UFC announced its spring 2026 schedule, confirming key bouts including Renato Moicano vs. Chris Duncan at Fight Night on April 4 in Las Vegas, Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott on April 18 in Winnipeg, and Aljamain Sterling vs. Youseff Zalal on April 25. Additional matchups feature Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates in Perth on May 2 and the middleweight title clash Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, with Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim set for June 6. These bookings provide ranked contenders opportunities to advance in welterweight, featherweight, and middleweight divisions. The schedule strengthens event lineups amid growing demand.
Reports indicate the UFC has mapped out an ambitious spring 2026 schedule featuring multiple ranked bouts and at least one title fight, though none of the matchups have received official confirmation as of yet.
The reported slate opens on April 4 in Las Vegas with Renato Moicano meeting Chris Duncan at a Fight Night event, followed two weeks later by a welterweight clash between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott in Winnipeg on April 18. Aljamain Sterling is said to face Youseff Zalal on April 25, with Jack Della Maddalena taking on Carlos Prates in Perth on May 2. The centerpiece of the schedule is UFC 328 on May 9, where middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev would reportedly defend against Sean Strickland. Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim are slated to close out the stretch on June 6.
Sean Strickland, listed here as the reigning middleweight champion, carries a 31-7 record and brings relentless volume to any fight. The 35-year-old American based out of Xtreme Couture throws more than six significant strikes per minute and sports a 76-inch reach that allows him to control distance effectively from his orthodox stance.
Gabriel Bonfim, the tenth-ranked welterweight from Brazil, owns a near-perfect 19-1 record at just 28 years old. Competing out of Bonfim Brothers, he combines a striking pace of 4.61 significant strikes per minute with a strong grappling game, averaging 3.6 takedowns and 1.4 submission attempts per fifteen minutes.
Gilbert Burns, ranked thirteenth at welterweight, brings experience and a polished ground game to his reported matchup in Winnipeg. The 39-year-old Brazilian carries a 22-10 mark and connects on 48 percent of his strikes, while also averaging just over two takedowns per fifteen minutes.
Why it matters
- The middleweight title bout at UFC 328 would be the marquee event of the spring run
- Burns, Bonfim, and Della Maddalena are all ranked welterweights with potential to shift the division's contender picture
- Multiple international stops, including Winnipeg and Perth, reflect continued global expansion of the UFC calendar
Saturday, May 9, 2026
