Gaston "The Dreamkiller" Bolanos brings his striking prowess to the Octagon, with a reputation for finishing opponents early, while Cortavious "Are You Not Entertained?" Romious is a versatile fighter known for his submission skills and ability to adapt in the cage. This bantamweight clash will be a battle of Bolanos' knockout power against Romious' grappling skills. Can Bolanos put his opponent away with his aggressive striking, or will Romious’ ground game earn him the victory? Expect a thrilling encounter at UFC Fight Night 247!

Gaston Bolanos (7-4-0) enters the Octagon after a recent loss to Marcus McGhee at UFC Fight Night 234 via spinning wheel kick and punches. Known for his aggressive striking style, Bolanos has amassed six KO/TKOs in his career, showing his ability to finish opponents early. His wrestling and defensive grappling, however, have been areas of vulnerability, as seen in his loss to Daniel Carey by technical submission at Bellator 226. Bolanos’ best chance for victory lies in keeping the fight standing and using his striking to overwhelm Romious.

Gaston Bolanos - Last Five Fights:

* Loss vs. Marcus McGhee at UFC Fight Night 234 - TKO (Spinning Wheel Kick and Punches) - Jan 13, 2024
* Win vs. Aaron Phillips at UFC on ESPN 44 - Decision (Unanimous) - Apr 15, 2023
* Win vs. Daniel Carey at Bellator 277 - TKO (Punches) - Apr 15, 2022
* Loss vs. Chris Hatley Jr. at Bellator 239 - Decision (Split) - Feb 21, 2020
* Loss vs. Daniel Carey at Bellator 226 - Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) - Sep 07, 2019

Cortavious Romious (9-2-0) enters this fight with solid momentum after his victory over Michael Imperato at Dana White’s Contender Series 2024 by unanimous decision. Romious has shown his ground game with multiple submission victories, including an armbar win over Erik Vo at NIF MMA 18 earlier this year. While his knockout power is limited, his ability to control the fight on the ground could be his path to victory. Romious’ key will be to avoid the striking danger of Bolanos and close the distance to implement his grappling.

Cortavious Romious - Last Five Fights:

* Win vs. Michael Imperato at Dana White’s Contender Series 2024 - Decision (Unanimous) - Aug 20, 2024
* Win vs. Erik Vo at NIF MMA 18 - Submission (Armbar) - Apr 20, 2024
* Loss vs. Ramon Taveras at Dana White’s Contender Series 2023 - TKO (Punches) - Oct 10, 2023
* Win vs. Nathan Williams at LFA 160 - Submission (Armbar) - Jun 16, 2023
* Win vs. Cain Lugar at Caged Aggression 35 - Submission (Armbar) - Mar 24, 2023

Prediction: Bolanos’ striking is dynamic, but Romious has the tools to neutralize it with his grappling. If Romious can avoid the knockout power of Bolanos and bring the fight to the ground, he will have a strong chance at victory. Bolanos will need to keep the fight standing and showcase his superior striking. Given Romious’ submission skills and Bolanos’ struggles with wrestling, I predict Cortavious Romious wins by submission in Round 2.