Predicting The UFC Champions by the End of 2026

Matt Hylen
Jan 14
7 min read

The UFC looks incredibly different from how it did at the start of 2025. Whether it be its switch from Pay-Per-View on ESPN+ to Paramount+ or the division contenders themselves, the sport is in a fantastic place going into a new era.

Looking at the champions, I think there could be a major mix-up in who holds the belts come the end of 2026. Very few are viewed as "unbeatable," which is a new concept for the sport as a whole. With fighters like Amanda Nunes, Georges St-Pierre, Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, and more reigning their divisions for years, what we have now is new and exciting and worth discussing.

So, with that comes my predictions on who each division's champion will be come the end of this year. Remember, these are just predictions, but be sure to let me know your thoughts!

Men's Flyweight

Current Champion: Joshua Van

My Prediction: Manel Kape

This was such a tough one for me. I kept fluctuating between Van and Kape, but Kape is a different animal. The possession of power he has in a division like Flyweight is unlike anything we have seen in a long time. I do think his biggest challenger will be Joshua Van since he has massive power and speed himself, but he is still young and may be in over his head against a guy like Kape.

Of course, Alexandre Pantoja is a legitimate contender, but we still are not sure when he will make his return. The assumption is sometime in 2026, but by that point, Kape may reach a level that may be even too much for Pantoja to handle.

Women's Strawweight

Current Champion: Mackenzie Dern

My Prediction: Zhang Weli

Though I do think Mackenzie Dern is a worthy champion who has earned her spot at the top, I also believe Zhang Weili will eventually get a title shot once she moves back down to Strawweight. She put up a good fight at Flyweight against Valentina Shevchenko, but she is simply too small to compete at that weight class.

With that in mind, I think Weili can get her strawweight title back rather quickly. Whether that be in her next fight or not, Weili is the best fighter the division has ever seen, which should overwhelm Dern at the game she likes to play in the octagon.

Men's Bantamweight

Photo Credit to Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Current Champion: Petr Yan

My Prediction: Merab Dvalisvili

First and foremost, the fight Petr Yan had against Merab Dvalishvili to win the Bantamweight title was one of the most impressive and shocking performances in recent memory. Yan knew exactly how to attack Merab and exploited it at every chance he got.

With that said, one could say that was a once-in-a-lifetime performance in which Merab gassed out after the year he had. I do think ultimately Dvalishvili is one of the most hard-working fighters in the sport and will learn from his mistakes in order to win back his title. If he takes some time off, which I believe he will, I think he comes back better than ever, protects his body, and regains his belt against Yan.

There are definitely other fighters to consider in this division as a potential champion, but right now guys like Sean O'Malley, Song Yadong, and Umar Nurmagomedov don't have any skills that can beat Yan (at the level we saw in his last fight) or Merab.

Women's Flyweight

Photo Credit to Chris Unger/Getty Images

Current Champion: Valentina Shevchenko

My Prediction: Maycee Barber

This will definitely be my boldest prediction, but I am a huge believer in Maycee Barber. The way she won her last fight after a huge layoff due to a life-threatening illness shows her toughness and true ability in the octagon. I think the sky is the limit for her not only as a fighter but as a champion of this division.

As for Valentina Shevchenko, I do think she will vacate the belt by the end of the year to move up a weight class. She has done this before and it did not work out, but she has improved drastically since then. She may not have the size, but I do think she possesses the skill to compete in the Bantamweight division.

So, maybe Barber does not get over the Shevchenko hump this year, but I have a feeling we will see a fight down the line where Barber is the champion. She is just that good in my mind, with no one in the division concerning me if Shevchenko moves up.

Featherweight

Current Champion: Alexander Volkanovski

My Prediction: Lerone Murphy

I do think Alexander Volkanovski will be retired by the end of 2026, meaning a new champion will be crowned in the Featherweight division. It comes down to three main contenders in my eyes: Diego Lopes, Movsar Evloev, and Lerone Murphy. Lopes is the "been there, done that" contender who was given the first title shot of the year within the division. Yet, regardless of what happens in that fight, I do not think he will be champion by the end of the year.

Evloev seems like the most logical choice due to his elite grappling ability, but I am betting on the undefeated Lerone Murphy to climb to the top of this division. For whatever reason, the UFC has yet to give him a title shot, but Murphy has been underrated his entire career. He is so dangerous on the feet and has an elite takedown defense, which would bode well against an Evloev or Lopes. Overall, Murphy is the most well-rounded fighter in the division and could very well be the champ by the end of 2026.

Women's Bantamweight

Photo Credit to Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images

Current Champion: Kayla Harrison

My Prediction: Kayla Harrison

This is one of those "unbeatable" fighters I was talking about earlier. I truly believe that Kayla Harrison will run this division for as long as she wants to. Yes, she has a huge fight against Amanda Nunes, one of the greatest fighters of all time, men or women, yet I am simply unfazed by any opponent Harrison faces.

Harrison's grappling is arguably the best we have ever seen. If she gets you to the ground, it is basically over for you. Although, the craziest part is she is only going to improve on the feet, which will open takedowns up more for her with each fight she has. I just do not see a world currently where Harrison is not dominating not just this division but women's MMA as a whole.

Lightweight

Current Champion: Ilia Topuria

My Prediction: Ilia Topuria

Similar to Kayla Harrison, Ilia Topuria will run this division as long as he desires to stay there. I do see a world where he moves up to Welterweight to challenge Islam Makhachev, but with everything going on in his personal life, it may be delayed a bit.

Due to Topuria's personal matters, there will be an interim champion crowned between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje. You also have Arman Tsarukyan, who I think beats either Pimblett or Gaethje, but who knows what the UFC has planned for him this year. As long as he does not move up, Topuria will be the champion of the division. If he does move up, I would predict Tsarukyan to be the champion by the end of the year.

Welterweight

Photo Credit to Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Current Champion: Islam Machachev

My Prediction: Islam Machachev

This division is absolutely loaded with talent. There are so many challengers within this division; it is tough to imagine that multiple fighters, who deserve title shots, will not get one this year. However, even with all the talent, no fighter will be able to defeat Islam Makhachev in my eyes.

The two fighters who have the best shot of defeating Islam this year are, in my opinion, Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Garry's takedown defense might be the best in the entire sport while Rakhmonov gives Makhachev the biggest challenge if the fight does go to the ground. Yet, Islam is the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world for a reason, giving me no choice but to predict that he will tower over this division in 2026.

Middleweight

Photo Credit to Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Current Champion: Khamzat Chimaev

My Prediction: Anthony Hernandez

This is where my predictions start to get a little crazy. First and foremost, there has been a LOT of speculation regarding Khamzat Chimaev's desire to move up to Light Heavyweight to fight Alex Pereira. IF Khamzat were to move up, which I do believe happens, I think Anthony Hernandez takes his place as the middleweight champion.

Hernandez is an absolute beast that I think could even challenge Chimaev for the belt. He has heavy hands but is a monster on the ground, which makes me believe in his ability to defeat any other contender around him. Again, if Chimaev stays put at middleweight, he is the champion, but do not be shocked if Hernandez has the belt by the end of 2026.

Light Heavyweight

Photo Credit to Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Current Champion: Alex Pereira

My Prediction: Khamzat Chimaev

Again, I know this is a bit crazy, but hear me out. Alex Pereira has beaten everyone within this division that he needs to in order to get another superfight. Though there are fighters like Jiří Procházka and Carlos Ulberg who deserve shots, they won't necessarily be the big fight Alex will want at this point in his career.

With that in mind, I do think Pereira's next fight will either be against Chimaev at Light Heavyweight or against Jon Jones at Heavyweight. Regardless of what happens to Pereira, I think Chimaev's grappling ability and dominance on the ground would beat anyone in the Light Heavyweight division.

Heavyweight

Current Champion: Tom Aspinall

My Prediction: Tom Aspinall AND Alex Pereira

Hear me out...

To start, I think Tom Aspinall's eye injury is way worse than originally expected, with the feeling that we possibly might not see him fight at all this year. So, considering that mindset, I think an interim Heavyweight battle between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira could be a route this division goes.

This, of course, is a lot of speculation, but I truly am worried about Aspinall and the condition of his eye. Plus, with Pereira's desire to move to Heavyweight to fight Jon Jones, there is a possibility that fight could be for the interim belt, with Gane facing the winner. Either way, I do think Aspinall will be the overall champ by the end of the year, but with a strong likelihood of an interim champ in order to keep the division moving.