Mark off another win and another strong outing for Ateba Gautier, as he put Ozzy Diaz to sleep with a knockout win in the featured prelim of UFC 328.
Diaz tried to test Gautier early, trying to defend Gautier’s power shots early by trying to work his grappling. Gautier continued to search for the perfect punch, finding success with the effective utilization of his jab.
Finally, Gautier landed the shot he was looking for in round two, landing a right hand that dropped Diaz, prompting the referee to step in almost right away.
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Gautier has now won 10 straight, moving to 11-0 as a pro. He’s won all five fights he’s had in the UFC since making his promotional debut last year.
Diaz is now 1-2 in the UFC, arriving after a pair of wins in the LFA. Diaz fought Joe Pyfer in the fight that earned Pyfer a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Andrey Pulyaev became the first fighter in the Octagon to make it past round one with Ateba Gautier, let alone go the distance with him. While that might be enough for a moral victory, Gautier still scored the decision win at UFC 324.
Gautier cracked Pulayev with a right hand less than 15 seconds into the fight, and it looked like this one would be put away quickly like all of Gautier’s other fights. Pulayev, however, managed to survive the onslaught and looked to keep his distance.
Pulayev found success with his distance-based kicks, circling away from the power of Gautier. Still, Gautier managed to stun Pulayev on a few occasions during the second and third rounds, including another dropping of Pulayev during the final frame.
The judges scored the bout 30-27, 29-28 (x2) in Pulayev’s favor.
Ateba Gautier Goes The Distance, Defeats Andrey Pulayev At UFC 324
We just learned that Gautier needed this experience. Heās been such a front runner that heās really still rounding out his game. #UFC324
— (ā Ķ”Ā° ĶŹ Ķ”Ā°)ā š½ (@nalivingparadox) January 25, 2026
Unbelievable job by Pulyaev to weather that first round storm by Gautier. Looked like Gautier was en route to another super fast finish ā¦ and now they are headed to the second. Impressive from Pulyaev.
Gautier is now 4-0 in the UFC since coming in from Dana White’s Contender Series. He entered this fight off a first-round finish of Tre’ston Vines at UFC 320.
Pulayev is 1-2 in the UFC since his own DWCS appearance. He earned his first UFC win last time out, defeating Nick Klein.
Ateba Gautier continues to prove why he’s referred to as the middleweight Francis Ngannou, as “The Silent Assassin” made quick work of short-notice opponent Tre’ston Vines in the featured prelim bout of UFC 320.
Vines stayed circling on the outside, trying to keep distance and avoid the power of Gautier. Vines then made a mistake by running in for a takedown, getting kneed in the process. Vines tried again with the two near the fence and was working on the double-leg takedown.
But that’s where Gautier landed a pair of elbows to counter the takedown, putting Vines out. Vines was easily thrown off by Gautier, who landed a pair of follow-up shots to force a referee stoppage.
Ateba Gautier Knocks Out Tre’ston Vines At UFC 320
Gautier now improves to 9-1 in his career. He moves to 3-0 in the UFC after impressive, bonus-earning first-round finishes of Jose Medina and Robert Valentin.
Vines, who made his UFC debut tonight on short notice, came into this night on a four-fight win streak.
Gautier was originally set to clash with Ozzy Diaz on the preliminary card of UFC 320 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, on Monday, the matchup fell through after Diaz withdrew from the middleweight bout due to undisclosed medical issues, leaving the 23-year-old Cameroonian without an opponent.
Ozzy Diaz is OUT of #UFC320, he announced, citing an unspecified medical issue. Itās unclear if Ateba Gautier will remain on the card pic.twitter.com/W6snLt8qHD
Initially, it was uncertain whether āThe Silent Assassinā would remain on the UFC 320 card, but a short-notice replacement has now been secured, who is set to make his Octagon debut with just five daysā notice.
Image: @ateba_theassassin/Instagram
Ateba Gautier Will Fight Treston Vines At UFC 320
On Tuesday, Iridium Sports Agency announced via social media that Ateba Gautier will now face promotional debutant Treston Vines, who replaces Ozzy Diaz on the UFC 320 card this Saturday.
Gautier enters UFC 320 riding the momentum of a first-round knockout over Robert Valentin at UFC 318 in July, marking his seventh consecutive knockout victory. He earned his UFC contract in September 2024 with a second-round stoppage of Yura Naito on Dana White’s Contender Series.
āThe Silent Assassinā now boasts a professional record of 8-1, including an unbeaten 2-0 slate in the UFC.
Meanwhile, Vines most recently competed at AFC 12: The Great Commission in August, scoring a first-round knockout victory. The 29-year-old American was set to face Andreas Tricomitis at LFA 219 next weekend before earning the call-up to the UFC.
Until now, Vines has primarily competed in regional promotions, amassing a professional record of 10-3, with seven of those wins coming by stoppage.
The UFC 320 card has been dealt its first disruption.
UFC 320 is set for this Saturday, October 4, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pay-per-view event will be highlighted by a championship doubleheader, with UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev defending his title in a highly anticipated rematch against former champion Alex Pereira in the main event.
Meanwhile, in the co-main event, reigning UFC bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili will aim for his third title defense of the year against perennial contender Cory Sandhagen.
Two titles headline in the Fight Capital šš#UFC320 Fight Week has officially started!
However, just five days out from the event, the stacked UFC 320 card has already taken a hit, as Ozzy Diaz announced on Monday via social media that he is withdrawing from his middleweight bout against Ateba Gautier due to medical issues.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Gautier will take on a replacement opponent on such late notice, or if the bout has been completely canceled or postponed to a later date.
Diaz last competed at UFC 313 this past March, securing a unanimous decision victory over Djorden Santos to rebound from a first-round knockout loss to Zhang Mingyang in November 2024. āOne Hitā boasts a professional record of 10-3, with nine of his wins coming by stoppage.
On the other hand, Gautier is coming off a first-round knockout win over Robert Valentin at UFC 318 in July, extending his undefeated knockout streak to seven fights. āThe Silent Assassin” holds a professional record of 8-1, including 2-0 in the UFC.
Image: UFC.com
How Does The Complete UFC 320 Lineup Stack Up?
Beyond the two headline title fights, UFC 320 features a loaded lineup filled with exciting matchups. Former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will make his return to the Octagon against ex-title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. Meanwhile, former interim featherweight title contender Josh Emmett is set to clash with Youssef Zalal.
Hereās the current fight card for UFC 320:
Main Card
Light heavyweight title bout: Magomed Ankalaev (c) vs. Alex Pereira
Bantamweight title bout: Merab Dvalishvili (c) vs. Cory Sandhagen
Light heavyweight bout: Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
Featherweight bout: Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal
Middleweight bout: Abusupiyan Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer
Ateba Gautier’s striking is skilled, slick, and powerful — all of which was seen during the UFC 318 preliminary card, where he needed just over a minute to put away The Ultimate Fighter season 32 alumnus Robert Valentin.
Gautier rocked Valentin with a left hand early, causing him to stumble. Valentin covered up and tried to move around, but Gautier was patient.
Instead of rushing in with a flurry, Gautier continued to tag Valentin with combinations until Valentin dropped next to the fence. Gautier then landed a pair of follow-up strikes before referee Herb Dean waved off the bout.
Ateba Gautier Quickly Stops Robert Valentin At UFC 318
Known as “The Silent Assassin,” and dubbed the “middleweight Francis Ngannou,” Ateba Gautier seemed to impress in his official UFC debut, dropping and finishing Jose Medina in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Mexico.
Gautier showed his punching power almost right away, getting the better hand in exchanges with Medina. The Cameroonian prospect landed a strong kick and follow-up strikes, but Medina ate them all and grinned. The Bolivian tried to fire back with his own power, but Gautier turned up the pressure.
“The Silent Assassin” finished things in the first round by landing a flurry of shots before dropping Medina with a solid knee.
Gautier earned a UFC contract this past fall on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a victory over Yura Naito.
Medina, meanwhile, is now 0-2 in the Octagon after UFC Mexico. He also lost to Zach Reese in August following a defeat in his own 2023 appearance on DWCS.
