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Brett Okamoto
Happy New Year everyone! Before we dive into the 10 fights I want to see in 2026, let’s take a look at how we fared in 2025.
All told, this game came in five of the 12 games I asked for in 2025. To be honest, we missed some big matches. My top two hopes were john jones versus Tom Aspinall And Jones or Aspinall Vs. alex pereraNone of those options were booked, Instead of the Jones-Aspinall heavyweight title unification bout, we got Jones’s old retirement announcement from Dana White in Baku, Azerbaijan, which still feels weird to think about,
Five out of 12 still isn’t bad, and I’m optimistic that more than half of the matchups on this list will be drawn this year. Let’s do that.
1. Islam Makhachev versus Ilya Topuriawelterweight
This is a controversial top pick, even in my mind. On the one hand, I don’t like this fight for several reasons: both fighters moved up in weight in 2025 (Makhachev from lightweight to welterweight and Topuria from featherweight to lightweight), and both have worthy challengers in their respective divisions. And if they were to fight at the 170-pound welterweight limit, Makhachev would have a distinct advantage.
But if I close my eyes and really ask myself which two fighters I would be most excited to see walk out of the tunnel and face each other, it’s these two. Topuria and Makhachev currently stand alone at the pinnacle of MMA. It’s an imperfect fight, but Pound-for-pound No. 1 vs. No. 2Topuria’s confidence, speed and finishing ability versus Makhachev’s dominance and Khabib Nurmagomedov In his corner? This should be the number 1 fight to be booked for 2026.
2. Islam Makhachev vs. ian machado garywelterweight
Can you tell I’m a little above Makhachev? the way he overwhelmed Jack Della Maddalena to become Two-division champion at UFC 322 in New York This is probably the most impressive thing to happen in 2025. I’m on Makhachev at 170 pounds. I want to see him fight every single welterweight challenger, and he has said he plans to do that.
Machado Garry is the most interesting of those challengers, but for the record, I wouldn’t mind a potential Makhachev vs. Kamru Usman First matchup. Usman is growing up. If the UFC is ever going to make that fight, it would make sense to do it now. Usman is a legend, and Makhachev wants to fight him. Having said that, from a stylistic standpoint, I would be most interested in Makhachev vs. Machado Garry in 2026.
3. Khamzat Chimaev versus Jiri Prochazkalight heavyweight
I’m going to get myself into trouble with the dedicated MMA fan base here, because we only have three fights on this list, and now I’m calling for a champion with no registered title defenses to move up a weight class.
Here’s the reality of Chimaev: He won’t be a champion who will defend his titles for years to come. I’d love to see it, and if he wants his legacy to be that of a long-term champion, we’d be all for it. But based on conversations with Chimaev in 2025, that’s not happening. He doesn’t like the MMA grind like he used to. He’s not going to be the 2026 version merab dvalishviliWho attempted to defend the belt four times last year. Chimaev wants to move on in search of the biggest fight, and ultimately, his days in this sport may be numbered.
It would be amazing to see Chimaev challenge 205-pound champion Pereira for his belt, but Pereira has other plans. Depending on how things go, Chimaev vs. Pereira could make this list next year, but for 2026, it’s more likely that Pereira will move up to heavyweight, which would make Chimaev’s biggest fight at light heavyweight against Prochazka.
From the prefight buildup to the Octagon, this is the kind of fight that isn’t being talked about yet, but once booked it will become one of the biggest fights of the year.
4. Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira, Heavyweight
It really saddens me to include this. I was not in favor of how Jones handled his dormant heavyweight title reign and drawn-out retirement saga, only to re-enter the UFC testing pool a few days later. He should have fought Aspinall in 2025. Duration. And if he never intended to fight Aspinall, he should not have wasted everyone’s time and vacated the belt immediately.
That said, the time to argue in favor of Aspinall vs. Jones has passed. Aspinall needs to face Cyril Gane In an immediate rematch of their UFC 321 bout, which ended in a no contest due to a blow to the eye in the first round. But Aspinall recently announced that he plans to undergo multiple eye surgeries this monthAnd no timetable has been given for his return to competition.
Jones is no longer champion, thus the division is no longer intact, so there’s really nothing in the way of a superfight between him and Pereira now. After what Jones did (and didn’t do) in 2025, he shouldn’t be rewarded with the fight he wants in 2026, but Pereira wants this fight too, and he deserves it.
5. Tom Aspinall vs. Cyril Gane, Heavyweight
While we’re on the heavyweight division, let’s get straight into this rematch. I can claim number 1 for this. Stylistically, this is one of the UFC’s best title fight matchups. We saw this in October, when Gane was having success putting pressure on Aspinall in the early rounds before the now infamous eye poke. We know these fighters can put on a compelling, entertaining fight. Now, we also have drama to add to it.
Aspinall is not a natural trash-talker, so he goes to great lengths to publicly embarrass Gane with what he believes was a deliberate eye poke. For Aspinall there is now a real hostility and psychological element to overcome. He went from being on top of the heavyweight world, expecting to win in a matter of seconds, to facing outside doubt about his dominance and courage to compete. He has something to prove again, making this one of the most anticipated fights of the year.
6. carlos prates versus Michael ‘Venom’ Pagewelterweight
This may seem out of left field to some people, but I’ve been calling for this matchup since Augustwhen the prats were out Geoff Neal and page beat Jared Cannonier At UFC 319.
Prates may be the most exciting fighter in the game right now. Will he fight for a title? Perhaps. Is his title quest the most interesting thing about him? No, my interest in Prats is not based on him winning a championship. I love watching this guy fight, and I can say the same about Paige. Page’s style is unorthodox, and I admit, sometimes it seems a little clumsy because it stereotypes his opponents, but that is the style of chess, not checkers. It’s smart and it’s clean.
Prates are adept at controlling distance, using different weapons at different distances. Page is adept at never letting his opponent know what range he is in. I would love to see it as a non-title, five-round main event.
7. kayla harrison versus Amanda Nunesbantamweight
The story of this fight began about 10 years ago, when Harrison transitioned from judo to MMA. Of all the MMA gyms in the world, Harrison coincidentally landed in the same gym – American Top Team – as two-division champion and then-future Hall of Famer Nunes. Nunes said Harrison’s presence and success in MMA ultimately led to her except team during the latter part of his career. And now, Nunes will come out of retirement on January 24 at UFC 324 to challenge Harrison for the women’s bantamweight belt she has vacated after retiring in 2023.
What a story, and what a match in general. Nunes has always had such an early, first-round killer instinct. At 37 and two years away from competition, will he still have it all? If she does, how will Harrison survive under that kind of firepower? This is a great fight to start off the year in women’s MMA and the sport as a whole.
8. Ilya Topuria Vs. Arman TsarukyanLight
Look? These are not all the superfights on this list. If there is one, fight it. Needed This is what will happen in 2026 more than any other. Topuria holds the UFC lightweight belt but taking time off from competition To start the year, so Justin Gaethje And paddy pimblett Fighting for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324.
But if you ask me who is the best, most proven lightweight in the world right now, I will tell you it’s Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan deserves to fight for the UFC championship, and I think the oddsmakers will back him to defeat Topuria in a five-round match. If this sport cares about rankings anymore, Tsarukyan needs to fight for the undisputed lightweight belt in 2026. And I believe he will.
9. Alexander Volkanovsky versus movsar evloevwing weight
Like Tsarukyan at lightweight, Avalov will have to fight for a UFC title in 2026. He didn’t manage a single appearance in 2025, so it’s hard for him to promote Very Offensively, but what else does he need to prove? He is 9-0 in the UFC, including a win in 2023 diego lopezWho is getting his second title opportunity against Volkanovski in 10 months at UFC 325 on January 31.
Is Evloev the most exciting guy on the mic or in the Octagon? No he is not. But he is undeniably great. There’s one thing that’s proven to be a home run in MMA over the years: Volkanovski chasing greatness. Volkanovski continues to welcome the toughest opponents, and Ivloev is now his biggest challenge. Volkanovski wants Ivloev, and frankly, whatever Volk wants, I want it too.
10. joshua van versus Tatsuro Tairamen’s flyweight
It was unfortunate that Van’s title win was marred by injury alexandre pantojaAnd eventually we’ll get to see Pantoja back in a championship fight, but in the meantime, Van vs. Taira is a great matchup for the men’s flyweight division.
Van is 24 years old; Taira is 25 years old. It is extremely rare for a young fighter to establish himself at the highest level as these two did in 2025. Vans looked at home against veterans with far more top level experience. And the way Taira broke the former two-time champion Brandon Moreno At UFC 323 I knew without a doubt that he was ready for the title.
You can’t describe either fighter as anything less than a phenom, and now together they have proven themselves at the top. With all due respect to Pantoja, this will be my most anticipated flyweight title fight in a long time.
