You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!
Four rookies stepped into the Octagon “Down Under” yesterday (Sat., Sept. 27, 2025) at UFC Perth inside RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The newcomers went 3-1 overall, with two scoring knockouts and one making history for her country.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below:
Brando Pericic
Australia’s Brando Pericic skipped Contender Series week three this year and jumped straight into the big show — and it may have been the right call. The 31-year-old Heavyweight steamrolled Elisha Ellison, knocking him unconscious in under two minutes with vicious ground-and-pound (watch highlights).
While it was a quick fight, “The Balkan Bear” showed some of his game.
Pericic used heavy kicks to gauge distance, and then when he let his hands go, he cracked Ellison with an overhand right that sparked the beginning of the end. He stuffed a takedown attempt, punished Ellison in the clinch, and then unleashed nasty ground-and-pound when his foe pulled guard.
At just 5-1, who knows how far Pericic will go in the division because he’s so raw; however, the 31-year-old has got a few things going for him — he’s 6’5,” powerful, and trains at City Kickboxing.
I would like to see him fight Kennedy Nzechukwu in his next outing.
Final Grade: A+
Michelle Montague
Former PFL standout Michelle Montague became the first woman from New Zealand to compete in the UFC — and she delivered a dominant debut by smothering Luana Carolina en route to a unanimous decision win.
Montague snapped her 100 percent finish rate, but she proved she can push a relentless pace for three rounds.
The story of the fight — and really her career to this point — was how quickly she could drag things to the mat without absorbing too much damage on the feet. For the most part, she succeeded, though Carolina did manage to crack her a couple of times.
She dragged Carolina down in every frame, punished her with elbows and punches, and even fought through a cut and an illegal upkick. She definitely took notes from her teammate Kayla Harrison: take down, smash, repeat.
Her striking remains amateurish, but she dominated a ranked opponent and looked like a massive Bantamweight in the process.
With the Bantamweight division lacking fighters, Montague will most likely get ranked opposition in her next outing, so I would like her to take on France’s Nora Cornolle.
Final grade: B
Cam Rowston
What a turnaround for “Battle Giraffe.” A year ago, Cam Rowston was dominated on Contender Series. Four weeks ago, he earned redemption with a contract-winning knockout (watch highlights). Yesterday, he stopped Andre Petroski in his UFC debut.
Rowston used his height and reach to keep range against Petroski, while getting his legs chopped. He then opened up his striking and landed a check left hook that dropped Petroski. Rowston followed him to the canvas and unleashed ground-and-pound until the referee stopped the fight (watch highlights).
Known mainly for his submission game, it’s nice to see Rowston evolve his game in his last two outings, and he’s looked good doing it —and while the competition he ran through on the regional scene was absolutely awful, he’s showing up against much better opponents.
Cody Brundage seems like the no-brainer for his next outing.
Final grade: A
Elisha Ellison
Like his opponent, Elisha Ellison skipped going through the Contender Series and went straight to UFC; however, it went horribly as he got knocked out in under two minutes by Pericic after showing little more than a quick burst of offense and a stuffed double leg.
At 0-1 in the UFC, it’s probably safe to say that Ellison is not UFC caliber, but given the division’s thin depth, he may get one more shot. If he does, a loser-leaves-town showdown with Austen Lane would fit.
Final grade: F
Who impressed you most in their UFC Perth debut — Pericic’s knockout, Montague’s grappling, or Rowston’s evolution?
For complete UFC Perth results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
