UFC has unveiled its spring 2026 fight schedule, announcing 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. Later events feature Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates in Perth on May 2 and a middleweight title clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland at UFC 328 on May 9, with Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim set for June 6. These matchups provide ranked contenders opportunities to advance in welterweight, featherweight, and middleweight divisions. The announcements strengthen the spring lineup amid high demand for title contention spots. Expect further card fills and potential changes as camps progress.
Reports indicate the UFC has laid out an ambitious spring 2026 schedule, with a string of matchups spanning April through June across multiple divisions. Because the announcements have not yet received official confirmation, details remain subject to change as camps progress.
The run of events reportedly opens on April 4 in Las Vegas, where Renato Moicano is slated to meet Chris Duncan at a Fight Night card. On April 18 in Winnipeg, welterweight contender Gilbert Burns is matched against Mike Malott. Burns, nicknamed "Durinho," carries a 22-10 record and is currently ranked thirteenth in the welterweight division. The 39-year-old Brazilian out of Kill Cliff FC lands 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and averages 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a persistent threat on the feet and on the mat. A week later, Aljamain Sterling is reportedly booked to face Youseff Zalal on April 25.
May opens with Jack Della Maddalena versus Carlos Prates in Perth on May 2. The biggest card of the spring would follow on May 9 when UFC 328 is said to feature a middleweight title fight between Khamzat Chimaev and champion Sean Strickland. Strickland, "Tarzan," holds a 31-7 record and stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach. The 35-year-old from Xtreme Couture leads all middleweight title fights in volume, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and his output has defined his reign at the top of the division.
Closing out the spring on June 6, welterweight contenders Belal Muhammad and Gabriel Bonfim are reportedly set to clash. Bonfim, "Marretinha," is 19-1 and ranked tenth at welterweight. The 28-year-old Brazilian averages 4.61 significant strikes per minute and adds 3.6 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded profile that could test any contender above him in the rankings.
Why it matters
- The reported middleweight title bout at UFC 328 would be one of the most anticipated fights of the year
- Burns-Malott and Muhammad-Bonfim could each reshape the welterweight top-fifteen
- Multiple ranked fighters across welterweight and middleweight stand to move up or fall back depending on outcomes
- All bouts remain unconfirmed and could shift as fight camps develop
Saturday, May 9, 2026
