The first half of 2026 delivered what the piece called the sport’s best six-month stretch since 2021. Two anticipated title fights — Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane — headlined a card on the White House South Lawn, Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev concluded a long-running grudge match, and Carlos Ulberg captured a championship despite an injury. Even events with weaker main events produced excitement, and numbered cards repeatedly lived up to pre-fight hype.
The schedule also leaves room for major matchmaking. According to ESPN, six current UFC champions, including all three women, had yet to fight in 2026 and 81% of ESPN’s ranked fighters did not have a bout scheduled. That backlog has created opportunities for high-profile matchups in the back half of the year.
At men’s flyweight, Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape ranks high on the list. Van dethroned Alexandre Pantoja in December after Pantoja had been champion for roughly 2½ years; that rematch was cut short when Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow. Van told ESPN before UFC 328 he wants to prove he can beat a healthy Pantoja, but the piece argued Van vs. Kape could be a more entertaining clash — Van as a slick, high-volume boxer against Kape, who is described as arguably the hardest puncher at 125 pounds.
In featherweight, the article pressed for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev, noting criticism of the UFC’s decision to grant Diego Lopes a rapid rematch following a one-sided loss to Volkanovski. Evloev arrives undefeated at 20-0 with 10 UFC wins but has not recorded a finish during seven years with the promotion, which the piece said has made him a fighter who habitually goes to decision. The article predicted that matchup could materialize in the fall.
At strawweight, Mackenzie Dern’s title defense against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in August sets up a potential bout with Zhang Weili. Zhang dominated 115-pound title fights for three years before moving up to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight in late 2025 and came up short; the article noted the expectation that Zhang will return to strawweight if and when she does.
Among other suggested fights, the piece highlighted Jean Silva vs. Aaron Pico, tracing Pico’s career as repeatedly hyped and then abandoned. It called Pico’s April performance against Patricio Pitbull arguably the most complete of his career, saying he looked calm and more well-rounded than in past appearances.
