It has already been an incredible year for the UFC, and we haven’t even made it to April yet. After the break for the holidays. UFC 324 kick-started 2026, with Justin Gaethje claiming the interim lightweight title after beating Paddy Pimblett in the headline bout at the home of mixed martial arts, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Next, it was the turn of UFC fans down under to enjoy the action, where Australian favorite, Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes by way of a unanimous decision to retain the featherweight belt. It was the very same decision when the two fighters originally met for the title in Miami last year.
There have been Fight Nights to keep us going in between, and most recently, a high-octane UFC 326 where Charles Oliveira gained revenge over Max Holloway and took away the BMF title (we’ll let you work out what those letters stand for). Now, we have a series of further Fight Nights before April brings UFC 327, and fans can check out OnlineSportsBetting.net to discover all the best sportsbooks. Here’s a quick look at what UFC fans can get excited about in the next few months.
UFC 327
The big event on the MMA horizon is undoubtedly UFC 327 in Miami. It is the first time that the organization has been back to Florida’s jewel in two years, and the schedule of bouts looks incredible. There will be not one, but two title fights on the night, with a good mixture of women’s and men’s bouts on the card.
Top of the bill will be the battle for the vacant light heavyweight title between Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg. Those two are ranked number two and three, respectively, in the official UFC rankings and are sure to put on a good show. Prochazka is a former light heavyweight champion, but has lost the last two times he has fought for the belt. He will be the slight favorite against the New Zealand fighter, who has only ever lost one bout – and that was way back in 2021.
Before the Miami fans go wild for that bout, there will be a flyweight title bout between the reigning champion Joshua Van and the current number-three fighter, Tatsuro Taira. This will be Van’s first title defense after he claimed the belt by beating Alexandre Pantoja last December. Taira has been steadily building up an impressive 18-1 record and will want to show that he is ready to be the best in the division.
UFC 328
The big fight night action turns to Newark, New Jersey, in May when the Prudential Center plays host to UFC 328. There will be a range of weight division meet-ups, with the heavyweight contest between Alexander Volkov and Waldo Cortes-Acosta a standout bout. The UFC middleweight championship bout at the end of the night promises to be the highlight, though.
Sean Strickland will be up against it as he faces the number three pound-for-pound fighter – and current middleweight champion – Khamzat Chimaev. The Russian-Emirati fighter has a completely unblemished professional record and claimed the belt when he defeated Dricus de Plessis in Chicago last summer.
Strickland is no slouch, though, and will believe he has the style and power to reclaim the title he lost in 2024. With an extensive 30-7 record, Strickland certainly has the experience to go toe-to-toe with Chimaev, and has twice previously attempted to wrestle the belt back. He earned a Performance of the Night award for this win over Anthony Hernandez in February, and is looking in good shape to take on the undefeated champ.
Fight Nights
As usual, when MMA fans are not being treated to the big UFC events, there will be Fight Nights to enjoy every month. One coming up at the end of March sees the return of The Last Airbender, as Israel Adesanya steps back into the octagon to take on Joe Pyfer. They are both former champions and will surely put on an electrifying show.
The global appeal of UFC will be shown over the next few months, with events scheduled for Macau, China, Winnipeg, Canada, and Seattle, Washington, as well as back in Las Vegas. The action shows no sign of slowing up, and there is another very special night of UFC coming up soon.
Figure 2 UFC will take over a very special location in June – Source: Pexels
UFC Freedom 250
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, UFC Freedom 250 will be hosted by The White House in Washington DC in June. The event will take place on the South Lawns, and fighters have already been selected to train FBI agents in the run-up to the big show.
The fight card is still being finalized, but it looks as though there will be a range of weight division bouts, with two titles on the line. At the time of writing, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will clash for the interim heavyweight title, while Ilia Topuria will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.
In such a momentous year for the entire country, it seems only fitting that some of the greatest current MMA fighters will be coming together under the UFC banner at such a distinguished location. This kind of event might be something of a one-off, but there is no doubt that the next couple of months in the UFC is going to be some of the most exciting ever. And these events only take us up to the halfway point of the year, so who knows how much more incredible UFC can be in the rest of 2026?
