Pimblett in spotlight - what does 2026 hold for MMA?

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Paddy Pimblett (left) fights for the UFC interim lightweight title on 24 January

ByPaul Battison

BBC Sport journalist

From Tom Aspinall's rollercoaster 12 months to Paddy Pimblett's surprise title shot, 2025 has provided many twists and turns for MMA fans.

After Aspinall was promoted to UFC heavyweight champion following Jon Jones' retirement in June, his first title defence ended in bitter disappointment at the hands of an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane.

Pimblett, meanwhile, earned the biggest win of his career with a dominant victory over Michael Chandler in May which led to an interim lightweight title bout being set up against Justin Gaethje in January, despite him only being fifth in the rankings.

Elsewhere, Britons Alfie Davis (lightweight) and Fabian Edwards (middleweight) became PFL tournament champions to set up mouth-watering bouts in 2026, while Dakota Ditcheva received a surprise callout from Cris Cyborg.

BBC Sport looks at how these stories and more could play out in 2026.

Aspinall vows to 'smash' Gane

It's been two months since Aspinall retained his title against Gane in a no-contest, when he was unable to continue after being accidentally poked in both eyes during the first round.

After the bout UFC president Dana White said he wanted to book a rematch between the pair, but Aspinall's injury means his return date is still unconfirmed.

Aspinall has been unable to train after being diagnosed with a rare eye condition, with the 32-year-old adding he is still suffering from persistent double vision.

Nevertheless, Aspinall has made it clear he plans to return "soon" in a vengeful comment to Gane on social media.

"I'm not medically cleared to fight and about to have surgery thanks to your disgusting fingernails. I'll be back to smash your face in soon you cheat," said Aspinall., external

Given the history between the pair and the competitiveness of the first round of their first fight, a rematch would be one of the biggest fights in 2026.

But, with Aspinall likely needing time to recover from eye surgery before being cleared to train again, the bout is unlikely to take place until late spring or summer at the earliest.

All eyes on Pimblett

In Aspinall's absence, fellow Briton Paddy Pimblett takes the British MMA spotlight when he faces American Gaethje at UFC 324 on 24 January.

The interim bout has been made because champion Ilia Topuria will not be fighting while he works through issues in his personal life.

Last week, Topuria released a statement, external revealing he is facing allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife - allegations the Georgian-Spaniard says are untrue.

With Pimblett yet to record a win over any of the current top 10 in the UFC's lightweight rankings, some have suggested he has been "cherry picked" for a title shot.

The broader picture, however, gives more insight as to why Pimblett may have been chosen over other viable contenders, with a large part of the reasoning down to his entertainment value.

If and when Topuria returns, it could set up an enticing clash with Pimblett for the undisputed title, should he beat Gaethje.

The pair have history after clashing at a hotel before UFC London in 2022, where Pimblett was filmed throwing a bottle of hand sanitiser at Topuria.

Pimblett has won over his doubters almost every time he has stepped inside the octagon, so do not be surprised he if he's got a few more tricks up his sleeve for 2026.

Brits could thrive in the PFL

Pimblett isn't the only Briton in a world title fight at the start of the year, with the Liverpudlian being joined by the PFL's Davis and Edwards.

Davis won the promotion's annual lightweight tournament and $500,000 (£374,000) prize to set up a title bout with Russia's Usman Nurmagomedov in Dubai on 7 February.

Edwards, meanwhile, triumphed in the middleweight tournament and faces champion Costello van Steenis in Madrid on 20 March.

Elsewhere Ditcheva, who became Britain's first MMA world champion last year, faces Dutch flyweight Denise Kielholtz on 7 February.

Should Ditcheva win, which would extend her unbeaten streak to 16 fights, it could set up a super fight with MMA legend Cyborg.

Cyborg unexpectedly called out Ditcheva following her win over Sara Collins last week, but the match-up appears unlikely unless there are compromises made on weight between the two fighters.

Machado Garry and Murphy on the cusp

Two fighters who also could end up fighting for titles in 2026 are Ireland's Ian Machado Garry and Britain's Lerone Murphy.

Machado Garry is third in the UFC's welterweight rankings and called for a title opportunity after beating former champion Belal Muhammad last month.

Machado Garry has competition though, with second-ranked Shavkat Rakhmonov, fourth-ranked Michael Morales and sixth-ranked Carlos Prates all in contention.

If Machado Garry gets the nod, he will become the first Irishman to fight for a UFC title since Conor McGregor's defeat by Nurmagomedov in 2018.

Murphy, meanwhile, can count himself unlucky at missing out on the opportunity to fight featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325 on 31 January.

Murphy, who has won 17 fights and drawn one, knocked out Aaron Pico in spectacular style in August to rise to fourth in the featherweight rankings.

The UFC opted to pitch second-ranked Diego Lopes against Volkanovski, but one more win for Murphy next year will surely see him next in line.

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'It just wasn't my time to go' - Murphy