Francis Marshall Faces Dakota Hope at UFC Vegas 123
The featherweight matchup highlights the preliminary card for the upcoming event in Las Vegas.
Featherweight prospect Francis Marshall is set to face Dakota Hope on the preliminary card at UFC Vegas 123 in Las Vegas. The event features a lightweight main card headlined by Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan, while Marshall and Hope prepare for their scheduled bout.
Marshall enters the matchup holding a 10-3 record, looking to continue his momentum after rebounding in 2026. His recent performances include a first-round submission victory over Erik Silva and a unanimous decision win against Lucas Brennan, helping him recover from a split decision loss to Mairon Santos.
On the other side, Dakota Hope holds an 11-2 professional record and returns to the featherweight division for this contest. In his April UFC debut, Hope dropped a competitive split decision to Kai Kamaka III during a short-notice lightweight appearance, which followed an opening-round stoppage win over Mauricio Gomez.
DraftKings odds position Marshall as the favorite at -205, while Hope enters as the underdog at +170. Analysts indicate that Marshall's path to victory relies on mixing his wrestling with calculated striking to disrupt Hope's forward pressure and control the pace of the match.
Conversely, Hope aims to capitalize through a higher-paced striking approach and strong takedown defense. By targeting the body and managing distance, the underdog hopes to avoid sustained grappling sequences and force a competitive decision or late stoppage.
The full fight card features a mix of preliminary and main card bouts broadcast live. Prelims are scheduled to stream live on Paramount+, leading into the main card headlined by Moicano and Nolan.
With both athletes looking to secure a victory in the featherweight division, the matchup is expected to deliver a tactical battle between Marshall's grappling control and Hope's striking output.