Nikolay Veretennikov Beats Francisco Prado by Split
Nikolay Veretennikov earned his first UFC victory with a split-decision win over Francisco Prado at UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19, 2025. The welterweights went three rounds at Smoothie King Center, and the judges returned scorecards of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28 for Veretennikov. One judge scored the bout for Prado, making this a close and debated result rather than a unanimous decision.
A narrow decision in the UFC 318 prelims
Prado entered the matchup aiming to rebound from earlier setbacks, while Veretennikov was still searching for his first win inside the promotion. Once the fight began, however, the outcome came down to 15 minutes of work and three judges’ interpretations rather than an early finish.
The split decision reflects how closely contested the bout was. Two scorecards favored Veretennikov by 29-28, while the third gave Prado the same score. The official result was not a unanimous decision, draw, knockout or submission: Veretennikov won by split decision. That distinction matters because the individual scorecards were close and divided.
Veretennikov gets a first UFC win
For Veretennikov, the victory was an important milestone after losses in his first two UFC appearances. He left New Orleans with his first official win in the organization and a result that could help steady his place in the welterweight division. Because the verdict was narrow, the scorecards tell a fuller story than the simple win-loss line: one judge saw the fight for Prado, and two saw it for Veretennikov.
Prado’s loss was a second consecutive setback after his earlier defeat to Daniel Zellhuber. He was competitive enough to earn one judge’s 29-28 card, but not enough to secure the majority verdict. The result continued a difficult stretch for the Argentine, whose UFC run had included strong moments alongside uneven results.
Why the result drew attention
Split decisions invite discussion because the officials do not agree on the winner. The UFC’s published scorecards make the disagreement transparent here: one 28-29 card for Prado and two 29-28 cards for Veretennikov. It is accurate to describe the bout as close and the result as debated; the official record still lists Veretennikov as the winner.
For readers looking up Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov, the concise result is Veretennikov by split decision at UFC 318, with scores of 28-29, 29-28 and 29-28. His first UFC victory came in a full three-round welterweight contest, while Prado left with a narrow loss. The post-fight interview with Veretennikov is embedded above.
