26 MMA fights on our 2026 wish list: Makhachev vs. Topuria, more
New year, new fights to be made.
2026 is here, which brings new opportunity for potential historic bouts, blockbuster matchups, and low-key bangers. Every year here at MMA Junkie, we put out some good energy into the universe by compiling a wish list of dream fights for the new year.
For 2025, three fights came to fruition, and one got scheduled for early 2026 from our 25 fights on our 2025 MMA wish list. That’s not bad, but we’re hoping 2026 can do better. Remember, this list is a reflection of the current MMA landscape, and it’s realistic possibilities.
Without further ado, we present MMA Junkie’s wish list of 26 fights we’d like to see in 2026.
26. Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos
CHIWIWIS.
Raul Rosas Jr. is always fun to watch, and he’s clearly in need of a step up in competition now that he got his rookie years out of the way. Stylistically, a bout against Raoni Barcelos is the perfect fight to give the youngster a step up in competition while also not throwing him to the lions. It’s also not a bad fight for Barcelos, as Rosas Jr. brings a good amount of name value to the table.
25. Alexa Grasso vs. Jessica Andrade
I’ve been calling for Alexa Grasso vs. Jessica Andrade for years. It’s a former champ vs. former champ fight, and a fight that involves two excellent strikers that always move forward and put on exciting fights for the fans. This is easily one of the more exciting fights you could make on paper in women’s MMA.
24. Patricio Pitbull vs. Josh Emmett
Please give Josh Emmett a legends fight. The man has done so much for the UFC, always fighting young killers despite asking for some name value fighters. Patricio Freire vs. Emmett is a fun matchup and a fight I think both guys deserve at this point of their careers.
23. Kevin Vallejos vs. Dan Ige
Kevin Vallejos has quickly become a must-watch fighter. After a stellar 2025, in which he won MMA Junkie’s 2025 Newcomer of the Year, it’s clear the type of matchmaking that people want to see from Vallejos. Fans want to see action-packed fights against other heavy hitters, and that’s where Dan Ige comes in.
22. Sean O’Malley vs. Cory Sandhagen
Look, knowing how the UFC works, I know Sean O’Malley will likely end up fighting for the belt should he beat Song Yadong at UFC 324 later this month. But, if somehow we can get O’Malley vs. Cory Sandhagen, I’ll be a happy camper. I think it’s one of the more interesting matchups you can make in the bantamweight division.
21. Dakota Ditcheva vs. Liz Carmouche
Dakota Ditcheva is one of the main faces for the PFL. There’s no doubt she’s a key piece for the promotion, and that’s why matching her up well is crucial. Liz Carmouche is an obvious call here. Carmouche is a former Bellator champion, former UFC title challenger and now PFL tournament winner. This is the fight to make, and it’s a legit challenge for Ditcheva, who’s been running through competition.
20. Manuel Torres vs. Jalin Turner
Here’s a free one for the UFC matchmakers. They can thank me later. Manuel Torres vs. Jalin Turner is an absolute banger that needs to happen this year. It can easily be the opener of a UFC numbered event, and I do think it’s a win-win for both fighters here, both have a lot to gain from a win.
19. Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards
If you’ve been tuning into these annual wish lists, you know that Jorge Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards has been on here year after year
It’s got a great back story; we just need the fight. Yet the bout never comes even close to happening, despite it being a no brainer. The more time passes, the more relevancy it loses. I do believe this fight has forever lost it’s lure, but it’s not all gone. I’d still be down to watch it, but this is probably the last year you’ll see me calling for this one.
18. Yaroslav Amosov vs. Sean Brady
Yaroslav Amosov vs. Sean Brady would be such a badass fight. Two strong submission specialists at an elite level of the UFC welterweight division. Amosov needs a step up after beating Neil Magny, and Brady needs a slight step down after losing to Michael Morales by TKO. I think this fight makes perfect sense for both Brady, Amosov and the division.
17. Marlon Vera vs. Payton Talbott
Marlon Vera vs. Payton Talbott has Fight of the Night written all over it. We know what “Chito” brings, and we now know what Talbott brings given his eye-opening performance against Henry Cejudo. I think this fight has to be a five-round Fight Night main event. “Chito” has an incredible chin and is always game. This would be a great test of fight management for a young Talbott.
16. Belal Muhammad vs. Kamaru Usman
I respect everything Kamaru Usman has done, but he’s got no business fighting Islam Makhachev for the UFC welterweight title. Yes, the Joaquin Buckly win was good, but he needs to do more. I think a fight a fight against Belal Muhammad not only would give him the legitimacy and merit he’s looking for his title shot, but also it would take care of the pending beef the two have been carrying for years now.
15. Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson
We have to go to the women’s strawweight division if you want to witness the best jiu-jitsu based matchup in MMA.
Mackenzie Dern, champion at 115 pounds, is a jui-jitsu legend. We all know her accolades and respect the pedigree she brings from the grappling world. Gillian Robertson might not carry the same prestige as Dern, but she’s good on the ground and one of my favorite fighters to watch jiu-jitsu. I think this would be a lot of fun for the grappling fans.
14. Jamaal Hill vs. Bogdan Guskov
I have to tell you, Bogdan Guskov is becoming one of my new favorite fighters. He always goes for the knockout and has a very weird but effective style to his striking.
I think he’s a great addition to a very bare UFC light heavyweight division, and there’s some fun fights to make for him. I think one of those is against former UFC champion Jamahal Hill. These two always bring it, and live and die by the sword. It would be quite the banger.
13. Usman Nurmagomedov vs. A.J. McKee
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. A.J. McKee is a fight I’ve been wanting to see since the PFL-Bellator merger. Unfortunately things haven’t fully panned out for McKee as he lost a split decision to two-time PFL title challenger Paul Hughes.
Despite the defeat, I think the Nurmagomedov-McKee matchup is still intriguing. And let’s be honest: It’s not like PFL has a long list of lightweight contenders waiting in the wings. I think you could give Mckee a title bout today after he bounced back from the loss Hughes loss with a July victory over Akhmed Magomedov, or just have him pick up another win before challenging for the belt.
12. Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
I think it’s safe to say that Israel Adesanya’s better days are behind him, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have what it takes to put on some fun, high-level fights.
At this point, I think Adesanya is not really at a level to compete against the top five of the UFC middleweight division, and I find his current skill level more or less is at the top 10. That’s why I think a fight with Joe Pyfer makes tons of sense. It’s a big step-up and opportunity for Pyfer, while also being a big fight for Adesanya, who needs to see name value at the other end given his status in MMA. I’d be curious to see how Adesanya would deal with the power of Pyfer, and how Pyfer would deal with the experience and slickness of Adesanya.
11. Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates
Do I really need to explain this one?
10. Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Morales
The future of the UFC welterweight division is both Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales. They’re the youngest of the current title contenders.
I have a feeling these two will fight multiple times, with a good chance of a fun rivalry developing. Morales has been very vocal about his dislike for Machado Garry, and we know Machado Garry won’t back down from verbal warfare. Apart for the potential of a great buildup, these two are fantastic fighters with styles made for one another.
9. Alex Pereira vs. Carlos Ulberg
Call me crazy, but I actually don’t want to see Alex Pereira at heavyweight – at least not yet.
Two things make a part pooper in this scenario: the uncertainty at heavyweight with Aspinall’s injury and Carlos Ulberg. I find Ulberg to be one of the most interesting challenges for Pereira at light heavyweight. He’s a skilled striker with power, and he comes from Israel Adesanya’s camp, who knows Pereira quite well. Pereira is also older and has a lot of footage out there to be used against him in camps. I want to see “Chama” at least one more time at 205 pounds, and that should be against Ulberg, the rightful No. 1 contender.
8. Vadim Nemkov vs. Francis Ngannou
Oh, Francis Ngannou. What a shame that we’ve only seen who once was the best heavyweight in the world only fight once in MMA since 2022. It truly feels like a waste of talent, as he’s been mainly fighting in boxing, where he’s clearly not at his best given his skill set.
I really hope this year we see some action from the Cameroonian. It’s true that PFL’s roster fell apart in the last year, but Ngannou actually has one really good option available – Vadim Nemko, who is a legit talent. He’s a former Bellator light heavyweight champion and now the PFL heavyweight titleholder. This is a legit matchup that would test both fighters.
7. Petr Yan vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Petr Yan vs. Umar Nurmagomedov is just such a badass matchup. I’m actually surprised these two have yet to cross paths, but perhaps it was for the better as the matchup is now bigger than ever.
This bout might actually be the most skilled matchup in the history of the UFC bantamweight division. Both are masters in technique, while also having unique styles. Should Merab Dvalishvili not get a immediate title trilogy, I can see this fight happening in mid 2026.
6. Tom Aspinall vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
I love a rivalry – even if it’s sometimes gimmicky and superficial.
There’s no real bad blood between Tom Aspinall and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, no personal beef, but they do have that eye-poke saga that made its rounds toward the end of 2025. As we all know, Aspinall’s first title defense ended in a no contest due to an accidental and illegal eye poke from Ciryl Gane. Just a week later, Cortes-Acosta got eye poked himself by Aspinall’s teammate Ante Delija. The Dominican fighter ended up choosing to continue fighting, just to KO Delija a few seconds later. This gave Cortes-Acosta some arsenal to verbally go after the champion and make a big splash in the heavyweight division.
Should Apinall be fit to fight, and be able to retain his title in the expected immediate rematch with Ciryl Gane, a title fight against Cortes-Acosta is certainly the move. Of course, that’s also if Cortes-Acosta is able to get past veteran Derrick Lewis at UFC 324.
5. Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape
Look, I have tons of respect for Alexandre Pantoja, and he should get an immediate rematch with Joshua Van should he be fit and want one. However, I can’t sit here and tell you that is the best fight you could make at 125 pounds.
Van vs. Manel Kape is easily the best fight that can be made in the UFC’s flyweight division, and one of the best fights you could make in MMA today. It’s a legitimate fight – due to Kape’s merit as a challenger – and it pits two fun, exciting, dangerous, and contrasting strikers. Van uses slick boxing and volume, while Kape is a sharpshooter, picking his shots with power and precision. This is must-watch MMA.
4. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Anthony Hernandez
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Anthony Hernandez is actually my favorite matchup on this list, stylistically speaking. It’s the yin-yang of MMA.
They both share some similarities, but are also vastly different. Chimaev is an aggressive, pressure wrestler that looks to run over his opposition as fast and violently as possible. On the other hand, Hernandez likes to take his time. He pressures his rivals and slowly, but surely, begins to take the life out of them until they have no fight left in them. Should Hernandez get past Sean Strickland next month, this is the fight to make. It’s the unstoppable force vs. the unmovable object.
3. Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett
I love a good grudge match, and this might be the most heated one you could make for 2026. It’s no secret Topuria and Pimblett don’t like each other, and the reason why is well-documented.
I don’t think this is the best fight you could make in MMA – hence it’s not No. 1 on the list. Yet, it still received a high ranking because I think viewership wise it could be the biggest. Topuria and Pimblett are both stars with very loyal followings. They’re also quite good on the microphone and don’t hold back when talking about each other. I think the hype alone, and media attention, could raise the stakes here, and bring some fun into MMA.
First thing is first though, Pimblett need to take care of Gaethje as UFC 234, and that’s no easy task, although to me seems likely.
2. Kayla Harrison-Amanda Nunes winner vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Women’s MMA seems to be picking up a bit after a few years of being in a lull. Just two months ago, we witnessed a champion vs. champion fight in Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili, and now we’ve got a mega fight lined up in Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes for the first UFC event of 2026.
Big fights are happening right now in women’s MMA, but this whole thing could be taken a step further. The winner between Harrison and Nunes should absolutely welcome back Shevchenko to 135 pounds in a champion vs. champion superfight. I do think the UFC could have its own “Four Kings” era in women’s MMA, but have it be the “Three Queens” era instead.
I don’t see Harrison, Nunes or Shevchenko being able to run over one another. I expect fun, high-level fights between all of them, and you could easily match them up over the next year or two to see who comes out on top with the winning record. Hopefully the UFC doesn’t miss the boat on this one and sees the bigger picture, as opposed to a single, isolated superfight between Harrison and Nunes. And yes, Shevchenko should go up to bantamweight and close out her career there. She’s done it all at flyweight.
1. Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria
You finally have arrived at the best damn fight the UFC could make in 2026. Legacy, championship stakes, high-level MMA, and some good trash talk. What more can you ask for?
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria is one of those matchups that come along every decade. We’re literally talking about the two guys currently competing for the No. 1 pound-for-pound label in the sport. They’re both in their primes, champions of neighboring weight classes, and have been going back-and-forth publicly for quite some time. This is it, guys. This is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Of course, being fairly new champions, both Topuria and Makhachev seem to need to take care of a challenger or two in their own division before there could be talks of these two matching up. However, given the way they have been looking in the cage, that won’t be a big problem. I have no idea what weight class, or when, or where these two could fight, but what I do know is that when they do, that will be the highest level of MMA ever witnessed. This is also an excellent matchup, as it’s got a grappler vs. striker vibe, yet with both being extremely versatile.
Makhachev vs. Topuria is a dream of a fight. There’s no better fight you could make in MMA today.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 26 MMA fights we want to see in 2026: Makhachev vs. Topuria, more
