7 UFC Fights We Want to See in 2026
The UFC is in position to make some huge fights in 2026.
That's due in large part to the fact that 2025 ended with several major fights that demanded immediate rematches.
However, we also know Conor McGregor and Jon Jones—two of the biggest stars in UFC history—are plotting comebacks at the promotion's planned White House event this June.
Then there's the fact that the UFC will be kicking off a new broadcast deal with Paramount this year, and will presumably be looking to make an impression.
All signs point to a massive year for the promotion, but it really comes down to the fights they can put together.
Here are seven we'd like to see before 2026 is over.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja II
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Joshua Van closed out 2025 by claiming the UFC flyweight title with a win over long-time champion Alexandre Pantoja. However, the win came under disappointing circumstances, as Pantoja suffered an unfortunate arm injury less than a minute into round one.
The inconclusive result of that fight makes an immediate rematch a necessity, and even under different circumstances, a long-reigning champ like Pantoja would typically get a shot at redemption anyway.
The only question is when it happens. Van will most likely be looking to defend his new title soon, and Pantoja is likely to be out for some time while his arm heals. In other words, we'll probably see Van in action against somebody else first.
One way or the other, it would be great to see the new champ and Pantoja run it back before the year is over.
Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili III
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Petr Yan is once again sitting on the bantamweight throne, having reclaimed the belt with a phenomenal decision victory over dominant champ Merab Dvalishvili in December.
His work is far from over.
Yan has some tough challenges to look forward to as champion, and the first of them will hopefully be another fight with Dvalishvili.
Yan's December win over Dvalishvili marked their second meeting. Their first occurred in a non-title fight in 2023. That time around, Dvalishvili was victorious, scoring a lopsided decision win of his own.
Yan and Dvalishvili's 1-1 tie is enough to justify a trilogy on its own. However, it's also an opportunity Dvalishvili deserves after defending the bantamweight belt three times last year. He certainly deserves it more than any other contender in the weight class at the moment. Hopefully, the UFC sets it up soon.
Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane II
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Just when it looked like the heavyweight division would finally start moving at a regular pace again, it jammed up completely.
It's all thanks to a calamitous October title fight between champ Tom Aspinall and challenger Ciryl Gane.
Midway through the first round, Gane hit the champ with an inadvertent but brutal eye poke. The foul was significant enough to put an immediate end to the bout, which set the stage for an immediate rematch.
The problem is that Aspinall sustained some serious damage in the fight-ending sequence. He's now poised to have surgery done on both eyes, which will keep him out of action for quite a while.
It's unclear if the UFC will create an interim heavyweight title in the meantime, but this is one of the rare cases where it might make sense. Whatever happens, Aspinall and Gane clearly have a score to settle. Hopefully, it happens this year, and the division can finally get moving again.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
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Conor McGregor is plotting a comeback.
If it feels like we've been here before, that's because we have. The Irish MMA superstar has been teasing a return to action since a disastrous 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier left him with a broken leg.
If it's ever going to happen, it's going to happen this year. McGregor will be turning 38 in July, so time is of the essence, but the real motivator for him is the UFC's planned event at the White House.
McGregor is adamant he'll be a part of the much-discussed event, which is expected to be one of the biggest and most unique in UFC history. Despite not being an American, there's a real chance he'll end up on the lineup, as there is no other fighter capable of generating as much buzz as him.
If McGregor does return on the White House lawn, the opponent will, of course, be Michael Chandler. McGregor and Chandler have been linked to a fight since they coached The Ultimate Fighter against each other years back. All previous attempts to put the fight together have fallen apart, but hopefully this is the year it finally happens.
If it's not, it's surely time to move on.
Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira
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Jon Jones only just retired from MMA, but he's already eyeing a comeback.
Like McGregor, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion is hoping to participate in the UFC's planned White House event. It's certainly possible he'll get his wish, and if he does, his opponent will most likely be Alex Pereira.
Jones and Pereira are two of the biggest stars in MMA history. A clash between the two of them—an American and a Brazilian—would make a perfect main event for the White House card. It would easily be one of the biggest fights the promotion has ever had.
While it still feels like a long shot, the timing does make sense. Pereira recently reclaimed the light heavyweight title and has been toying with a potential move up to heavyweight. Jones, meanwhile, would be returning at a time when there's no point in discussing a potential fight with Tom Aspinall—a man he spent years avoiding before his retirement, and seems to be tired of talking about.
With the heavyweight champ facing eye surgery, the only viable option for Jones would be a star like Pereira. It could even be contested with the interim heavyweight belt on the line.
Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan
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UFC 324, the promotion's first card of 2026, will be headlined by an interim lightweight title fight between top contenders Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
The promotion created an interim title because the division's undisputed champ, Ilia Topuria, is tied up dealing with personal issues. That's fair, but there's just one problem. Arman Tsarukyan is the real No. 1 contender in the lightweight division, and he deserves the opportunity to fight for a belt more than Gaethje or Pimblett.
It's unclear why the UFC decided not to give Tsarukyan a shot at the interim belt. Hopefully, it all ends up being an afterthought. In a perfect world, Topuria will return to defend the undisputed belt against the Gaethje vs. Pimblett winner this summer, and close out the year by taking on Tsarukyan in the fall or winter.
A Topuria vs. Tsarukyan fight is a true champion vs. No. 1 contender fight, and the matchup just about everyone wants to see. So much depends on how Gaethje vs. Pimblett unfolds and when Topuria decides to return, but hopefully, we get to see it this year.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy
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The UFC has given us some incredible matchups over the years, but the promotion doesn't have a perfect matchmaking record. Every once in a while, they blunder. Case in point: an upcoming featherweight title fight between champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Diego Lopes.
The problem with the fight, which will headline UFC 325 on January 31, is that it's an unnecessary rematch. Volkanovski defeated Lopes by decision to claim the vacant featherweight belt less than a year ago. He has not fought since, while Lopes has only beaten Jean Silva. It's not that Lopes' win over Silva wasn't impressive; it just wasn't impressive enough to set up an immediate rematch with Volkanovski so soon after a fairly clear loss.
The larger problem is that there are other, more deserving fighters waiting for their crack at Volkanovski: namely, Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy.
Evloev and Murphy are both undefeated, with far more claim to a title shot than Lopes at the moment. Evloev's case is particularly strong, as he actually holds a decision win over Lopes.
Having been left out in the cold, Evloev and Murphy may end up meeting in a No. 1 contender fight while Volkanovski and Lopes run it back. One way or the other, it would be great to see Volkanovski fight one or both of them this year. Much like Topuria vs. Tsarukyan, these are the matchups fans actually want, but not the ones they're getting.
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