Rookie Report Card: Grading the lone Octagon newcomer UFC Vegas 108 post-mortem

You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut!

And only one athlete debuted in “Sin City” last night (Sat., Aug. 2, 2025) at UFC Vegas 108 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, but it did not go so well.

UFC Vegas 108’s rookie lost, and now that the dust has settled, let’s grade his performance below:

stepped up on five days’ notice to face top prospect Austin Bashi after Francis Marshall withdrew. Unfortunately for Yannis, the short-notice gamble didn’t pay off as he was steamrolled and tapped out in the first round (watch highlights).

Bashi, a 23-year-old grappling phenom, stumbled in his UFC debut but was out to prove he’s a future contender. Facing him on short notice is a nightmare for anyone, and Yannis, a knockout artist with crisp boxing, learned that the hard way.

a squash match. Yannis was a sacrificial lamb to get Bashi his first UFC win and some shine after a rocky debut. Yannis’ vaunted knockout power? Nonexistent here—he landed zero significant strikes, going 2 for 9 on total strikes.

Is Yannis UFC material? No, but in the modern UFC, where the standard of being a UFC fighter is low, he might scrape by for a couple of fights.

Hopefully, the matchmakers throw the 31-year-old a bone like Dennis Buzukja, so the fanbase can see him strike a little bit before being released.