Highly touted middleweight prospect Ateba Gautier will remain on the UFC 320 card in Las Vegas, but not without a late shakeup. Gautier was originally scheduled to face Ozzy Diaz (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in Saturday’s prelims finale at T-Mobile Arena. However, Diaz withdrew Monday due to undisclosed health issues, leaving Gautier briefly without an opponent.
On Tuesday, Gautier (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) got his reprieve: Treston Vines (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in on just five days’ notice to make his UFC debut. The booking was announced by Vines’ management team, though the promotion has yet to confirm it officially.
Who is Treston Vines?
At 29 years old, Vines arrives from Alabama riding a four-fight win streak, with three straight finishes in regional competition. Just last month, he scored a first-round submission victory, continuing his trend of stoppage-heavy performances. Seven of his 10 wins have come by knockout or submission, signaling his intent to finish fights rather than leave it in the judges’ hands.
Gautier’s Meteoric Rise
The 23-year-old Gautier is one of the UFC’s fastest-rising European imports. A product of Manchester Top Team by way of Cameroon, he has strung together six consecutive knockout victories, five in the first round.
Since earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, Gautier has looked unstoppable. In March, he earned a performance bonus with a flying knee finish of Jose Medina, then followed it up with a 70-second demolition of Robert Valentin at UFC 318 in July.
The only opponent to survive a round with him in the past two years was on DWCS, when Gautier sealed his UFC deal with a second-round TKO.
With Gautier positioned as the closing act of the prelims, the UFC clearly views him as a future attraction. A win over Vines keeps his momentum alive, but with Vines bringing both finishing power and nothing to lose on debut, the matchup carries an element of unpredictability.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
