UFC opens 2026 by announcing key fights in the first week of the year
As of January 10, 2026, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has already begun shaping its 2026 calendar.
During the first week of January, the promotion officially confirmed new bouts, finalized a major international Fight Night, and continued building early-year PPVs.
The early movement makes one thing clear: UFC is wasting no time in 2026.
Below, everything is organized with clear status labels:
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✅ OFFICIAL – announced by the UFC
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🟡 REPORTED / IN THE WORKS – reported by reliable MMA journalists
✅ OFFICIAL UFC ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS WEEK
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Almabayev
📍 Mexico City – Arena CDMX
📅 February 28, 2026
The UFC officially confirmed its return to Mexico with a high-level flyweight main event.
Main Event (OFFICIAL)
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Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev — Flyweight bout
Co-Main Event (OFFICIAL)
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Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez — Women’s Bantamweight
Official broadcast times
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Prelims: 5:00 PM ET
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Main Card: 8:00 PM ET
Brazil (BRT):
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Prelims: 7:00 PM
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Main Card: 10:00 PM
📺 Broadcast: Paramount+
Why it matters:
Moreno remains one of the UFC’s biggest Latin American stars, while Almabayev enters as a dangerous contender looking to break into the elite of the flyweight division. This main event has direct ranking implications for 2026.
📌 CONFIRMED UFC EVENTS FOR EARLY 2026 (OFFICIAL CONTEXT)
These events were announced earlier but are essential for understanding the broader 2026 picture.
UFC 324 — Las Vegas
📅 January 24, 2026
Officially confirmed fights
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Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett — Interim Lightweight Title
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Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes — Women’s Bantamweight Title
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Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong
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Alexa Grasso vs. Rose Namajunas
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Derrick Lewis vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
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Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
UFC 325 — Sydney, Australia
📅 January 31, 2026
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Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2
Featherweight Championship
🟡 REPORTED / IN THE WORKS (NOT OFFICIAL YET)
UFC Fight Night — Seattle
📍 Climate Pledge Arena
📅 March 28, 2026
The UFC has officially confirmed the date and venue, but the main event is still listed as TBD vs. TBD.
Reported matchups
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Valter Walker vs. Marcin Tybura — Heavyweight bout
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Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber 2 — Reported rematch
⚠️ Status: reported by reliable MMA outlets, not yet officially announced by the UFC.
📊 WHAT THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS SAY ABOUT UFC 2026
As of January 10:
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UFC is launching 2026 with stacked cards from January onward
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International events are already locked in
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Title fights and interim titles are shaping early storylines
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Rankings will move fast in the first quarter of the year
In short: 2026 starts at full speed.
The first week of the year already delivered official fights, full Fight Night details, and strong signals of what’s coming next. If this is how 2026 begins, the months ahead should bring even more title confirmations, contender matchups, and global events.