UFC Vegas 91: Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez: Main card start time, main event walkouts, and everything else you need to know
The upcoming UFC event is set to be headlined by a clash between two flyweight contenders. Brazil's Matheus Nicolau will take on Alex Perez, an American MMA stalwart of Mexican descent, in the headlining fight of UFC Vegas 91. Additionally, its co-headlining match will be a light heavyweight bout between Ryan Spann and Bogdan Guskov.
The UFC Vegas 91 event will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on April 27, 2024. It'll mark the UFC's first main roster fight card since the organization's landmark UFC 300 (April 13, 2024) event.
According to ESPN, the preliminary card will start at 4 pm ET (Saturday, April 27) in the US and can be watched on ESPN 2/ESPN+. The main card will start at 7 pm ET and can be viewed on ESPN and ESPN+. For viewers in the UK, the preliminary card will start at 8 pm GMT (Saturday, April 27), whereas the main card starts at 11 pm GMT on TNT Sports.
Furthermore, it's believed that the estimated time for the Matheus Nicolau-Alex Perez main event walkouts could be around 8:30 pm ET (Saturday, April 27) in the US and approximately 12:30 am GMT (Sunday, April 28) in the UK.
UFC Vegas 91: A closer look at the Fight Night card
The UFC Vegas 91 event was initially expected to be headlined by a rematch between the No. 5-ranked UFC flyweight Matheus Nicolau and the No. 6-ranked Manel Kape. However, after Kape withdrew from the matchup owing to a rib injury, he was replaced by the No. 8-ranked Alex Perez.
Many believe that the winner of the Nicolau-Perez matchup could earn a top-five matchup next and inch closer to a flyweight title shot. On the other hand, UFC staples such as Ryan Spann, Ariane Lipski, and Tim Means will also feature on the main card portion of the event. Meanwhile, the prelims boast veteran fighters such as Rani Yahya and Gabriel Benitez.
As advertised on the UFC's official website, listed below is the current line-up for the UFC Vegas 91 event (*Fight card is subject to change):
Main card:
Flyweight bout: Matheus Nicolau vs. Alex Perez
Light heavyweight bout: Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov
Women's flyweight bout: Ariane Lipski vs. Karine Silva
Heavyweight bout: Austen Lane vs. Jhonata Diniz
Welterweight bout: Tim Means vs. Uros Medic
Preliminary card:
Bantamweight bout: Rani Yahya vs. Victor Henry
Lightweight bout: Austin Hubbard vs. Michal Figlak
Heavyweight bout: Don'Tale Mayes vs. Caio Machado
Women's strawweight bout: Marnic Mann vs. Ketlen Souza
Lightweight bout: Gabe Green vs. James Llontop
Women's flyweight bout: Ivana Petrovic vs. Liang Na
Lightweight bout: Gabriel Benitez vs. Maheshate