Alden CoriaW vs. Stewart Nicoll
UFC Fight Night · July 18, 2026 · Paycom Center · Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The lineAlden Coria -1050Stewart Nicoll +675DraftKings
The result
Alden Coria def. Stewart Nicoll — Decision (unanimous), R3 5:00
About as one-sided as the lopsided odds and the pre-fight read suggested. Coria won the striking exchanges from the opening bell, and every time Nicoll forced a clinch or grappling sequence, Coria scrambled free and countered on the break. The only surprise was Nicoll's toughness — he lasted all fifteen minutes of a 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 beating that the prediction expected to end early.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
What kind of fight is this?
One-way pressure — finish likelihood: high
On paper this is the widest gap on the card outside the debuts. Coria's defense neutralizes Nicoll's brawling, and his volume compounds against a man who gets hit this much. Expect Coria to hurt him with accumulation — the body, like Costa showed, is the opening — and finish inside three rounds or cruise to a shutout. Nicoll needs a perfect wild swing early.
The matchup
A shared opponent makes this brutal reading for Nicoll: Alessandro Costa knocked him out three months ago, and Coria knocked Costa out last September. Every meaningful number splits the same way — Coria absorbs 2.4 strikes a minute behind 70% defense while Nicoll eats 5.84 behind 50%, and Nicoll's 29% takedown defense offers Coria a second lane he doesn't even need. Nicoll's proven finishing instinct is the only equalizer, and desperation sometimes swings hard.
Tale of the tape
| 12-3 (1 NC) | Record | 8-3 |
| 28 | Age | 31 |
| 5'8" | Height | 5'5" |
| 67" | Reach | 65.5" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| United States | Country | Solomon Islands |
| 4oz Fight Club | Team | Team Compton Training Centre (Australia) |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Alden Coria 12-3 (1 NC)
“Cobra”
A Fury FC product who has looked ready-made in the UFC: a third-round knockout of Alessandro Costa at Noche UFC, then a hundred-strike decision over Luis Gurule in Houston. Lands volume while barely getting touched — 70% striking defense, only 2.4 absorbed per minute — with nine stoppages in twelve wins. Quietly one of the better-built flyweight prospects on the roster.
- WLuis Gurule · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Houston · February 21, 2026
- WAlessandro Costa · KO/TKO, R3 0:47Noche UFC: Lopes vs. Silva · September 13, 2025
- WGustavo Orpineda Ponce · KO/TKO, R2 3:21Fury FC 104 · May 25, 2025
Stewart Nicoll 8-3
“Kakamora”
The first Solomon Islander in the UFC, fighting out of Australia, who arrived 8-0 with seven finishes — and has gone 0-3 since, submitted by Jesus Aguilar, outpointed by Lucas Rocha, and folded by an Alessandro Costa liver shot in April. The regional aggression is real; the UFC-level defense hasn't shown up yet. Universally read as a must-win to keep his roster spot.
- LAlessandro Costa · KO/TKO (body shot), R2 4:56UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Duncan · April 4, 2026
- LLucas Rocha · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · October 11, 2025
- LJesus Aguilar · Submission (guillotine choke), R1 2:39UFC 305 · August 17, 2024