UFC fights ESPN wants to see in the second half of 2026

The UFC entered the second half of 2026 with considerable momentum, according to ESPN MMA’s look at the year so far. The outlet described the first six months as the best stretch of UFC events since 2021, and possibly longer, after a run of cards that repeatedly carried major anticipation. Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane headlined a card on the White House South Lawn, while Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev met in their long-awaited grudge match. Carlos Ulberg also won a championship on one good leg. ESPN’s point was not simply that every main event delivered; it was that the numbered-event schedule consistently felt important before the fights began.

That atmosphere has left a large amount of business still to be addressed. ESPN noted that six current UFC champions, including all three women’s champions, had not fought in 2026 at the time of publication. It also reported that 81% of ESPN’s ranked fighters did not have a bout scheduled. Those conditions create room for significant matchmaking decisions across multiple divisions. ESPN presented 10 fights it would like to see made for the remainder of the year, mixing title rematches, overdue championship opportunities, contender tests and a few stylistic pairings that could make for especially compelling action. The selections are wishes rather than announced UFC fights, but they outline where unresolved rivalries and crowded divisions could produce the most attention.

Heavyweight clarity and title-level questions lead the wishlist

The most urgent proposed fight in ESPN’s view is a rematch between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. ESPN called it the most obvious matchup on its list and argued that the heavyweight division needs champion versus interim champion to be resolved. Without that rematch, the outlet said, the top of the division will remain a mess and the weight class will continue to lack an identity. Aspinall is back in the gym after recovering from an eye injury, while Gane is holding the interim title after defeating Pereira at the White House. ESPN framed a future meeting as a bout with high stakes, genuine animosity and international appeal, even suggesting it could be the most important fight in UFC heavyweight history because of the division’s recent condition and the reaction if it does not happen. Another title picture ESPN wants settled involves Joshua Van. It identified two leading possibilities for Van: Alexandre Pantoja or Manel Kape. The Pantoja rematch has the stronger unfinished-business narrative. Pantoja had been flyweight champion for two and a half years before Van dethroned him in December, but their fight barely developed before Pantoja suffered a dislocated elbow. Van told ESPN before UFC 328 that he wanted to prove he could beat a healthy Pantoja. Yet ESPN preferred Van vs. Kape if it could choose only one. It described Van as a slick, high-volume boxer and Kape as arguably the hardest puncher at 125 pounds, with both carrying substantial confidence. At featherweight, ESPN said Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev should have happened already. Evloev is listed at 20-0 with 10 UFC wins, although he has not finished an opponent during seven years with the promotion. ESPN noted that this tendency to go to decisions has become part of his identity. Volkanovski, 37, is described as wanting the undefeated challenger as part of his legacy, and ESPN expects that matchup in the fall.

Women’s title matchmaking also occupies a central place in the proposed schedule. ESPN said Mackenzie Dern will not be fully recognized as the world’s best strawweight until Zhang returns. Zhang dominated 115-pound title fights for three years before moving up to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at women’s flyweight in late 2025, where she came up short. The expectation cited by ESPN is that Zhang will return to strawweight. Dern is scheduled to defend her strawweight title against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in August, and ESPN characterized that as a competitive fight. If Dern wins, the immediate question would be when she faces Zhang. The outlet placed even greater business importance on Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes for the women’s bantamweight title. ESPN said the women’s side had felt stalled through the year’s halfway point, while stressing that the divisions have to progress during the second half. Harrison vs. Nunes, it argued, is the women’s fight the sport needs most. ESPN described a story nearly a decade in the making, involving complicated beef and personal backgrounds, and said a full promotional effort could make it the UFC’s biggest available fight.

Contender fights offer talent, history and stylistic intrigue

Away from the direct title questions, ESPN’s desired matchups include Aaron Pico vs. Jean Silva. Pico’s April performance against Patricio Pitbull was described as arguably the most complete of his career, marked by calm and a well-rounded approach that ESPN said had been missing at times. Pico has had only two UFC fights, leaving multiple options available, but ESPN favored Silva because he is proven, confident and exceptionally dangerous. At lightweight, ESPN acknowledged that Arman Tsarukyan needs to fight for the championship one way or another, while still naming Mauricio Ruffy as its preferred matchup for him. The outlet said several alternatives make more sense from a rankings standpoint, including Gaethje, Topuria, Charles Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett and Max Holloway. Its interest in Ruffy came from his confidence and bad intentions. ESPN also selected Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili as a fight built on history and unanswered questions surrounding their two previous meetings. It said the contest could fly below bigger-name bouts while still becoming one of the second half’s most technical and competitive fights. ESPN’s welterweight choice was Michael Morales vs. Gabriel Bonfim. It called the division exceptionally stacked, citing Islam Makhachev, Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates, Sean Brady, Morales, Jack Della Maddalena and Bonfim. Bonfim joined that discussion in June after a dominant win over former champion Belal Muhammad.

• Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane: ESPN’s choice for resolving the heavyweight champion and interim champion situation.
• Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes: ESPN’s proposed women’s bantamweight title fight and the matchup it considers most needed on the women’s side.
• Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape: ESPN’s preferred flyweight option because of Van’s volume boxing and Kape’s punching threat.

ESPN’s second-half wishlist is driven less by random pairing than by fights that answer specific divisional questions. Aspinall and Gane would address heavyweight uncertainty, Van could face either unfinished business or a dangerous new challenge, and Volkanovski vs. Evloev would test an unbeaten contender against a champion seeking another legacy-defining win. Meanwhile, Dern’s August defense could shape the strawweight conversation, and Harrison vs. Nunes stands out as the proposed blockbuster with the broadest stakes. None of these bouts were presented as confirmed, but ESPN’s selections show how much high-level UFC matchmaking remains available in 2026.