UFC Knockout Artist Meets Undefeated Finishing Machine in Massive UFC 335 Fight

UFC 335 has reportedly added a massive middleweight matchup between two of the division’s most dangerous rising stars.

Scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena on December 12, UFC 335 will officially close out the UFC’s 2026 schedule and kick off a lengthy break that won’t end until after the holidays when the promotion returns to Dallas, TX on January 16.

As would be expected for a year-ending card, the UFC is making an effort to stack UFC 335 and booked a lightweight main event that will see Charles Oliveira attempt to defend his “BMF” belt for the first time against Diego Lopes.

Perhaps as highly-anticipated for some fans as the night’s headlining bout, the co-main event for UFC 335 will also see former two-division UFC titleholder Alex Pereira make his second heavyweight appearance against Sergei Pavlovich.

A number of other intriguing bouts have also been confirmed for the December 12 card, and this week Vestink MMA reported that Baisangur Susurkaev will take on Damian Pinas in a huge middleweight bout that’s sure to thrill hardcore MMA fans.

Boasting a perfect 12-0 record that includes 11 wins via finish, Susurkaev earned a UFC contract when he stopped Murtaza Talha in just over three minutes on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025.

“The Real Hunter” made his promotional debut just a few days after winning a UFC contract when he competed at UFC 319, where he submitted Eric Nolan in the second round.

Susurkaev closed out 2025 with a knockout of Eric McConico before he also submitted Djorden Santos at UFC 328, and he was scheduled to return this month at UFC 334 before withdrawing from a scheduled bout with Donte Johnson.

The matchup with Johnson would have seen Susurkaev put his undefeated record on the line against another unbeaten fighter, but now he’ll face another dangerous finisher at UFC 335 when he meets Pinas.

Following four-straight finishes to kick off his professional career, Pinas was disqualified for landing an illegal kick against Italo Gomes at Shooto Brasil 121 in 2024 for what stands as his lone setback inMMA.

The 24-year-old rebounded with a pair of first-round finishes before he also competed on DWCS in 2025 and was matched with Vitor Costa, who was knocked out just under two minutes into the fight.

“The Baby Yaga” has continued to show off that fight-ending power since joining the UFC, as he’s stopped all three of his opponents this year via first-round knockout and earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for his most recent victory over Andrey Pulyaev at UFC 332.

Main Event: Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes – For the UFC “BMF” Championship

Co-Main Event: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alex Pereira

Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson

Junior Tafa vs. Quentin Pasley

Maycee Barber vs. Carli Judice

Chris Padilla vs. Chase Hooper

Nikolay Veretennikov vs. Ronald Humphrey

Nilson Rojas vs. Roque Conceição

Angela Hill vs. Shanelle Dyer

Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Michelle Montague

Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Damian Pinas