Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, announced this Thursday (27) the first main fights for the 2026 calendar. The inaugural event, UFC 324, takes place on January 24 at T-Mobile personal. The objective is to define the next challenger for the title and attract the public with high-impact clashes right at the beginning of the partnership with Paramount+.
The announcement came during halftime of Ação’s Graças game between Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, broadcast on CBS, and also via Instagram Live. White highlighted the quality of programming to mark the debut of the new broadcast, which eliminates pay-per-views in the US, América Latina and Austrália. Essa structure aims to expand access to events, with 13 numbered cards and 30 scheduled fight nights.
The sequence of events includes UFC 325, on January 31, at Qudos Bank Arena, at Sydney, Austrália, reinforcing the organization’s return to the country after UFC 312. Esses duels promise to move the divisions and influence the annual promotion planning.
UFC 324 main card on Las Vegas
The January 24 event opens with Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett in the interim lightweight main event. Gaethje, with 26 wins and five losses, is looking to regain the title he won in 2020 after a knockout over Tony Ferguson.
Pimblett, undefeated in the UFC with seven wins, comes from a submission over Michael Chandler and a technical knockout victory over Tony Ferguson. The rivalry between the two gained prominence on social media, with exchanges of provocations that increase the commercial appeal of the confrontation.
The co-main event features Kayla Harrison defending the women’s bantamweight belt against Amanda Nunes, who returns after retirement in 2023. Harrison, Olympic gold medalist in judo, won the title in her debut in the division.
Nunes, with 23 wins and five losses, is considered one of the greatest in the history of women’s MMA, with defenses in two weight categories.
Details of featured women’s fights
Harrison and Nunes, former training partners, have accumulated tension for years. The Brazilian maintained her focus on selective challenges during her break, while the American expanded her dominance in bantamweight with convincing victories.
- Harrison: Medalhista gold in 2008 and 2012, undefeated at 18-1 in professional MMA.
- Nunes: Duas times champion, with 16 knockouts in her career.
On the main card, Alexa Grasso faces Rose Namajunas in the women’s flyweight division. Grasso, former champion, seeks to re-enter the title fight after losing to Valentina Shevchenko. Namajunas, two-time strawweight champion, brings experience in five rounds with 12 victories.
These duels add balance between striking and grappling, elements that define the athletes’ style. Grasso, with 17-4-1, finished 70% of his wins, while Namajunas is 13-6 with a focus on technical decisions.
Featherweight and heavyweight clash at UFC 324
Arnold Allen, ranked among the best featherweights, faces Jean Silva in a fight that could elevate the winner to the top 5.
Silva, on the rise at 16-2, knocked out Dan Ige in his last appearance, earning performance of the night bonuses. The Brit focuses on volume of blows, while the Brazilian prioritizes power.
In the heavyweight division, Derrick Lewis, ranked eighth, faces Waldo Cortes-Acosta, fifth on the list. Lewis, at 28-12, holds the UFC record of 15 knockouts. Cortes-Acosta, 13-1, is on a five-fight undefeated streak.
- Lewis: Nocauteou Curtis Blaydes in 2024, marking his 10th knockout bonus of the night.
- Cortes-Acosta: Venceu Robelis Despaigne by unanimous decision in September.
Umar Nurmagomedov faces Deiveson Figueiredo to close the main card. Nurmagomedov, 18-0, is the nephew of Khabib and ranked in the bantamweight division. Figueiredo, former flyweight champion, moves to 135 pounds at 23-3-1.
Preparations for UFC 325 in Sydney
The January 31st event marks the UFC’s eighth visit to Austrália, with capacity for 21,000 spectators at Qudos Bank Arena. Alexander Volkanovski, 27-4, defends the featherweight belt for the sixth time since 2019.
His first defense was against Max Holloway, in a trilogy that defined the division’s recent era. Volkanovski expressed preference for other challengers, but accepted the rematch due to the promotion’s decision.
Diego Lopes, 27-7, is ranked second after knocking out Jean Silva in September at Noche UFC. The Mexican-Brazilian finishes 50% of his victories in the UFC, with six consecutive victories before the defeat to Volkanovski.
The fight takes place in Australian local time, starting at 6pm on Saturday, February 1, to align with global broadcasts.
History and statistics of the protagonists
Volkanovski regained the title in April, after a vacancy caused by Topuria’s move to lightweight. Sua previous defense included decision on Yair Rodriguez in 2023, with 80% accuracy on significant hits.
Lopes, with a 70% completion rate in his career, is looking to reverse the result of UFC 314, where he lost 48-47 in scoring. Ele accumulates bonuses in four of eight fights in the organization.
- Volkanovski: 26-4 in MMA, with defenses against Ortega, Holloway and Rodriguez.
- Lopes: Seis knockouts in the UFC, including against Sodiq Yusuff in 2024.
Other ranked players, such as Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy, expressed dissatisfaction on the networks, proposing alternative duels on the same card. Evloev, undefeated at 19-0, publicly challenged Murphy.
The promotion prioritized the appeal of Lopes, who attracts a Latino audience with multiple round wins.
Initial reactions and impact on the split
Fans and fighters reacted quickly on social media to White’s announcement. Pimblett provoked Arman Tsarukyan, ranked first in the lightweight division, with a meme about apples, alluding to a previous victory.
Tsarukyan, absent due to injury in January, needs another victory to get closer to the unified title. Renato Moicano questioned Pimblett’s choice over Gaethje in posts.
In the featherweight division, Murphy, undefeated at 15-0-1, criticized Lopes’s prioritization over his ranking. The decision reflects an entertainment strategy, with Lopes generating 30% more views on recent highlights.
White emphasized the “strongest year in history” for 2026, with streaming accessible via Paramount+. Initial events test this promise, with tickets available to register interest at Sydney.
