UFC President Dana White announced the full 2026 event schedule through June 14's Freedom 250 at a press conference on March 13, including multiple new main events. Key bookings feature Josh Emmett vs. Kevin Vallejos on March 14 in Las Vegas, Movsar Evloev vs. Lerone Murphy on March 21 in London, and Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg for the vacant light heavyweight title headlining UFC 327 on April 11 in Miami. Other highlights include Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9 and Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje at Freedom 250. This slate shapes divisional paths, with featherweight and light heavyweight title pictures advancing rapidly. Expect potential reshuffles as camps progress, boosting PPV appeal amid packed calendar.
UFC President Dana White unveiled the organization's full 2026 event schedule at a press conference on March 13, mapping out a packed calendar of fights through the Freedom 250 card on June 14 and confirming several high-profile main events in the process.
The announcements cover multiple divisions and marquee matchups. Josh Emmett meets Kevin Vallejos on March 14 in Las Vegas, with Vallejos bringing an impressive 18-1-0 record into the bout at just 24 years old. The Argentine fighter out of Brothers of Life MMA switches stances and generates volume, landing 6.12 significant strikes per minute. Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy are set to collide on March 21 in London in what shapes up as a significant featherweight contest.
The light heavyweight division gets its clearest direction yet, with Jiri Prochazka scheduled to meet Carlos Ulberg for the vacant title at UFC 327 on April 11 in Miami. Prochazka, ranked second in the division, enters at 32-6-1 and brings elite striking volume — 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy — along with a six-foot-three frame and an 80-inch reach. The Czech fighter out of Jetsaam Gym Brno will be 33 years old come fight night.
At UFC 328 on May 9, reigning middleweight champion Sean Strickland defends his title against Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland, nicknamed Tarzan, holds a 31-7-0 record and leads the division with an output of 6.04 significant strikes per minute. The 35-year-old American trains out of Xtreme Couture and carries a 76-inch reach into every fight. The Freedom 250 card on June 14 is headlined by Ilia Topuria against Justin Gaethje.
Why it matters
- The Prochazka vs. Ulberg booking resolves the vacant light heavyweight title picture with a clear and immediate path to a new champion.
- Strickland vs. Chimaev puts the middleweight belt on the line in one of the most anticipated matchups on the schedule.
- Topuria vs. Gaethje adds another blockbuster to the back half of the calendar, sustaining PPV momentum well into June.
