UFC announced multiple Fight Night events: Strickland vs. Hernandez on Feb 21 in Houston; Moreno vs. Kavanagh on Feb 28 in Mexico City; followed by UFC 326: Holloway vs. Oliveira 2 on Mar 7 in Las Vegas. Additional cards include Emmett vs. Vallejos on Mar 14, Evloev vs. Murphy in London on Mar 21, and Adesanya vs. Pyfer in Seattle on Mar 28. These bookings under the Paramount deal fill key slots, boosting divisions like middleweight, flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Expect rising stars to solidify contendership amid packed schedule.
The UFC has officially announced a dense run of events stretching from late February through the end of March, headlined by a mix of championship implications and high-profile rematches across five divisions.
The first card lands February 21 in Houston, where middleweight champion Sean Strickland takes on Hernandez. Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7-0 record into the bout and remains one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach. The American out of Xtreme Couture has held the middleweight title and brings relentless forward pressure to every fight.
One week later on February 28, the promotion heads to Mexico City for a flyweight headliner between Brandon Moreno and Kavanagh. UFC 326 then takes center stage on March 7 in Las Vegas, featuring a highly anticipated rematch between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira in what figures to be a critical lightweight contest. Oliveira, ranked third at 155 pounds and eleventh in the pound-for-pound standings, holds a 37-11-0 record and is one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport, averaging 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside a 74-inch reach. The 36-year-old Brazilian out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima is also a credible threat on the feet, connecting at 54 percent striking accuracy.
The schedule continues March 14 with Emmett versus Vallejos, followed by a London card on March 21 featuring Evloev against Murphy. The run closes March 28 in Seattle, where former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya steps in against Joe Pyfer. Adesanya, 36, is ranked eighth in the division with a 24-6-0 record. Standing six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach, the City Kickboxing product posts 4.03 significant strikes per minute and operates out of a switch stance.
Why it matters
- Strickland's title is on the line in a stacked middleweight stretch bookended by the Adesanya-Pyfer card
- Oliveira's rematch with Holloway carries major lightweight contendership weight at number three in the division
- The six-card run under the Paramount deal keeps multiple divisions in motion simultaneously through the first quarter of 2026
