UFC president Dana White announced several new main events on April 23, completing the schedule through mid-2026. Key bouts include Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland for the middleweight title headlining UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark, Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal on April 25 in Las Vegas, and Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa on May 16. Additional fights feature Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo in Macau on May 30 and Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim on June 6. Co-mains include Kyler Phillips vs. Charles Jourdain on April 18 in Winnipeg. These bookings solidify contenders in middleweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and welterweight divisions, setting up title picture shifts. Expect more undercard reveals soon.
UFC president Dana White used an April 23 announcement to fill out a packed 2026 schedule, revealing several new main events across multiple divisions and confirming UFC 328 on May 9 in Newark as the centerpiece.
The headline bout at UFC 328 pits middleweight champion Sean Strickland against top contender Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland, 35, carries a 31-7 record and holds the belt heading into the fight. The American out of Xtreme Couture stands six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach and is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. A durable, pressure-heavy volume puncher, "Tarzan" will need every bit of that output against Chimaev.
Also confirmed, Arnold Allen returns to action on May 16. The 32-year-old Englishman, ranked fifth at featherweight and training out of Tristar Gym, owns a 21-4 record. The southpaw stands five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach and mixes a 3.52 significant strikes per minute output with a solid 1.24 takedowns per 15 minutes. He faces Melquizael Costa in what shapes up as an important featherweight contender bout.
On June 6, welterweight Gabriel Bonfim enters against Belal Muhammad. The Brazilian, nicknamed "Marretinha," is ranked tenth at 170 pounds with a 19-1 record at just 28 years old. Bonfim lands 4.61 significant strikes per minute and averages 3.6 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a genuine threat across multiple phases. A win over a ranked welterweight would push him firmly into title picture conversations.
Rounding out the announced schedule, Aljamain Sterling meets Youssef Zalal on April 25 in Las Vegas, Song Yadong takes on Deiveson Figueiredo in Macau on May 30, and Charles Jourdain faces Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight co-main on April 18 in Winnipeg.
Why it matters
- The Strickland-Chimaev middleweight title bout is the marquee event, with major rankings consequences at 185 pounds
- Allen's return at featherweight carries top-five divisional weight and could push the winner toward a title shot
- Bonfim against Muhammad is a welterweight contender collision that could reshuffle the 170-pound rankings overnight
Saturday, May 9, 2026
