Ante Delija and Serghei Spivac meet on UFC Houston main card
ante delija faces Serghei Spivac on the main card of UFC Fight Night 267 at Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, with the fighters expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9: 10 p. m. ET and the card streaming live on Paramount+.
Where and when the fight happens
The heavyweight bout headlines the main card at Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday, February 21, 2026. Promoters list the walk to the cage at roughly 9: 10 p. m. ET, and the night’s action will stream live on Paramount+.
Size, records and styles
Serghei "Polar Bear" Spivac enters the Octagon with a record of 17-6-0 overall and 8-6 in the promotion. The 31-year-old fights out of an orthodox stance, weighs 260 lbs, stands 6'3" and has a reach listed at 78". Ante "Walking Trouble" Delija comes in at 26-7-0 overall and 1-1 in the promotion; the 35-year-old is also orthodox, measures 6'3", fights at 239 lbs and has a wingspan of 78".
Striking and grappling numbers spelled out
Stat lines show clear contrasts: Spivac averages 3. 45 significant strikes per minute while Delija averages 4. 81. Spivac is landing 48% of his significant strikes; Delija is landing 45%. Spivac absorbs 4. 25 significant strikes per minute compared with Delija’s 2. 65. Defensively, Spivac deflects 50% of significant strikes thrown his way while Delija stops 38% of the shots thrown at him.
On the mat, Spivac is listed as scoring takedowns 4. 21 times per 3 rds, completing takedowns on 62% of his attempts and stuffing 63% of opponents' takedown tries. Delija is finishing 15% of his takedown attempts and stuffing 15% of takedowns against him. Submission attempts are recorded as 0. 5 subs per 3 rounds for Spivac and 0. 4 subs per 15 minutes for Delija.
Recent results, controversy and betting lines
Both men enter with recent setbacks against Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Spivac lost a unanimous decision in a three-round fight with Cortes-Acosta, with Acosta landing 111 of 236 total strikes and Spivac landing 53 of 124. In that bout Acosta landed 110 of 235 significant strikes (46%), finishing the fight with 76 of 196 significant strikes to the head; Spivac landed 48 of 119 significant strikes (40%) and connected on 39 of 109 of his significant strikes to the head. The account lists 95% of Acosta’s significant strikes and 93% of Spivac’s as thrown at distance.
Delija’s last meeting with Cortes-Acosta ended in a first-round loss by punch to the head. The breakdown lists Delija connecting on 16 of 36 significant strikes (44%) and 13 of 33 significant strikes to the head; Cortes-Acosta landed 12 of 17 significant strikes and 9 of 11 to the head. The totals show Cortes-Acosta landed 18 of 24 total strikes while Delija connected on 18 of 38 total strikes. Delija’s November fight with Cortes-Acosta is also described as having a controversial stop and restart that resulted in the first-round loss; he had previously won his UFC debut by finishing Marcin Tybura in the first round. Spivac’s last stoppage loss came in January at the hands of the recently-released Jailton Almeida, and his most recent win before that was a first-round submission of Marcin Tybura in August 2024.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom offered a quick breakdown and made an official pick of Delija by knockout in Round 1, noting a leaning toward Delija as a redemption fight after the Nevada State Athletic Commission and onsite officials were said to have botched his last fight. One colorful line in the write-up summed up the matchup with: "Death, taxes and the UFC matchmakers force-feeding us heavyweights on Fight Night cards. "
Oddsmakers and the public slightly favor the Croatian fighter, though lines differ across listings: FanDuel is shown with Delija -142 and Spivac +116, while another listing shows Delija -135 and Spivac +115.
What else is on the card and what's next
An additional bout called out for the night pairs Zach Reese against Michel Pereira. The main event’s scheduled walk time remains roughly 9: 10 p. m. ET, and the card will stream on Paramount+ on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Where this goes from here
The fight between Spivac and ante delija is set for the main card at Toyota Center on Saturday with a projected 9: 10 p. m. ET walk to the cage; viewers can watch the action on Paramount+. After this bout, the next confirmed on-card matchup listed is Zach Reese vs Michel Pereira.
