Top Reasons to Catch UFC Vegas 107

Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko holds all the cards where Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber are concerned.

The fast-rising contenders will confront one another in the UFC on ESPN 68 main event this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, where the winner could potentially secure a spot opposite Shevchenko in the months ahead. Blanchfield, 26, enters the Octagon with victories in 10 of her past 11 bouts. The onetime Eddie Bravo Invitational gold medalist last suited up on Nov. 2, when she laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night 246. Barber, meanwhile, has rattled off six consecutive victories. The 27-year-old Greeley, Colorado, native last competed at UFC 299, where she took a three-round unanimous decision from former two-division Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Katlyn Cerminara on March 9, 2024.

In addition to the Blanchfield-Barber showdown at 125 pounds, here are three other reasons to catch UFC on ESPN 68:

Higher Calling

Ludovit Klein lacks only a signature win over someone in the Top 10. Enter American Top Team’s Mateusz Gamrot. The two men are set to square off in the lightweight co-headliner, where a seat among the 155-pound elite figures to hang in the balance. Klein has somehow managed to fly under the radar despite a run of seven straight appearances without a loss. The 30-year-old Spartakus Fight Gym rep last saw action at UFC Fight Night 243, where he outpointed Roosevelt Roberts to a unanimous decision on Sept. 28. Klein’s resume features 17 finishes, 10 of them inside one round. On the other side of the equation, Gamrot has recorded 11 wins across his past 14 outings. The former two-division Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki champion last strapped on the gloves on Aug. 17, when he wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Dan Hooker at UFC 305. It was Gamrot’s first setback in nearly two years.

Window of Opportunity

In a setting as shallow as the UFC women’s bantamweight division, a few wins in succession could lead to a championship opportunity in relatively short order. Macy Chiasson finds herself in just such a position. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 28 winner meets Ketlen Vieira in a high-stakes showcase, as she looks build additional momentum at 135 pounds. Chiasson steps back into view on the heels of back-to-back finishes of Pannie Kianzad and Mayra Bueno Silva. A model of consistent inconsistency, the 33-year-old Fortis MMA export has not posted three straight victories since 2019. Vieira, meanwhile, has seen much of the hype surrounding her dissipate after a 4-0 start with the organization. The Nova Uniao mainstay has not fought since she dropped a three-round unanimous decision to two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison—now the No. 1 contender for the women’s bantamweight belt—at UFC 307 in October.

Heat Check

Fighters with an extensive history of violence warrant immediate consideration in the modern UFC. Onto that stage walks Andreas Gustafsson. A late bloomer out of Sweden, he looks to make immediate waves in the welterweight division, albeit at a 180-pound catchweight opposite Trevin Giles—a late-notice replacement for Jeremiah Wells. Gustafsson, 34, has nailed down 10 of his 11 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. He punched his ticket to the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series, as he put away Pat Pytlik with a volley of knee strikes in the second round of their Aug. 20 pairing. On the other side of the docket, a three-fight losing streak has left Giles on precarious footing with the promotion. “The Problem” last stepped into the cage at UFC Fight Night 246, where he Team Alpha Male-trained Canadian Mike Malott outstruck him to a unanimous decision on Nov. 2. Giles’ UFC record has fallen all the way back to sea level at 7-7.