With MarQuel Mederos pulling out of the fight, it was Michael Aswell stepping up on less than a week’s notice at UFC Vegas 107 against Bolaji Oki.
The lightweight fight was the second bout of the night at the UFC Apex, in the final event at the venue prior to the UFC going on an extended road trip. Known as the “Texas Kid,” Aswell had come up short on the Contender Series in 2024, but had bounced back with a win on the regional scene back in December.
A DWCS winner himself, Oki was 1-1 in the UFC to date, entering the night looking to rebound from a submission loss to Chris Duncan.
Round One: The fight opened with a sharp right hand from Oki, immediately setting the tone. He followed up with a power jab upstairs and to the body, mixing in heavy leg kicks. Oki kept the pressure on, landing a crisp one-two and a clean left that caught Aswell flush. He wasn’t wasting any time, ripping a nasty body shot that clearly had intent behind it.
Aswell stayed composed but was consistently getting beat to the punch. He did manage to land a clean right hand, one that the commentary team missed, that appeared to earn Oki’s respect. Aswell followed it up with another right, slowly working his way back into the fight.
Oki began to settle in, picking his shots more deliberately. His jab was sharp, especially to the body. Aswell’s chin held up under the pressure, which allowed him to clip Oki a few times and stay competitive. He closed the round strong with a right-left combination that briefly stumbled Oki. It was a solid round overall, but Oki likely did just enough to edge it with the volume and quality of his offense.
Round Two: Oki came out throwing heat, launching a spinning backfist into a head kick—blocked, but enough to give Aswell a different look. He continued to attack the body well, digging in with his left hook and sneaking in a knee.
Oki landed another hard leg kick, but Aswell answered with a sharp right. Aswell stayed active with his hands, throwing one-twos and pumping the jab, even if much of it wasn’t getting through clean.
Still, Oki’s relentless forward pressure and precision striking were starting to separate him. He found success with his right hook and kept the pace high. Aswell remained game, but Oki wasn’t fading the way he may have expected him to.
Round Three: Oki opened the final round with a massive right hand that would’ve dropped most fighters, but Aswell’s toughness was on full display. Oki maintained a relentless work rate, continuing to mix up his strikes and coming forward with purpose.
His head movement and ability to dip off the centerline before firing the right hand were impressive, showcasing his technical polish. Aswell had some nice boxing moments of his own, but struggled to land consistently or with the same impact.
As the round wore on, it became clear that Oki was simply too fast, too powerful, and too defensively sound. He carried the higher offensive output and the sharper striking throughout, closing out a strong performance. In the end, it was Oki coming away with the decision win.
Official Result: Bolaji Oki def. Michael Aswell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)