ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – MAY 16: Steven McBride #87 of the St. Louis Battlehawks catches a pass against Glendon Miller #25 of the Houston Gamblers during the third quarter at The Dome at America’s Center on May 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/UFL/Getty Images)

The Battlehawks’ comeback fell short at the 5-yard line with no time left as the Houston Gamblers gave the St. Louis Battlehawks their first regular-season loss at home, 23-16. St. Louis scored first on their opening drive with a three-point field goal to lead 3-0; however, Houston would score when Hunter Dekkers completed all six of his passes for 58 yards and capped the possession with a four-yard touchdown strike to Jontre Kirklin to take a 7-3 lead. Then, Houston cornerback Kary Vincent Jr intercepted Luis Perez and ran back a 34-yard touchdown to give his team a 14-3.

St. Louis outgained Houston 353-200 but went just 1-for-6 in the red zone and 2-for-11 on third down. Battlehawks quarterback Luis Perez struggled with consistency by converting 26 passes on 47 attempts (55.3%) and throwing 308 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Wide receiver Steven McBride had a strong day with eight receptions for 116 yards while tight end Tyler Neville scored the Battlehawks’ lone touchdown in the fourth quarter.  The Battlehawks had one more chance to pull off a miracle with seconds left in the 4th quarter when a costly holding penalty backed the Battlehawks up and turned the moment into 4th-and-19. The Houston defense sacked Perez on fourth down, but a defensive holding penalty kept the drive alive.

With 13 seconds remaining, Perez completed a pass to McBride, but time expired at the two-yard line. The Battlehawks drop to 5-3 with the loss. The Gamblers improve to 3-5. St. Louis is still in the mix for a UFL playoff spot with two games left. First is a rematch with the Gamblers in Houston on Sunday, May 24. Then, the Battlehawks return home for their season finale on Friday, May 29, against the Dallas Renegades.