The UFC has announced its event schedule for the first three weeks of May 2026. UFC Perth on May 2 features Prates vs Maddalena as the main event, with Salkilld vs Dariush, Elliott vs Erceg, Gaziev vs Pericic, and Tuivasa vs Sutherland on the card. UFC 328 on May 9 includes two title fights: Chimaev vs Strickland and Yan vs Taira, plus Volkov vs Acosta, Brady vs Buckley, and Green vs Stevens. UFC Vegas 117 on May 16 headlines Allen vs Costa, with Du Ho Choi vs Santos, Bukauskus vs Bellato, Wallmaker vs Diaz, and Veretennikov vs Williams. Start times range from 11:00 to 04:00 Moscow time across the three events.
The UFC has unveiled its event schedule for the first three weeks of May 2026, confirming three cards that include a pair of championship bouts and a string of high-profile matchups across multiple divisions.
The opening event, UFC Perth on May 2, is headlined by Prates vs Maddalena in the welterweight division. The card also features Salkilld vs Dariush, Elliott vs Erceg, Gaziev vs Pericic, and Tuivasa vs Sutherland.
UFC 328 on May 9 carries the heaviest title implications of the three events. Sean Strickland, the 35-year-old American middleweight champion out of Xtreme Couture, puts his belt on the line against Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland carries a 31-7 record and is one of the most active strikers in the division, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy. The card's second title fight sees Yan vs Taira. UFC 328 is further stacked with Volkov vs Acosta, Brady vs Buckley, and Green vs Stevens.
UFC Vegas 117 closes out the run on May 16, headlined by Allen vs Costa at middleweight. Also on that card, Nikolay Veretennikov of Kazakhstan meets Tim Williams. Veretennikov, 36, holds a 14-8 record and lands 2.74 significant strikes per minute with an efficient 56 percent accuracy rate. His opponent Williams, 40, is a six-foot-two American from Team Balance with a 15-5 record and a strong takedown presence at 1.81 attempts per 15 minutes. The card also includes Du Ho Choi vs Santos, Bukauskus vs Bellato, and Wallmaker vs Diaz.
Why it matters
- UFC 328 features two title fights on the same card, making it the biggest event of the three-week stretch
- Strickland's middleweight title defense is the marquee attraction, with the champion bringing elite striking volume into the bout
- UFC Vegas 117 offers a deep supporting card culminating in the Allen vs Costa main event, a high-profile middleweight clash in its own right
