Gaston Bolanos vs. Francis Marshall
UFC Fight Night · October 31, 2026 · Meta Apex · Prelims
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Knockout power vs. submission grappler
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Featherweight · Prelims
The read
Bolanos's hands are the biggest swing factor here, and Marshall's own history of being finished by strikes means he can't afford to trade carelessly.
If Marshall can close distance and get this to the mat, his submission rate makes him a live threat in any scramble; if it stays standing, Bolanos's power gives him the edge.
The matchup
This pairs a heavy-handed veteran finisher against a grappler who has won his last two fights via a submission and a clean decision.
Bolanos's knockout power is the clearest path to an early night, while Marshall's ground game and submission rate give him a route to victory if he can get underneath the striking and avoid a firefight on the feet.
Tale of the tape
| 9-5 | Record | 10-3 |
| 33 | Age | 27 |
| 5'7" | Height | 5'9" |
| 69" | Reach | 72" |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| Peru | Country | United States |
| Combat Sports Academy | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Gaston Bolanos 9-5
“The Dreamkiller”
Gaston 'The Dreamkiller' Bolanos is a 33-year-old Peruvian featherweight training at Combat Sports Academy, the eighth Peruvian fighter ever signed by the UFC after a run in Bellator. His 9-5 record is built mostly on knockouts, and he has won two of his last three, most recently a unanimous decision over Michael Aswell Jr. in June 2026. He now meets fellow featherweight Francis Marshall in Las Vegas.
- WMichael Aswell Jr. · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · June 20, 2026
- LQuang Le · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo · May 3, 2025
- WCortavious Romious · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · November 9, 2024
Francis Marshall 10-3
“Fire”
Francis 'Fire' Marshall is a 27-year-old American featherweight, a former New Jersey firefighter whose 10-3 record is built primarily on submissions. He has won back-to-back fights since a split-decision loss to Mairon Santos, most recently a clean decision over Lucas Brennan in April 2026, and now faces a hard-hitting veteran in Gaston Bolanos.
- WLucas Brennan · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night · April 25, 2026
- WErik Silva · Submission (rear-naked choke)UFC Fight Night · February 28, 2026
- LMairon Santos · Decision (split)UFC 313 · March 8, 2025