UFC Vegas 83 Start Time, Full Fight Details!

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back inside the friendly confines of UFC Apex to stage UFC Vegas 83 later TONIGHT (Sat., Dec. 9, 2023) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the ESPN+-streamed event will be a pivotal Bantamweight bout between Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez. In the co-headlining bout, Anthony Smith will face off against Khalil Rountree in a short-notice Light Heavyweight affair.

What’s Hot:

When it comes to under-the-radar contenders, at the moment they may not get better than Song Yadong. Ranked No. 7 in the 135-pound division, Yadong has racked up an impressive 9-2-1 record inside the Octagon, scoring big wins over the likes of Marlon Vera and Marlon Moraes along the way. At 4-1 in his last five fights with his lone loss coming against Cory Sandhagen, Yadong is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 5 and putting his name into the title picture. But, as hot as Yadong has been, Chris Gutierrez has been on a great run himself and has a record of 8-2-1 under the UFC banner. Currently holding down the No. 15 spot on the official UFC rankings, Gutierrez is looking to make a huge leap into the Top 10 with a win over “The Kung Fu Kid.”

These two fighters are so similar in more ways than one. Yadong is 20-7-1 as a professional, while Gutierrez is 25-5-2. Yadong has nine knockouts with three submissions, and Gutierrez nine knockouts with one submission. They are both well-rounded and have an mixed bag of tricks to get the job done. I will give Yadong the power advantage here, so Gutierrez needs to be careful not to be lured into an all-out striking battle if he wants to come out on top. It’s not to say he can’t strike himself, but getting in and out is the name of the game here.

What’s Not:

Jun Yong Park is currently on a four-fight win streak with three straight submissions, yet UFC matchmakers felt that scheduling him against Andre Muniz — who is on a two-fight losing streak — was the fight to make. I really don’t like this fight for Park because it’s big risk with little reward. Nevertheless, he still has to get in there and handle business and make sure he isn’t taking Muniz lightly based on his recent woes.

Original Card Vs. Actual Card:

Khalil Rountree was originally set to face Azamat Murzakanov at UFC Austin before he was forced out of the fight with pneumonia. As a result, Rountree was moved to this event and will now face Anthony Smith. Also, Daniel Marcos was unable to clear his visa issues in order to make it to Las Vegas on time to take part in his 135-pound fight against Carlos Vera. The promotion opted to not book a last-minute replacement, so there is a strong possibility that this fight will be re-booked for another event before year’s end.

Injuries:

Petr Yan was initially slated to face Song Yadong in the headlining act, but was forced out with an injury and replaced by Chris Gutierrez. Allan Nascimento withdrew from his fight against Su Mudaerji with an undisclosed injury. As a result, Tim Elliott agreed to step in on short notice for the Bantamweight fight. Elliott is coming off a tough loss to Muhammad Mokaev, but has quietly gone 4-2 as a Flyweight over his last six fights. As for Mudaerji, he was submitted by Matt Schnell in his most-recent fight, snapping his three-fight losing streak.

New Blood:

Rayanne Amanda and Talita Alencar will throw down on the “Prelims” in the lone battle of newcomers at this event. Amanda is currently riding a three-fight win streak and is coming in from Invicta FC, which is still going strong. Amanda is a submission specialist with eight wins in that manner, to go along with two knockouts. As for Alencar, she just started her pro career in 2021 and went undefeated (4-0) with three submissions before fighting to a draw in her fight against Stephanie Luciano on Contender Series earlier this year.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Tatsuro Taira does not need to be buried on the “Prelims,” so hopefully he can get some main card love if he comes out on top and wins his fifteenth straight fight when he battles Carlos Hernandez in a Flyweight fight. Taira is 15-0 and has won four straights fights inside the Octagon, two via submission. His opponent, meanwhile, is 2-1 inside the Octagon and was last seen defeating Denys Bondar via unanimous decision this past summer.

Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia will collide on the undercard. “Melk” is currently 1-1 and is coming off a win over Austin Lingo this past summer, so he is looking to build off that momentum against a man who is on a two-fight win streak. “Mean Machine” is coming off an impressive technical knockout win over Nuerdanbieke Shayilan (say that fast three times), and previously defeated Chase Hooper.

Luana Santos had herself an impressive showing in her UFC debut, defeating Julianna Miller via first round technical knockout three months ago for her third straight win. As for Stephanie Egger, she is just 1-2 in her last three fights inside the eight-sided care and is coming off a loss to Irina Alekseeva.

Sung Hyun Park impressed during his run and eventual winning of Road to UFC, and will now attempt to move to 4-0 inside the Octagon. He has earned seven finishes in all eight of his wins, so if Shannon Ross wants to be the first man to hand him a loss, he will have to be sharp on all fronts. And he hasn’t been that at all, losing his first two fights inside the Octagon, chances he earned even after losing on Contender Series. He needs a win pretty badly here to avoid the chopping block.

In the Welterweight division, Kevin Jousset will attempt to pick up his fifth straight win, second inside the Octagon, when he battles Kenan Song, who recently snapped his two-fight losing streak by defeating Rolando Bedoya. Song showed flashes of being a potential title contender early on, but his recent slump really took some wind out of his sails.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

As mentioned earlier, Andre Muniz has seen better days inside the Octagon. After starting his UFC career at 5-0, he has now dropped two straight fights, and a third consecutive defeat could be detrimental for his UFC future. Unfortunately for him, he will be facing on a red-hot fighter in Jun Yong Park, winner of four straight. Another loss could be the end for Muniz, unless he can put on an epic performance in defeat. The same can be said for Shannon Ross, who we previously mentioned has come up short in his first two fights with the promotion.

Interest Level: 5/10

In the co-main event, Khalil Rountree will battle Anthony Smith in a pivotal fight at 205 pounds. Rountree is currently the No. 11-seeded fighter in the Light Heavyweight division and is enjoying a quiet four-fight win streak, three of which he earned via technical knockout. He was last seen finishing Chris Daukaus last August and is looking to crack the Top 10 with a win over Smith.

Speaking of which, “Lionheart” is holding down the No. 8 spot and recently snapped his two-fight losing streak by edging out Ryan Spann via split-decision three months ago. The former 205-pound title contender can build himself some major momentum and get right back into the thick of it with an impressive win over “The War Horse.” Both men have made their bread in the striking department, and I don’t expect things to chance come fight night.

Nasrat Haqparast will take on Jamie Mullarkey in a highly-intriguing Lightweight bout. Haqparast has had an odd win-loss pattern since 2020. He will win two in a row, lose two straight, and then win two straight, where he currently is. If history tells us anything it means he is due for a loss … but that’s why they fight. He will look to break that pattern and pick up consecutive win number three. As for Mullarkey, he has gone an impressive 5-2 over his last seven fights and is coming off a big win over John Makdessi. Both men have their work cut out for them if they want to get close to a Top 15 ranking, but a win here will go a long way.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC Vegas 83 Fight Card:

UFC Vegas 83 Main Event On ESPN+:

135 lbs.: Yadong Song vs. Chris Gutierrez

UFC Vegas 83 Main Card on ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Khalil Rountree
125 lbs.: Su Mudaerji vs. Tim Elliott (not Allan Nascimento)
155 lbs.: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey
185 lbs.: Andre Muniz vs. Junyong Park

UFC Vegas 83 Prelims Card on ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Kevin Jousset vs. Song Kenan
125 lbs.: Sung Hyun Park vs. Shannon Ross
135 lbs.: Stephanie Egger vs. Luana Santos
125 lbs.: Carlos Hernandez vs. Tatsuro Taira
115 lbs.: Talita Alencar vs. Rayanne Amanda
155 lbs.: Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia
140 lbs.: Daniel Marcos vs. Carlos Vera — CANCELED (details here)

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 83 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 10 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 83 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Song vs. Gutierrez” fight card and ESPN+ line up click here.