Artur Minev Lands Short-Notice UFC Debut Against Tommy Gantt
Artur Minev is getting his first UFC fight this weekend after the promotion signed the undefeated lightweight prospect on short notice to face Tommy Gantt in Las Vegas. Minev arrives with a 7-0 record and a 3-0 amateur run, while Gantt brings an 11-0 (1 NC) mark into the matchup.
Las Vegas card change
The fight-week shift came after Trey Ogden and Nicolas Dalby were forced out of their matchups because of injury. Minev stepped into the vacancy and will debut against Gantt on a UFC Fight Night card headlined by Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa.
That leaves the event with a fresh lightweight addition and one of the more abrupt lineup changes on the card. The UFC started the week with 14 scheduled bouts, and Minev became the replacement option after the injuries removed two fighters from their assignments.
Minev’s finishing rate
Minev’s record explains why he got the call. He has finishes in all but one of his professional bouts, and five of those stoppages came in the first round. His most recent win came in January, when he beat longtime Bellator veteran Derek Campos at Fury FC 113 in his fourth appearance for the Texas-based promotion.
That run was built outside the UFC, but it now ends with a debut on short notice. Minev’s path from Fury FC to Las Vegas has been quick, and the UFC is asking him to carry that pace into a fight against an opponent who has not lost as a pro.
Tommy Gantt’s rise
Gantt earned his UFC ticket with a first-round submission of Adam Livingston on Dana White’s Contender Series last September. Before that, he went undefeated as an amateur, won welterweight belts with New Line Cagefighting and North Iowa Fights, and opened his pro career with a 21-second win in 2024.
He has compiled that 11-0 (1 NC) record in a little over two years, which gives the fight a sharp edge even without the original pairings. Minev now has to turn a fast call-up into a first UFC win against a fighter who has moved through the regional ladder just as quickly.
