The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has kicked off its 2025 calendar with a bang, delivering a string of electrifying match-ups and title fights. With champions defending their belts and rising contenders making names for themselves, this year promises to be another blockbuster for MMA fans across the globe.
From early upsets to historic rematches, UFC has already witnessed some pivotal moments in the first few months of 2025 — and much more is on the horizon.
Recap of Key Fights in Early 2025
The UFC kicked off 2025 in explosive fashion, delivering a string of high-profile title bouts and compelling matchups that set the tone for the rest of the year.
January’s highly anticipated UFC 311 was originally scheduled to see a rematch between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan — a bout six years in the making following their closely contested first meeting. However, Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to injury, prompting Brazilian veteran Renato Moicano to step in on just one day’s notice.
Despite the dramatic reshuffle, the main event did not disappoint. Makhachev wasted no time asserting his dominance, submitting Moicano in the very first round to successfully defend his lightweight crown. With this emphatic performance, he not only retained his title but also strengthened his reputation as the UFC’s pound-for-pound number one fighter.
Also on the UFC 311 card, Merab Dvalishvili defended his bantamweight title in a gritty and determined performance against rising star Umar Nurmagomedov.
The undefeated Dagestani, cousin of UFC legend Khabib, started strong and appeared to be ahead on the scorecards. However, Dvalishvili showcased his resilience and championship mentality by mounting a comeback in the later rounds.
He ultimately handed Nurmagomedov his first professional defeat, reaffirming his place at the top of the bantamweight division.
In February, the spotlight shifted to the middleweight division at UFC 312, where reigning champion Dricus Du Plessis took on Sean Strickland in a rematch of their 2024 title fight.
Once again, Du Plessis demonstrated his technical superiority and strategic control, earning a points victory and successfully retaining the title for a second time against the American contender.
That same evening saw a dominant title defence in the women’s strawweight division. Champion Zhang Weili delivered a clinical and comprehensive performance against Tatiana Suarez, controlling the bout from start to finish.
The Chinese powerhouse left no doubt in the judges’ minds, solidifying her hold on the belt with another elite-level display of striking and fight IQ.
March brought a shift in the light-heavyweight landscape as Brazilian fan-favourite Alex Pereira faced off against Russian contender Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313. Despite Pereira’s impressive reign as champion, it was Ankalaev who emerged victorious.
Using a calculated game plan and superior control, the Russian outpointed Pereira over five rounds to claim the light-heavyweight title — ending the Brazilian’s run at the top and ushering in a new era for the division.
Looking ahead to April, fans are anticipating the featherweight title clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. The belt was vacated in a surprise move by Ilia Topuria, opening the door for this high-stakes showdown.
With Volkanovski looking to reclaim gold and Lopes aiming to cement his place in the elite, the bout promises fireworks.
As the UFC calendar moves into May, more championships will be contested, including the welterweight title bout featuring Belal Muhammad and a women’s flyweight showdown where Valentina Shevchenko will put her belt on the line.
With plenty of thrilling action already behind us and much more on the horizon, 2025 is already shaping up to be an unforgettable year for the UFC.
Confirmed UFC Events in 2025 (Full Fight Cards)
Below is the current list of confirmed UFC events and fights scheduled in 2025. Please note that all fight cards are subject to change.
Saturday 5 April – UFC Fight Night (UFC Apex, Las Vegas, US)
Main Card
- Josh Emmett vs Lerone Murphy (Featherweight)
- Pat Sabatini vs Joanderson Brito (Featherweight)
- Cortavious Romious vs Changho Lee (Bantamweight)
- Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Martin Buday (Heavyweight)
- Brad Tavares vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
- Torrez Finney vs Robert Valentin (Middleweight)
Prelims
- Ode Osbourne vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
- Davey Grant vs Daniel Santos (Bantamweight)
- Diana Belbita vs Dione Barbosa (Women’s Flyweight)
- Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza (Welterweight)
- Loma Lookboonmee vs Istela Nunes (Women’s Strawweight)
- Victor Henry vs Pedro Falcao (Bantamweight)
- Vanessa Demopoulos vs Talita Alencar (Women’s Strawweight)
Saturday 12 April – UFC 314 (Kaseya Center, Miami, US)
Main Card
- Vacant Featherweight Title: Alex Volkanovski vs Diego Lopes
- Michael Chandler vs Paddy Pimblett (Lightweight, 5 rounds)
- Bryce Mitchell vs Jean Silva (Featherweight)
- Geoff Neal vs Carlos Prates (Welterweight)
- Yair Rodriguez vs Patricio Pitbull (Featherweight)
Prelims
- Nikita Krylov vs Dominick Reyes (Light-Heavyweight)
- Dan Ige vs Sean Woodson (Featherweight)
- Yan Xiaonan vs Virna Jandiroba (Women’s Strawweight)
- Jim Miller vs Chase Hooper (Lightweight)
Early Prelims
- Sedriques Dumas vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (Middleweight)
- Darren Elkins vs Julian Erosa (Featherweight)
- Alberto Montes vs Roberto Romero (Featherweight)
- Sumudaerji vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
- Tresean Gore vs Marco Tulio (Middleweight)
- Nora Cornolle vs Hailey Cowan (Women’s Bantamweight)
Saturday 26 April – UFC Fight Night (T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, US)
Fights Scheduled
- Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree Jr (Light-Heavyweight)
- Randy Brown vs Nicolas Dalby (Welterweight)
- Malcolm Wellmaker vs Cameron Saaiman (Bantamweight)
- Matt Schnell vs Jimmy Flick (Flyweight)
- Evan Elder vs Ahmad Hassanzada (Lightweight)
- Chelsea Chandler vs Joselyne Edwards (Women’s Bantamweight)
- Jaqueline Amorim vs Polyana Viana (Women’s Strawweight)
- Ikram Aliskerov vs Andre Muniz (Middleweight)
- Giga Chikadze vs David Onama (Featherweight)
- Michel Pereira vs Abus Magomedov (Middleweight)
- Anthony Smith vs Zhang Mingyang (Light-Heavyweight)
Saturday 3 May – UFC Fight Night (Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, US)
Main Fights
- Cory Sandhagen vs Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight)
- Reinier de Ridder vs Bo Nickal (Middleweight)
- Montel Jackson vs Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
- Thomas Petersen vs Don’Tale Mayes (Heavyweight)
- Ryan Loder vs Azamat Bekoev (Middleweight)
- Junior Tafa vs Tuco Tokkos (Light-Heavyweight)
Other Bouts
- Marina Rodriguez vs Gillian Robertson (Women’s Strawweight)
- Trevor Peek vs Jeongyeong Lee (Featherweight)
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight)
- Cameron Smotherman vs Serhiy Sidey (Bantamweight)
- Yana Santos vs Miesha Tate (Women’s Bantamweight)
- Jeremy Stephens vs Mason Jones (Lightweight)
Saturday 11 May – UFC 315 (Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada)
Title Bouts
- Welterweight Championship: Belal Muhammad (C) vs Jack Della Maddalena
- Women’s Flyweight Championship: Valentina Shevchenko (C) vs Manon Fiorot
Main & Feature Fights
- Modestas Bukauskas vs Ion Cutelaba (Light-Heavyweight)
- Jose Aldo vs Aiemann Zahabi (Bantamweight)
- Jessica Andrade vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (Women’s Flyweight)
- Gilbert Burns vs Michael Morales (Welterweight)
- Mike Malott vs Charles Radtke (Welterweight)
- Alexa Grasso vs Natalia Silva (Women’s Flyweight)
- Navajo Stirling vs Ivan Erslan (Light-Heavyweight)
- Marc-Andre Barriault vs Bruno Silva (Middleweight)
- Brad Katona vs Bekzat Almakhan (Bantamweight)
Saturday 28 June – UFC 317
- Fight card: To be announced
Saturday 26 July – UFC Fight Night (Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE)
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Fight card: To be announced
Title Fights to Keep an Eye On
- Volkanovski vs Lopes – Featherweight (Vacant) – 12 April
- Belal Muhammad vs Jack Della Maddalena – Welterweight – 11 May
- Shevchenko vs Fiorot – Women’s Flyweight – 11 May
With more events likely to be added to the 2025 calendar and multiple title fights still to be announced, UFC fans have plenty to look forward to as the year unfolds.
