Making a list, checking it twice, let’s write a Christmas wish list ahead of 2026. This is not our outlandish predictions piece, but more of a hopes and dreams for the UFC in 2026.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our Christmas wish list.
Christmas Wish List – UFC Edition
1 – Champions NOT Getting Immediate Rematches
Okay, sometimes these are warranted. Kamaru Usman getting an immediate rematch with Leon Edwards, having dominated for four and a half rounds before being brutally knocked out was fine. It was justified and it made sense.
TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2 wasn’t warranted. TJ Dillashaw finished Garbrandt in their first fight and did so even quicker in their rematch. It didn’t make a lot of sense and wasn’t needed. Likewise, Israel Adesanya shouldn’t have got a shot at the title after losing to Sean Strickland, despite the fact that Dricus du Plessis was the champion.
No champions should automatically get a rematch if they lose the belt. It all depends on circumstances. Let’s talk hypotheticals. If Diego Lopes was to defeat Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325 in a convincing fashion. A five-round, one-sided domination from the Mexican where Volkanovski doesn’t get a sniff, should they rematch? No. There are logical contenders who should have been in front of Lopes, so not to grant them a shot is illogical.
Regardless of whether the champion has had a long reign over the division or not, this shouldn’t automatically grant them a rematch. You’re only as good as your last fight and if you lost, you have to prove yourself yet again.
2 – Improved Fight Posters
This has been a personal gripe for a number of years. The effort put in in recent years has been far below par and we’ve constantly had lacklustre posters. For example, UFC 304’s poster is one of the worst we’ve seen in a long, long time.
This year, especially, posters have been lazy. UFC 320, UFC 321 and UFC 322 are all almost identical.
There’s just a distinct lack of creativity or originality with any of the posters. Two posters stand out as two of the best to have been released. UFC 252’s poster is great. It sets the stage for the main event. Likewise, the UFC 189 poster is eye-catching, stands out and is one to remember.
Let’s hope that 2026 brings with it some interesting, inventive and eye-catching fight posters.
3 – Less Fight Night Apex Cards
It served a purpose, but it’s now outdated and is serving as more of a money saver than an appropriate venue to host UFC fights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFC Apex was great. It allowed the UFC to continue to put on fights in a safe environment… but that was nearly five years ago.
The cards are watered down and the main events are often between fighters who are ranked between 10-15 or unranked. The highest ranked fighter (ahead of UFC 323) to main event an Apex card was #6 Manel Kape in March.
Fans are missing the opportunities to see high level fighters live due to them being booked on Apex cards. Keep the Apex for TUF and the contender seires, it makes sense, but let’s move all fight nights to arenas. They don’t have to be huge arenas, when Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan fought the first time, the attendance was just 2,361. It felt intimate, it felt different and it was good!
4 – No More Media Leaks
In recent years, huge fights have often been leaked to the media before an official announcement. It takes the shine off the spectacle somewhat. No one can forget when Ariel Helwani leaked the return of Brock Lesnar at UFC 200, prior to the official announcement at UFC 199. At the time, this led to the physical ejection of Helwani and a lifetime ban from covering future UFC live events, although this was later reinstated.
When the UFC posts about a Dana White announcement post, the majority of fans know what the announcement will be. Media members who are ‘in the know’ will already have their pieces written and video scripts set to go.
It would be great to see in 2026 a completely random but huge fight announcement from the UFC. Invest in a video package to inform fans of an upcoming main event, like they did with Lesnar.
Picture this, during UFC 327 (for example) they play a video package hyping the upcoming White House card, finishing it with the simple drop of a rose, indicating the return of Ilia Topuria. Simple, effective and captivating.
Other Hopes and Dreams
The following hopes and dreams are ones that are highly unlikely to ever come to fruition, not just in 2026 but ever. It’s nice to dream, however.
Dana White explains his reasoning behind booking fights.
Dana White sticks to his word when it comes to booking #1 contenders fights.
Consistent refereeing.
Open scoring.
Glove alterations to address eye pokes.
