UFC Vegas 47: Who is Denys Bondar?

Get a glimpse of flyweight prospect, Denys Bondar, ahead of his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 47.

After a rare week-long hiatus, the UFC is back in the center of the MMA calendar, as the promotion returns to the UFC APEX for UFC Vegas 47 Saturday night. The event is headlined by a critical middleweight tilt between Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland, as the winner will look to move one step closer to a shot at the belt later this year.

In addition to the middleweights topping the bill, the card features some newcomers and prospects to keep an eye on as 2022 progresses. One of those names is Denys Bondar, a flyweight out of Ukraine.

Bondar is 16-3 as a professional and will compete during the preliminary portion of the card against Malcom Gordon in the opener, which can be seen exclusively on ESPN+.

Bondar has seen his last three bouts get canceled, and has not fought since Aug. 2020 when he defeated Keenan Jafarli by rear-naked-choke at Road to WWFC. The victory was Bondar’s fourth-straight daring back to Nov. 2019, and his last loss came all the way back in March 2017.

Bondar is a well-rounded fighter who can dictate the pace of any fight, and with flyweight as strong as it has ever has been, the Ukrainian could make waves with a hot start in the promotion.

Who is Malcom Gordon?

Gordon, Bondar’s opponent, is 13-5 and hails from Canada. Since arriving in the UFC in July 2020, Gordon has yet to find sustained success within the division. He most recently earned his first Octagon win against Francisco Figueiredo in Jan. 2021, where he took home a unanimous decision victory.

The win ended Gordon’s drought of two-straight losses and four consecutive cancellations, dating back April 2019.

Something has to give between these two prospects, as the world will find out who emerges victorious come Saturday night.

UFC Vegas 47 takes place on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, live from the UFC APEX. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.