Jai Herbert beat Matheus Camilo by unanimous decision in the lightweight co-main event at UFC Vegas 122, with each of the three judges returning a 29-28 scorecard for the English fighter after a competitive three-round contest. Cageside Press reported that Herbert, who entered following a win over Mandel Nallo, said afterwards that he hoped to stay active and fight again early in 2027.
The result gave Herbert a second successive victory when his preceding win over Nallo is counted alongside the Camilo decision. It also halted the immediate momentum Camilo brought into the bout: the Brazilian had won two straight fights after losing his UFC debut to Gabe Green, according to Cageside Press.
Herbert started on the front foot
Cageside Press reported that Herbert pressed Camilo towards the fence behind his jab in the opening round and landed a straight right which forced Camilo to circle away. Camilo responded with an overhand right that clipped Herbert and then completed a takedown, leaving the first five minutes difficult to separate.
The report also said Camilo returned a low leg kick during Herbert’s early pressure and fought back strongly in the final minute of the opening round. That late work was described as potentially enough to steal the round, illustrating why the contest could not be read simply from Herbert’s early success on the feet.
The report described Camilo as the fighter advancing more consistently in the second round. He secured a bodylock takedown midway through the round and moved to Herbert’s back, where he looked for a submission opportunity.
Herbert escaped that position, reversed the exchange and ended up on top. He then threw ground strikes from Camilo’s full guard for the remainder of the round. Camilo’s coach Erik Nicksick indicated between rounds that he considered the fight level at one round apiece, an assessment which underlined how narrow the contest had appeared at that stage.
The change in position was important within the reported flow of the fight: Camilo had achieved control and threatened from Herbert’s back, but Herbert finished the round attacking from above. It did not establish how any individual judge scored the round, though it helps explain why the bout remained competitive despite the eventual unanimous verdict.
Late takedown defence helped decide close fight
The third round again contained success for both men. Cageside Press reported that Camilo landed a significant left hand early, while Herbert connected with a body kick as Camilo came forward. Herbert then began to apply more pressure as Camilo appeared to tire.
Camilo brought the action into the clinch against the cage and later attempted to take Herbert down twice. Herbert defended the first attempt and finished above Camilo in full guard, where he landed ground strikes before allowing him back up. The Englishman also stopped the later takedown attempt.
Those closing exchanges did not produce a finish, but they gave Herbert a meaningful answer to Camilo’s earlier grappling success. The official result, as reported by Cageside Press, was unanimous rather than split: all three scorecards were 29-28 for Herbert. That agreement from the judges is notable because the report portrayed the first two rounds as especially hard to score, rather than suggesting a one-sided performance.
What the result changes for Herbert
Herbert said that he hoped to stay active and fight again early in 2027.
For now, the practical significance is the result itself and the sequence it creates. Herbert had arrived after defeating Nallo, and the Camilo decision makes that two wins in a row. Camilo, meanwhile, fell after the two-fight winning run identified by Cageside Press.