2026 in UFC

Last updated

2026 in UFC
Logo of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.svg
Information
First dateJanuary 24, 2026 (2026-01-24)
Last dateTBD
Events
Total eventsTBD
UFCTBD
TUF Finale eventsTBD
Fights
Total fightsTBD
Title fightsTBD
Chronology
2025 in UFC 2026 in UFC2027 in UFC

The year 2026 is the 34th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.

Contents

UFC in 2026

Class action: anti-trust lawsuits

Johnson v. Zuffa

Based on court filings from late July 2025, the Johnson v. Zuffa antitrust lawsuit, originally filed in 2021, is proceeding, and status conference for the case is scheduled for late August 2025. [1]

Cirkunovs v. Zuffa and Davis v. Zuffa

In May 2025, two antitrust lawsuits were filed against the UFC. One, led by former fighter Misha Cirkunov, specifically challenges the enforceability of arbitration clauses and class action waivers in UFC contracts. [2] [3] The other lawsuit, filed by former fighter Phil Davis, alleges that the UFC's anticompetitive practices also negatively impacted the ability of non-UFC fighters to secure fair wages. [4] [5] [6]

Paramount and CBS partnership

On August 11, 2025, the UFC announced a seven-year media rights agreement with Paramount Skydance Corporation worth $7.7 billion. Paramount+ will exclusively stream all events for seven years, starting in 2026. Some numbered events will also air on CBS. The agreement will allow the UFC to move away from pay-per-view as events will stream on Paramount+ at no additional cost. All 13 of the UFC's flagship events and 30 Fight Nights a year will be streamed on the Paramount+ service. [7] UFC CEO and President Dana White announced the UFC would produce four big events per year on CBS, and that the UFC's planned card for the White House on June 14th, 2026 would be one of those events. [8]

White House event

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, the UFC plans to hold a historic mixed martial arts event on the grounds of the White House in June 2026, marking the first professional sporting event ever staged at the presidential residence. [9] [10]

The event was first announced by US President Donald Trump on July 3, 2025, during a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds: [11] On August 29, 2025, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed via social media that plans for the event had been finalized, stating, "We had the meeting at the White House... The White House fight is on." [12]

On October 6, 2025, President Trump announced that the event would take place on June 14, 2026, coinciding with his 80th birthday. [13]

Post‑Fight bonus increases

Beginning in January 2026, starting with UFC 324, the UFC increased its post‑fight bonus structure, raising Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night awards from $50,000 to $100,000, and introducing additional $25,000 bonuses for any knockout or submission not selected among the standard four post‑fight awards. [14]

Releases and retirements

These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement, or joined other promotions:

Debut UFC fighters

The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2026:

Suspended fighters

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 NameNicknameDivisionFromDurationTested positive for / InfoByEligible to
fight again		Ref.Notes
Flag of Ireland.svg Conor McGregor NotoriousLightweightSeptember 20, 202418 monthsThree anti-doping whereabout failures on June 13, September 19, and September 20, 2024.CSADMarch 20, 2026 [26]
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg Ramazan TemirovTemurlanFlyweightJuly 5, 20251 year Trimetazidine CSADJuly 5, 2026 [27]
Flag of Nigeria.svg Mohammed UsmanThe MotorHeavyweightOctober 9, 202530 months Testosterone and BPC-157 CSADApril 9, 2028 [28]
Flag of Brazil.svg Iasmin Lucindo Women's StrawweightSeptember 24, 20259 months Mesterolone CSADJune 24, 2026 [29]

The Ultimate Fighter

The following The Ultimate Fighter season is scheduled for broadcast in 2026:

SeasonDivisionWinnerRunner-upRef

Title fights

Title fights in 2026
Weight classMethodRoundTimeEventNotes
Lightweight Justin Gaethje def. [30] Paddy Pimblett Decision (unanimous) (48–47, 49–46, 49–46)55:00 UFC 324 [a]
Featherweight Alexander Volkanovski (c)def. [31] Diego Lopes Decision (unanimous) (49–46, 49–46, 50–45)55:00 UFC 325 [b]
  1. ↑ For the interim UFC Lightweight Championship.
  2. ↑ For the UFC Featherweight Championship.

Events list

Scheduled events

EventDateVenueCityCountryRef.
UFC Fight Night 274Aug 29, 2026 Shanghai Indoor Stadium Shanghai China [32]
UFC White House Jun 14, 2026 White House Washington, D.C. United States [33]
UFC Fight Night 273 May 30, 2026 Galaxy Arena Macau, SAR China [34]
UFC 327 Apr 11, 2026 Kaseya Center Miami, Florida United States [35]
UFC Fight Night 272 Apr 4, 2026 Meta Apex Las Vegas, Nevada [36]
UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer Mar 28, 2026 Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, Washington [37]
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs. Murphy Mar 21, 2026 The O2 Arena London, England United Kingdom [38]
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos Mar 14, 2026 Meta Apex Las Vegas, Nevada United States [39]
UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2 Mar 7, 2026 T-Mobile Arena [40]
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh Feb 28, 2026 Arena CDMX Mexico City Mexico [41]
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Hernandez Feb 21, 2026 Toyota Center Houston, Texas United States [42]

Past events

#EventDateVenueCityCountryAtten.Ref.Fight of the NightPerformance of the NightBonusRef.
761 UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Feb 7, 2026 Meta Apex Las Vegas, Nevada United StatesN/a Michał Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-André Barriault Mario Bautista Jakub Wikłacz$100,000 [43]
760 UFC 325: Volkanovski vs. Lopes 2 Feb 1, 2026 Qudos Bank Arena Sydney Australia18,102 [44] Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes Maurício Ruffy Quillan Salkilld$100,000 [45]
759 UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett Jan 24, 2026 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nevada United States19,481 [46] Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett Josh Hokit Ty Miller$100,000 [47]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Johnson et al v. Zuffa, LLC dba Ultimate Fighting Championship et al, No. 2:2021cv01189 - Document 221 (D. Nev. 2025)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  2. ↑ "Cirkunovs v. Zuffa LLC et al, No. 2:2025cv00914 - Document 17 (D. Nev. 2025)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  3. ↑ "UFC sued by ex-fighter in lawsuit that could change everything". MMA Knockout On SI. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  4. ↑ "Davis v. Zuffa, LLC et al". Justia Dockets & Filings. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  5. ↑ Anderson, Mark (2025-06-02). "Former UFC fighters file lawsuits, alleging the MMA promotion restricts their earning potential". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  6. ↑ "Two former UFC fighters file new antitrust lawsuits against promotion". CBSSports.com. 2025-05-31. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  7. ↑ Sweney, Mark (2025-08-11). "Paramount pays $7.7bn for exclusive US rights deal with UFC". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  8. ↑ "Dana White Promises 4 "Big Events" On CBS Per Year Under UFC's New Paramount Deal". 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  9. ↑ Shakiel Mahjouri (2025-08-29). "UFC CEO Dana White confirms event at White House is on after meeting with Trump administration". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  10. ↑ Ryan Morik (2025-09-05). "UFC White House plans revealed, including weigh-ins at Lincoln Memorial: report". foxnews.com. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  11. ↑ Damon Martin (2025-07-04). "President Trump reveals plans to hold a UFC event at the White House in 2026". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  12. ↑ Jack Baer (2025-08-31). "UFC CEO Dana White says White House card is officially happening after meeting with Trump administration". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  13. ↑ "President Trump reveals UFC White House event will happen on his 80th birthday". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. 2025-10-06. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
  14. ↑ Damon Martin (2026-01-25). "UFC doubling post-fight bonuses from $50K to $100K, introduces new finish bonus". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  15. ↑ Mike Heck (2026-02-05). "UFC cuts ties with Aaron Tau after UFC 325 weigh-in fiasco". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  16. ↑ "❌ Fighter removed: Darrius Flowers". UFC Roster Watch on X. Jan 28, 2026. Retrieved Jan 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ Alexander Behunin (2026-01-09). "UFC legend Henry Cejudo quietly released from roster — for real this time". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  18. ↑ Brady Alexander (2026-01-29). "Patchy Mix Released From UFC, Set For RIZIN Bout In March". bodyslam.net. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
  19. ↑ "❌ Fighter removed: Rafael Cerqueira". UFC Roster Watch on X. Feb 5, 2026. Retrieved Feb 5, 2026.
  20. ↑ Curtis Calhoun (2026-01-23). "Report: UFC vet Tecia Pennington parts ways with promotion after 12-year run". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  21. 1 2 Jay Anderson (2026-02-01). "UFC 325: Dom Mar Fan Tops Sangwook Kim in Road to UFC 4 Lightweight Final". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  22. ↑ Shawn Bitter (2026-02-07). "UFC Vegas 113: Javid Basharat Fends Off Newcomer Gianni Vazquez". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  23. 1 2 Shawn Bitter (2026-02-01). "UFC 325: Keiichiro Nakamura Makes Massive Comeback, Finishes Sebastian Szalay in Road to UFC 4 Win". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  24. 1 2 Staff (2026-02-01). "UFC 325: Lawrence Lui Claims Bantamweight Road to UFC 4 Crown". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  25. ↑ Shawn Bitter (2026-01-24). "Ty Miller Makes History at UFC 324, Stops Adam Fugitt for Promotion's First Finish Bonus". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
  26. ↑ Nolan King (2025-10-07). "UFC suspends Conor McGregor for 18 months citing anti-doping whereabouts failure". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2025-10-07.
  27. ↑ Matthew Wells (2025-10-01). "UFC flyweight Ramazan Temirov suspended one year for banned substance". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
  28. ↑ Matthew Wells (2026-01-16). "CSAD: UFC's Mohammed Usman admitted banned substance use, suspended". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
  29. ↑ Damon Martin (2026-01-29). "UFC strawweight Iasmin Lucindo receives 9-month suspension for positive drug test". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-01-29.
  30. ↑ Matthew Wels (2026-01-25). "UFC 324 results: Justin Gaethje wins interim title in gritty battle". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  31. ↑ Jay Anderson (2026-02-01). "Vintage Volk! Alexander Volkanovski Tops Diego Lopes Again in UFC 325 Main Event". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  32. ↑ Alexander Behunin (2025-12-31). "UFC returning to Shanghai for 'Fight Night' on Aug. 29, 2026". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  33. ↑ Staff (2025-10-06). "President Trump reveals UFC White House event will happen on his 80th birthday". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
  34. ↑ Staff (2026-01-31). "UFC announces return to Macau for Fight Night card in May". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  35. ↑ Tristen Critchfield (2026-01-05). "Two-time title challenger, Brazilian knockout artist to clash at UFC 327". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  36. ↑ Guilherme Cruz (2026-01-09). "UFC books top strawweights for April 4 card in Las Vegas". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  37. ↑ Jed Meshew (2025-12-06). "UFC unveils full event schedule for first quarter of 2026". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  38. ↑ Alexander K. Lee (2025-12-06). "UFC London return announced for March". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  39. ↑ Ross Cole (2025-12-06). "UFC Announces Full Event Schedule For 1st Quarter 2026". mmainsight.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  40. ↑ Mike Bohn (2025-12-06). "Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira BMF title rematch set for UFC 326". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  41. ↑ Jordan Ellis (2026-02-04). "Brandon Moreno reportedly set to face 2-1 UFC fighter in new Mexico City main event". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
  42. ↑ Jed Meshew (2025-12-06). "UFC unveils full event schedule for first quarter of 2026". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  43. ↑ Chris Taylor (2026-02-07). "UFC Vegas 113 Bonus Report: Mario Bautista one of four 'POTN' winners". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  44. ↑ Bohn, Mike. "UFC 325 post-event facts: Tai Tuivasa hits record-setting losing skid". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  45. ↑ Tristen Critchfield (2026-02-01). "UFC 325 Bonuses: Championship Rematch Gets 'Fight of the Night' Honors". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
  46. ↑ Mike Bohn (2026-01-25). "UFC 324 post-event facts: Justin Gaethje makes history in multiple ways". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
  47. ↑ Damon Martin (2026-01-25). "UFC doubling post-fight bonuses from $50K to $100K, introduces new finish bonus". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
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