UFC president Dana White announced the full event schedule through mid-June 2026, including 10 cards starting April 25 with Sterling vs. Zalal. Highlights feature welterweight bouts like Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates on May 2 in Perth, Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo on May 30 in Macau, and Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim on June 6 in Las Vegas. This roadmap aids fan planning and fighter preparations across divisions. It signals UFC's aggressive 2026 expansion with international venues, boosting global appeal. Expect further main events to be filled soon.
UFC president Dana White has reportedly mapped out the promotion's event calendar all the way through mid-June 2026, unveiling a run of ten cards that spans multiple continents and several divisions. The announcement has not been officially confirmed, and details remain subject to change.
According to the report, the stretch opens April 25 with a featherweight contest between Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal. The 29-year-old Zalal, who fights out of Factory X, carries an 18-6-1 record and sits at number 12 in the featherweight rankings. He switches stances and lands just over three significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent accuracy rate, while also averaging 2.17 takedowns per 15 minutes.
The May 2 card in Perth is headlined by welterweight fourth-ranked Jack Della Maddalena, a 29-year-old Australian out of Scrappy MMA who holds an 18-4-0 record and a pound-for-pound ranking of 13. Della Maddalena is among the more active strikers in his division, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy. Carlos Prates is listed as his opponent on that card.
Also on the slate, welterweight contender Gabriel Bonfim is slated to meet champion Belal Muhammad on June 6 in Las Vegas. Bonfim, a 28-year-old Brazilian ranked tenth at 170 pounds, owns a 19-1-0 record and generates 4.61 significant strikes per minute alongside a takedown rate of 3.6 per 15 minutes, making him dangerous in multiple phases.
Why it matters
- The schedule signals an accelerated international push, with stops including Perth and Macau alongside Las Vegas
- Multiple welterweight bouts involving ranked fighters could reshape the division's top-ten picture by mid-year
- Zalal's featured spot on the opening card represents a significant step up for the featherweight contender
- As an unconfirmed report, main event pairings and venues may still shift before official announcements
