down with remarkable ease and consistency in his last Cage Warriors fight against Abbasov; a concerning omen when faced with a UFC caliber fighter. Tough and well-rounded, Grad isn't a wrestler by trade, but his well-rounded skill set means that he could well exploit what he perceives to be a grappling shaped hole in the Englishman's game.
However, while the Austrian bruiser has all the tools required to score an upset here, as evidenced by the Abbasov fight, Riley is one of those fighters who is simply capable of finding a finish out of nowhere. He's insanely durable and has raw dynamite in his fists; even the fighters who have managed to land hard on him or score takedowns have found themselves duly crumbling under the Englishman's relentless pressure down the stretch.
Riley has been cracked and wobbled in the early goings on multiple occasions; with the majority of his finishes having come in the first round, Grad will be dangerous early. However, the pick is for Riley to weather "The Unleashed's" early storm to come roaring back in the later rounds, either catching Grad on the feet for the TKO or earning a hard fought nod from the judges.
Prediction: Luke Riley to win
