You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Two rookies debuted in “Sin City” last night (Sat., May 17, 2025) at UFC Vegas 106 inside the promotion’s private Apex venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the UFC newbies went 1-1.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Yadier del Valle
On paper, Yadier del Valle vs. Connor Matthews was a squash match, and it went down exactly like that—del Valle smoked Matthews in under three minutes.
Yadier del Valle smokes Conor Matthews in the first round pic.twitter.com/hfY26aTKbL
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) May 17, 2025
But short as the fight was, the UFC rookie proved he’s gonna be a problem. He slung nasty kicks—low and high—that hit like a truck. He even ate a head kick.
“The Cuban Problem” snagged a kick from Matthews, and it was lights out soon after. Del Valle showed he’s a slick grappler, tying up Matthews’ legs, landing ground-and-pound before strangling him for his third straight loss.
Del Valle was a standout from Season 8 of Contender Series, and he showed why. The dude is dangerous everywhere, even if it was against subpar competition.
Keep an eye on the 28-year-old Cuban who lives and trains in Texas.
Final grade: A
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Matheus Camilo
It was going real good for Brazil’s Matheus Camilo until it didn’t. He got submitted in the second round by a returning Gabe Green.
Gabe Green with a statement win at #UFCVegas106 pic.twitter.com/ZwwCal3HrW
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 17, 2025
The 24-year-old started patient, like he always does, chucking some big haymakers and landing some nasty body-head combos.
Camilo ate a slick check hook, which made him shoot and land a takedown on Green. Toward the end of the first round, he smashed a brutal elbow while in Green’s guard, giving the UFC vet a nice little knot on his head.
In the second round, it was more of the same for Camilo. The fight hit the ground, and Camilo slapped on a tight triangle armbar. When it looked like the fight was pretty much done, Green somehow squirmed out, and he made the Brazilian pay.
Completely gassed, Camilo couldn’t keep up. Green capitalized, jumping on a rear-naked choke/face crank, and Camilo tapped out.
Camilo is a bright prospect, no doubt, but he ran into a super battle-tested fighter, and it showed.
And to be honest, I’m trying to keep my bias in check since I’ve been covering Camilo for years. He looked damn good at times, but his lack of UFC experience and cardio screwed him over.
Final Grade: C
For complete UFC Vegas 106 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.