UFC president Dana White announced the promotion's full schedule through mid-June 2026, featuring 10 events from April onward. Key bouts include Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title at UFC 328 on May 9, and Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title on June 14 in Washington D.C. Co-main events like Kyler Phillips vs. Charles Jourdain on April 18 in Winnipeg and Beneil Dariush vs. Quillan Salkilld on May 2 in Perth add depth. This locks in the calendar, offering fighters clear timelines for camps and fans major title clashes. It shapes middleweight and lightweight divisions with high-stakes implications; expect more undercard reveals soon.
Reports emerged on April 19 that the UFC has mapped out its full event calendar through mid-June 2026, with Dana White announcing 10 events from April onward and confirming several high-profile title matchups — though the announcement has not yet been officially verified.
The centerpiece of the reported schedule is a middleweight title fight at UFC 328 on May 9, pitting champion Sean Strickland against Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland, nicknamed Tarzan, carries a 31-7-0 record and holds the 185-pound title at 35 years old. The American out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is one of the division's most relentless pressure strikers, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute. Also listed on the reported schedule is a lightweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, set for June 14 in Washington D.C.
Supporting bouts mentioned include Kyler Phillips versus Charles Jourdain on April 18 in Winnipeg, and a lightweight matchup on May 2 in Perth between Beneil Dariush and Quillan Salkilld. Dariush, ranked eighth at lightweight, is a 37-year-old southpaw out of Kings MMA carrying a 23-8-1 record and a 72-inch reach. He averages 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes and 3.78 significant strikes per minute. His reported opponent, Salkilld, is a 26-year-old Australian ranked 15th in the division with an impressive 12-1-0 record. Fighting out of Luistro Combat Academy, Salkilld posts a striking accuracy of 57 percent and an eye-catching 7.95 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Strickland's middleweight title defense against Chimaev would be among the division's most anticipated bouts in years
- The Topuria-Gaethje lightweight title fight adds a second championship clash to the reported stretch of events
- Dariush versus Salkilld pits a seasoned lightweight veteran against one of the division's rising prospects
- If confirmed, the schedule gives fighters and camps defined preparation windows across multiple weight classes
Saturday, May 9, 2026
