Fighters on the Rise | UFC Freedom 250

The Montreal resident is also battling the fact that each of his last two victories have been competitive affairs against beloved figures that ended in decisions many fans believe should have gone the other way. Last May at UFC 315, Zahabi rallied to beat former featherweight champ and UFC legend Jose Aldo before venturing to Vancouver five months later and landing on the happy side of a split decision verdict in another close fight with Marlon “Chito” Vera. But Zahabi shouldn’t be overlooked because the audience is mad that he beat two of their favorites. 

He’s shown throughout this run of success that his fundamentals are rock solid, his defensive work is superb, and he’s far grittier and tougher than he gets credit for, having rallied from the brink of being finished to topple Aldo last year. Entrenched in the sport for 20-plus years while learning under his brother Firas and alongside the greats that have passed through Montreal’s Tristar Gym, the younger Zahabi is a sharp tactician who is true to himself inside the Octagon and understands how to win moments and rounds.

This is a massive opportunity for the streaking divisional underdog, and a win over O’Malley would unlock an even greater opportunity for Zahabi in the second half of 2026.

Kyle Daukaus

The return of “The D’arce Knight” was one of the best stories of 2025, and now Daukaus gets a marquee opportunity to write the next chapter as he is set to stand opposite Bo Nickal in Washington D.C.

Daukaus earned a win early on Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series but wasn’t awarded a contract despite being an undefeated prospect. He returned to CFFC, successfully defended his middleweight title twice more, and then was called up for a short-notice bout against Brendan Allen, where he battled hard, but landed on the wrong side of the scorecards. Over the next six fights, the Philadelphia native went 2-3 with one no contest, with back-to-back stoppage losses to Roman Dolidze and Eryk Anders at the end of that stretch, costing him his place on the roster.

Once again, Daukaus returned to CFFC and dominated, eventually reclaiming and successfully defending his title twice before getting another short-notice call-up, only this time, he was headed to Shanghai and not Las Vegas. It took him just 43 seconds to dispatch Michel Pereira, and then, less than three months later at Madison Square Garden, Daukaus needed just 50 seconds to submit Gerald Meerschaert with his signature D’arce choke, extending his winning streak to six in the process.

PHOTO GALLERY: UFC Freedom 250 Fighters Visit White House

The proud father of two is far more settled and confident in himself this time around, and it’s shown in the way he’s attacked each of his last two opponents. While Nickal is a decorated collegiate wrestler and coming off an impressive knockout win last time out, he’s still only nine fights into his professional career. Daukaus is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who isn’t going to be afraid to enter grappling entanglements with Nickal, and he’s shown during his current run of success that he’s packing more power in his striking than during his initial UFC run.

Garcia has been steadily stacking wins since October 2022 when he starched Chase Hooper in 92 seconds. Five more stoppage wins followed before he went the distance with Calvin Kattar to earn his place in the rankings last July, and then in November, the Albuquerque resident returned to his finishing ways in his first main event assignment opposite David Onama to push his winning streak to seven heading into next month’s clash with Diego Lopes.

UFC Freedom 250 Pre-Fight Press Conference

The 33-year-old Jackson Wink MMA product took a while to find the right weight class and really settle into who he is as a fighter, but now that he’s found that, Garcia has looked outstanding. He’s not someone who collects finishes by going hunting — he’s patient with his output and packs power in both hands but is willing to allow openings to present themselves before his finishing instincts kick in, and he slams the door closed on any comeback opportunities.