Issue 224
December 2025
Paul Browne jumps into the Fighters Only wayback-when machine to recap the best of mixed martial arts in December 2025
Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira Added to 2026 Schedule
A massive fight between former champions Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira is set to headline UFC 326 in the new year.
Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) will put his BMF title on the line in a rematch against former lightweight titleholder Oliveira (36-11 MMA, 24-11 UFC) in the main event of the third numbered UFC event of 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced on Friday night.
The pair first fought at UFC Fight Night 74 over a decade ago, with the bout ending in bizarre circumstances after just 99 seconds when “Do Bronx” suffered a shoulder injury, resulting in a TKO win for Holloway.
Both fighters went on to bigger things in the aftermath of that bout. Holloway enjoyed a 3-year title reign at 145 pounds from 2016 to 2019, while Oliveira held the lightweight title between 2021 and 2022.
Holloway moved up to 155 pounds to knock out Justin Gaethje and win the BMF title in one of the standout moments of 2024 at UFC 300. He dropped back down to challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title late last year, but a knockout loss there spelled the end of his time competing in the featherweight division.
He returned to 155 pounds earlier this year, outpointing Dustin Poirier to defend his BMF belt, and now looks to become the first fighter in UFC history to win 3 BMF title fights.
The UFC confirmed the bout as part of its overall schedule for the first quarter of 2026, which includes 2 numbered events in January, and 6 Fight Night events.
UFC 2026 Upcoming Events
JANUARY
Jan 24: UFC 324 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Jan 31: UFC 235 – Sydney, Australia
FEBRUARY
Feb 7: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Feb 21: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Feb 28: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – Arena CDMX, Mexico City, Mexico
MARCH
Mar 7: UFC 326 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Mar 14: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Mar 21: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – The O2, London, England
Mar 28: UFC FIGHT NIGHT – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA
Dana White Says Arman Tsarukyan Must Re-Earn Lightweight Title Shot
Arman Tsarukyan will have to work a bit harder to secure a title shot, regardless of where he stands in the latest UFC rankings.
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is currently the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds, but UFC matchmakers recently passed him over, opting instead to book Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) for the interim lightweight title in the UFC 324 main event on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Tsarukyan made his case for a championship opportunity with an impressive submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last month. However, because the Armenian contender withdrew from a scheduled title fight against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 last January, UFC President Dana White said he’s hesitant to trust Tsarukyan with another title booking right now.
"I wouldn't say that he's the odd man out," White told reporters at the UFC 323 post-fight press conference on Saturday. "He had an opportunity, and you guys know how that played out. He's gonna have to work his way back. I don't give a shit what the number says. He's gonna have to work his way back. It's just too much goes into this for those type of things to happen."
Tsarukyan’s win over Hooker marked his first appearance in the Octagon in more than 18 months. He withdrew from the bout against Makhachev last January at the last moment, citing a back injury the night before weigh-ins. Renato Moicano stepped in as the replacement, but the incident still lingers in White’s mind and continues to overshadow Tsarukyan’s title aspirations.
"You can't do that," White said. "You can't get the opportunity and then – it can't end that way. He's got to work his way back. ... He knows what's going on. I don't give a sh*t what everybody else says. He knows what's going on, and he's got to work his way back to that title shot."
Dana White Praises Merab Dvalishvili Despite UFC 323 Loss
Dana White has nothing but respect for what Merab Dvalishvili achieved during his bantamweight title reign.
Dvalishvili (21-5 MMA, 14-3 UFC) fell short at the final hurdle in his bid to become the first UFC champion to successfully defend his title four times in a calendar year, as he was outpointed by Petr Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in the main event at UFC 323 on Saturday.
Prior to that, “The Machine” had defeated Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen in just nine months, asserting his dominance over the UFC bantamweight division.
Despite Dvalishvili’s loss at T-Mobile Arena, UFC President White was full of praise for the Georgian.
"We were doing 'Lookin' for a Fight' (in 2017), and we were in Jersey, and Merab was the main event of that fight, and we ended up signing him," White told reporters at Saturday’s UFC 323 post-fight press conference. "Matt Serra literally told me that night, 'This guy is gonna be your world champion, and he's a special fighter.' Matt Serra was absolutely right.”
Dvalishvili lost his first 2 fights after signing with the UFC, before embarking on a prolonged winning run that culminated in him beating Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 to become champion.
Despite a difficult start to both his UFC career and his relationship with White, the former champion has now earned the UFC President’s complete respect.
“One of the toughest fighters that I've ever come across. And let's just say: Merab and I didn't get off on the right foot early on. I have nothing but respect for him and everything he's accomplished. For Petr to come in and do what he did tonight ... it was an incredibly high-level fight. What a hell of a way to end the ESPN era."
Matches to Make: What’s Next for the Big Winners From UFC 323?
The final pay-per-view of both the year and the ESPN era delivered standout moments and several surprising outcomes. Two new champions were crowned, and a number of potential contenders were put on alert as fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas witnessed one of the most entertaining events of the year.
Here’s a look at what could be next for the biggest winners from UFC 323.
Petr Yan
Despite entering Saturday night as a sizable underdog, Petr Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) delivered the performance of 2025, dethroning Merab Dvalishvili in the main event.
Yan dominated the Georgian standout for 25 minutes, shutting down “The Machine” in every phase of the fight to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title 1,337 days after losing it by disqualification against Dvalishvili’s close teammate Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273.
With the belt back around his waist, Yan now becomes the hunted. While few fighters deserve an immediate rematch more than Dvalishvili, Yan’s victory has reignited the hopes of contenders that Merab previously shut out. Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov are right back in the mix, but one name stands above the rest.
Sean O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) edged Yan in a three-round battle en route to earning his first title shot in 2022. If Dvalishvili opts for a well-earned break after a grueling year, the timing could work perfectly for Yan to pursue revenge against “Sugar.”
Joshua Van
One moment of brutal misfortune changed the entire landscape of the co-main event. Alexandre Pantoja’s dominant flyweight reign ended abruptly with a gruesome arm injury, crowning 24-year-old Joshua Van (16-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) as the new king at 125 pounds.
Pantoja has built a résumé worthy of an immediate rematch, but if “The Cannibal” needs time to recover, his teammate Kyoji Horiguchi (35-5 MMA, 8-1 UFC) may be the biggest beneficiary of the setback.
With Dana White confirming at Saturday’s post-fight press conference that the UFC plans to return to Japan in 2026, the timing could be ideal for the former RIZIN champion and UFC flyweight challenger to step into a title opportunity.
Tatsuro Taira
If the UFC does make its long-awaited return to Japan next year, expect Tatsuro Taira to be front and center as he continues his push toward a flyweight title shot.
Taira (18-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) secured the biggest win of his career on Saturday by finishing former champion Brandon Moreno and officially inserting himself into the title conversation. While the stoppage by referee Mark Smyth was debatable, Taira’s skill and composure are undeniable.
If he’s passed over for the next title shot, the Japanese star could find himself facing Manel Kape (21-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC), assuming “Starboy” gets past Brandon Royval at the UFC Apex this Saturday.
Payton Talbott
Some fans are calling for Payton Talbott (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) to face No. 7-ranked Aiemann Zahabi after his breakout performance against Henry Cejudo, but there’s no need to rush the rising star into the top tier of the bantamweight division just yet.
Talbott will likely appear in the top 15 when the new rankings are released this week, and a matchup with No. 15-ranked Marcus McGhee (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) would offer an exciting stylistic test for his next outing.
Payton Talbott Moved After Cejudo’s Final Act
Payton Talbott was stunned when he heard that Henry Cejudo had his back in the immediate aftermath of their fight last Saturday.
Talbott (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) picked up the biggest win of his career when he outclassed the former 2-weight UFC champion Cejudo (16-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) at UFC 323. The defeat marked the end of “Triple C’s” illustrious career, and the former freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist took a moment at the end of the fight to speak to UFC President Dana White.
Cejudo urged White to take care of Talbott going forward, a gesture that tugged on the heartstrings of the exciting 27-year-old prospect.
“Yeah, I saw that on social media after,” Talbott told Ariel Helwani on Monday. “That actually meant a lot to me and almost made me kind of tear up, man. I don't really cry too often. Honestly, to think of somebody other than yourself in that moment is pretty huge.
“You know, Henry gets all kinds of flack, but at his core, man, he's a very generous guy and he's just a solid dude, man. He had to be the villain for whatever reason, you know, to save (his career), sports entertainment and whatever he had within himself. But I know that guy and he's a really good human.”
The pair had shared some tongue-in-cheek banter in the lead up to UFC 323, with Talbott telling reporters at the pre-fight media day that “Everybody loved Old Yeller. But all good dogs have to be put down the same.”
Asked whether he felt bad about those comments now that the fight is in the rearview mirror, Talbott doubled down.
“No, bro,” he responded to Helwani with a smile. “I'm going to be old yeller one day too. Somebody's going to put my ass down, so that's just how it goes.”
Daniel Cormier Names His Pick for the Next UFC Flyweight Title Fight
Daniel Cormier knows exactly who he’d like to see fight for the flyweight title next.
Cormier was on color commentary duty at UFC 323 last Saturday, where he witnessed longtime flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja suffer a devastating elbow injury.
The Brazilian’s misfortune resulted in Joshua Van being crowned the new king at 125 pounds, and “DC” believes the man who won the bout immediately before Saturday’s co-main event is perfectly positioned to challenge the new champion while Pantoja recovers.
“I believe that Tatsuro Taira, after beating Brandon Moreno and finishing Brandon Moreno, should be fighting for the belt,” Cormier told Chael Sonnen on their podcast Good Guy/Bad Guy. “I looked over at Mick Maynard last night (at UFC 323) and I said to him, 'Book them tomorrow.' He goes, 'What do you mean?' I go, 'Tatsuro Taira got hit 10 times against Brandon Moreno, nothing happened.' They were boxing for about 45 seconds, he goes for a takedown, he ends up in that weird triangle position with Moreno, and they stay there the whole round. ... There's no damage on either side.
"There are fight cards at the beginning of the year where you could say, hey, I know Alexander Volkanovski has a fight on Feb. 1, generally we like to do two title fights on these pay-per-views. Why not make this the second fight (at UFC 325)? Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van. Van won't say no, then you turn them around. That's two months since Pantoja got hurt.
“Say the winner of that fight needs six months before the next fight, now you're eight months post Pantoja's injury. Now you've either got him going into the rematch with Joshua Van, or he's fighting a brand new champion. The whole weight class seems refreshed because it kept moving."
Justin Gaethje Locked In on Pimblett as Lightweight Title Picture Shifts
Justin Gaethje is focused solely on the challenge in front of him on January 24.
Gaethje (26–5 MMA, 9–5 UFC) is scheduled to face Paddy Pimblett (22–3 MMA, 7–0 UFC) for the interim lightweight title in the main event of UFC 324 early next year. There had been speculation that either Gaethje or Pimblett could be next in line to challenge reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria (17–0 MMA, 9–0 UFC) at the start of the 2026 calendar, but that discussion cooled after “El Matador” announced plans to step away from the Octagon to address personal matters.
Although both Gaethje and Pimblett stand to benefit from Topuria’s temporary absence, the champion’s short-term future remains uncertain. After vacating his featherweight title to move up and ultimately capture the lightweight belt, Topuria has publicly expressed interest in climbing another division to challenge newly crowned welterweight champion Islam Makhachev (28–1 MMA, 17–1 UFC).
While Topuria entertains the possibility of making history by winning championships in three weight classes, Gaethje remains locked in on the opponent who will be standing across from him inside the Octagon at T-Mobile Arena next month.
"I guess I don't really have an opinion (on Topuria possibly moving up to welterweight)," Gaethje told Submission Radiothis week. "I mean, if he went up, I would just be the champion, which I'm not going to complain about. But I think what that leaves open is the chance for me to get a rematch against Max Holloway or Charles Oliveira, get my belt and get the BMF belt.”
Gaethje was submitted by Oliveira when they met for the lightweight title in 2022. A year later, he captured the BMF title with a knockout of Dustin Poirier, only to relinquish that belt after suffering a brutal knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300.
Since rebounding with a decisive victory over Rafael Fiziev last March, Gaethje has moved forward with renewed momentum, determined to avenge past defeats and add more championship hardware to his résumé.
"Ultimately, that was the script I've been speaking into existence since the (Rafael) Fiziev fight. I thought I was going to fight Ilia in January, and then I was going to fight Max or whoever had the BMF belt on the White House card and then have both of those belts."
Joaquin Buckley Escalates war of Words With Shavkat Rakhmonov
Joaquin Buckley has vowed to prove he belongs among the elite fighters in his weight class.
Buckley (21–7 MMA, 11–5 UFC) made an impressive start to his run at welterweight after dropping down from 185 pounds in 2023. Over an 18-month stretch, “New Mansa” put together a six-fight winning streak that propelled him into the top 10 of the division rankings.
That momentum came to a halt when he faced former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Atlanta this past June. “The Nigerian Nightmare” turned back the clock, using his wrestling to control Buckley over five rounds and secure his first Octagon victory in nearly four years.
As he looks to rebound from that setback, Buckley has now unleashed a fiery verbal attack on the rest of the division’s contenders.
“All these other dudes, man, they get everything around them, given to them,” Buckley said in a video posted to his social media accounts. “I had to take everything that I had to build for. Brick by brick. Straight from the dirt. Straight from the mud. That's why these boys won't beat me. And I don't care about that Usman fight. That man had to hold me down. But don't nobody wanna fight with me toe-to-toe.”
Buckley has turned his attention to Shavkat Rakhmonov (19–0 MMA, 7–0 UFC), who recently indicated he is nearing a return after an extended absence. “Nomad” suffered a significant knee injury in his most recent appearance, a decision victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 one year ago.
“Shavkat, I heard you trippin', I heard you talking,” Buckley continued. “Talking about ‘black boy.’ I'm (going to) show you that ‘black boy.’ I'm going to show you where the f*** we come from, how long that we've been struggling, how long we've been deprived, but how we still get up every single time we get knocked down and we run shit over. I'm going to f*** you up and anybody else that want it. See, Shavkat if you don't sign the mother**** (contract), somebody else (is)going to die. And I promise you that, dog. I'm burying everybody in the UFC and I ain’t playing.”
Rakhmonov spotted Buckley’s rant and responded promptly, tweeting: “You are delusional. I’d rather fight the guy who just whooped you than waste time on you kid. You can be my third option big mouth.”
Chael Sonnen Says Ilia Topuria Should Be Stripped of UFC Lightweight Title
Chael Sonnen believes Ilia Topuria should be stripped of his UFC lightweight title.
Topuria (17–0 MMA, 9–0 UFC) vacated his featherweight title early last year to move up and challenge for the 155-pound belt. After knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June, he became the first fighter in promotional history to win titles in two weight classes while remaining undefeated.
“El Matador” was expected to make the first defense of his new title reign at UFC 324 in January, an event set to usher in the new Paramount era for the organization. However, he recently announced that he will be taking time away from competition to address personal matters.
As a result, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will meet for the interim lightweight title in the first main event of 2026, and Sonnen believes the circumstances surrounding Topuria’s hiatus may warrant stripping him of his status as the division’s undisputed champion.
"I'm going to dance, I'm going to do a little tiptoe, but I was at the Apex a week ago. I had a conversation with a very meaningful person in this industry, and that was the first person who ever suggested to me that Ilia be stripped," Sonnen said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "And I was a little surprised by it.
“Their argument, though, was that the interim belt is for those who are dealing with an illness or an injury. If we would like to show grace to an undisputed champion because he's missing matches specifically for illness or injury, and the moment Ilia informs us that he is missing matches for anything outside the criteria of illness or injury, that's when you strip him.
"I thought it was very cold, and I didn't like that. I thought about it, and there's actually a point to that. ... You've got to be stripped. I think that is a fair point. I don't want him stripped. I'm on Ilia's side of this. I don't really like what he's going through.
“I also think he's innocent. He seems like a really good guy. I don't think he would have done these things. However, they've got to strip him. If he's not making the claim that he's injured and has some kind of a doctor's report to back it up, as bogus as those can be, he's got to be stripped."
GSP Breaks Down the Blueprint to Beat Islam Makhachev
Georges St-Pierre has given his perspective on what it would take to beat Islam Makhachev.
“I think right now he’s probably, on paper, the best fighter. Probably pound for pound. I would say my best pound-for-pound (fighters) would be Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, Merab Dvalishvili, and Khamzat Chimaev. I think that these four guys are right there.
“To beat Islam Makhachev, it doesn’t mean…it’s not because you’re the best that you’re not going to lose," GSP said this week during an appearance on The Break Talk. "It’s not the best fighter that wins the fight. It’s not the best team that wins the game. It’s the team that plays the best the night of the game. Same thing in fighting. People, for some reason, believe that fighting is different. Always the strongest man that wins. Not true. If you zig when you should have zagged, you make a mistake. Boom. You’re cut.”
Perhaps solidifying GSP’s point, the sole defeat on Makhachev’s resume came when he fought Adriano Martins over a decade ago. A simple mistake cost the future champion dearly and he was knocked out in the opening round, something St-Pierre could see happening again in the future.
“Yeah, it could happen again.” The former welterweight champion said. “I believe if you would fight that guy ten times out of ten times, he would probably beat him nine times, but that one time he got clipped, and that can happen.
“To beat Islam Makhachev, he’s very skilled. I think you would need a guy that can match his wrestling in a way that, either to counter his takedown or, if he gets put down, manages to scramble back up and create distance, and also fight him standing up. I think you need a guy that puts pressure on him with a lot of fakes and feints.”
St-Pierre recalls one particular opponent who gave Makhachev a difficult time from a stylistic point of view early in his career.
“There’s a guy that gives him a lot of trouble. He was from France. He was one of my training partners. If you go and check that fight online, his name was Mansour Barnaoui. He was one of my best training partners when I was getting ready for fights, and he gave him a lot of trouble. It was in America during his early career, but if you look at this fight, it could have gone the other way as well. It went to decision, and the way Mansour Barnaoui fought Makhachev, that’s the way you need to fight.
“A lot of pressure. Create a lot of scrambles. Pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure, pressure. You got to catch them off guard. Flying knees, stuff like that. Like doing stuff like that is crazy.”
