2025 in UFC | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Information | ||||
First date | January 13, 2025 | |||
Last date | TBD | |||
Events | ||||
Total events | TBD | |||
UFC | TBD | |||
TUF Finale events | TBD | |||
Fights | ||||
Total fights | TBD | |||
Title fights | TBD | |||
Chronology | ||||
|
The year 2025 is the 33rd year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
On August 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware granted class action status to more than 1,200 former UFC fighters who competed between December 2010 and June 2017 and are suing for $800 million upward to $1.6 billion in wages, as the lawsuit claims Zuffa had abused its power to suppress UFC fighters' wages. The anti-trust law also permits private plaintiffs to be able to recover three times the damages suffered, meaning the UFC may ultimately pay several billions of dollars worth of damages. [1] The case has a scheduled April 8, 2024 trial date. [2] On March 20, 2024, TKO, UFC parent company reached an agreement to settle all claims in the class action lawsuits for $335 million where the settlement amount will be deductible for tax purposes. [3] [4] However, on July 31, 2024, Judge Richard Boulware ruled that the case would be heard by a jury and denied the preliminary approval for a settlement and reset for trial of in October. [5] [6] On February 6, 2025, Judge Richard Boulware of Nevada granted final approval for a $375 million settlement in the "Le vs. Zuffa" antitrust lawsuit for monopolistic practices. As part of the settlement, around $240 million to $260 million will be distributed to eligible fighters, specifically those who competed in at least one UFC bout from December 2010 to June 2017. These payments are expected to be made over the next year. Additionally, $40 million from the settlement will be set aside for administrative and legal expenses. [7]
These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement, or joined other promotions:
The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2025:
The list below is based on fighters suspended either by (1) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for violation of taking prohibited substances or non-analytical incidents, (2) by local commissions on misconduct during the fights or at event venues, or (3) by the UFC for reasons also stated below.
ISO | Name | Nickname | Division | From | Duration | Tested positive for / Info | By | Eligible to fight again | Ref. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Walt Harris | The Big Ticket | Heavyweight | July 11, 2023 | 4 years | Drostanolone and its metabolites, exogenous testosterone, and Anastrozole | CSAD | July 11, 2027 | [52] | |
![]() | Arman Tsarukyan | Akhalkalakets | Lightweight | April 13, 2024 | 9 months | Pre-fight altercation with spectator during UFC 300 | NSAC | January 12, 2025 | [53] | $25,000 fine; additionally, if he issued an anti-bullying public service announcement approved by the NSAC, sentence could have been reduced to six months with fight eligibility on October 12, 2024 |
![]() | Hamdy Abdelwahab | The Hammer | Heavyweight | July 30, 2024 | 6 months | Exogenous testosterone | CSAD | January 30, 2025 | [54] | |
![]() | Azamat Murzakanov | The Professional | Light Heavyweight | November 1, 2024 | 6 months | LGD-4033 metabolites | CSAD | May 1, 2025 | [55] | Second violation under the UFC. |
![]() | Dennis Buzukja | The Great | Lightweight | December 7, 2024 | 9 months | Altercation with a fan at UFC 310 | NSAC | September 7, 2025 | [56] | $2,500 fine with additional legal fees of $157.04; additionally, if he does community service executed by the NSAC, sentence can been reduced to six months with fight eligibility on June 7, 2025. |
The following The Ultimate Fighter season is scheduled for broadcast in 2025:
Season | Division | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Ultimate Fighter 33 [57] | Flyweight | |||
Welterweight |
Title fights in 2025 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Weight class | Method | Round | Time | Event | Notes | |||
Bantamweight | Merab Dvalishvili (c) | def. [58] | Umar Nurmagomedov | Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 48–47, 49–46) | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 311 | [a] |
Lightweight | Islam Makhachev (c) | def. [59] | Renato Moicano | Submission (brabo choke) | 1 | 4:05 | UFC 311 | [b] |
Women's Strawweight | Zhang Weili (c) | def. [60] | Tatiana Suarez | Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 49–46, 49–45) | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 312 | [c] |
Middleweight | Dricus du Plessis (c) | def. [61] | Sean Strickland | Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 50–45, 49–46) | 5 | 5:00 | UFC 312 | [d] |
Light Heavyweight | Alex Pereira (c) | vs. [62] | Magomed Ankalaev | UFC 313 | [e] | |||
Featherweight | Alexander Volkanovski | vs. [63] | Diego Lopes | UFC 314 | [f] | |||
Welterweight | Belal Muhammad (c) | vs. [64] | Jack Della Maddalena | UFC 315 | [g] | |||
Women's Flyweight | Valentina Shevchenko (c) | vs. [64] | Manon Fiorot | UFC 315 | [h] | |||
Women's Bantamweight | Julianna Peña (c) | vs. [65] | Kayla Harrison | UFC 316 | [i] | |||
Flyweight | Alexandre Pantoja (c) | vs. [66] | Kai Kara-France | UFC 316 | [j] |