UFC 290 was arguably the fight card of the year as it had some of the best fights of 2023. We saw the reigning and defending featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski retain his featherweight championship meanwhile, we saw the men's flyweight championship change hands as the UFC crowned a new champion and his name is Alexandre Pantoja.

The UFC heads back to the Apex for a stacked event with the main being a fight in the women's bantamweight division with former bantamweight champion Holly Holm (15-6) taking on surging newcomer Mayra Bueno Silva. Both fighters are gunning for a title fight in the wide-open bantamweight division and a win here certainly will put their name in the mix for the vacant bantamweight title.

In the co-main event, we have a fight in the middleweight division between two action-packed fighters looking to keep climbing the middleweight rankings, Albert Duraev and Jun Yong Park. There are some veterans, some Contender Series alumni, and newcomers altogether in this weekend's fight night event. With that said, let's dig deeper and look at some fighters you may not know but need to know ahead of this weekend's UFC Vegas 77 fight card.

Azat Maksum

Azat Maksum is a name that MMA fans should keep an eye on ahead of his fight against Tyson Nam at UFC Vegas 77. Maksum is an undefeated prospect making his UFC debut, and he is currently a -400 betting favorite against the veteran Nam. Maksum has a professional record of 16-0, with 11 of his 16 of his wins coming by way of stoppage, including 5 knockouts and 6 submissions. He is the first-ranked professional men's flyweight in Asia Central and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has been producing great UFC talent lately and Maksum just adds to the talented group of fighters.

In his last fight, Maksum defeated Fabrício Nunes via submission in the first round at Octagon 39 just six months ago in January 2023. He has been preparing for his UFC debut with the help of his team at the Koshkar MMA Academy in Kazakhstan, where he has been working on his striking and grappling skills to take on his stiffest competition to date Tyson Nam this weekend at UFC Vegas 77.

 Viktoriya Dudakova

Viktoriya Dudakova is an undefeated professional fighter fighting out of Russia and fights in the strawweight division. She is currently the number three strawweight prospect from Russia and will be looking to make a statement in her octagon debut when she takes on Istela Nunes.

Dudakova got signed off the Contender Series like most fighters on this fight card in which she dominated en route to this octagon debut on Saturday night. She is a well-rounded prospect with a professional record of 6-0, with 4 wins by submission and 1 by knockout finishing most of her opponents. 

Dudakova is a striker with good power in her hands and feet. She has shown excellent striking skills in her fights, while she didn't get the finish she did get a dominant win over a tough undefeated competitor Maria Silva. . She is also a very good grappler, with good submission skills and the ability to finish fights on the ground. She is a fighter that is never in a boring fight and with a game opponent on the other side you can full expect a barnburner of a fight come Saturday night at UFC Vegas 77.

 

 Mayra Bueno Silva

Mayra Bueno Silva has been making waves in the women's bantamweight division and she gets her stiffest competition to date when she takes on former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in her first ever main event fight. Silva is a well-rounded fighter with a professional record of 10-2-1, with 7 wins by submission and 1 by knockout.

Silva is a striker with good power in her hands and feet. She has shown excellent striking skills in her fights, but it's her grappling that has been her bread and butter during his rise in the UFC's bantamweight division. She has finished her last two opponents by submission both before the fight reached the third round. Holm hasn't faced a submission threat like Silva in quite some time so she will pose some serious threat if this fight hits the mat.

Holm lately has been utilizing her size and strength to limit the damage inflicted on the feet by controlling her opponents against the cage and on the mat. Fighting with that type of gameplan in this fight would be rather dangerous for the former UFC and boxing champion. Silva has that dog in her and the will to win which always her as a dangerous opponent for anyone in the bantamweight division. Don't be shocked if she causes the upset here on Saturday night against Holly Holm.