The State of UFC: a FansOnlySportz Special Report

Zak Drapeau
Aug 3
12 min read

by Zak Drapeau 8/3/2025 FansOnlySportz

The UFC is best example of a thriving international sport in America. With superstars entering the sport, leaving the sport and carrying the sport, the UFC has a collection of talent we have never seen before. With current superstars like Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria and Tom Aspinall being amongst the company's brightest, the sport is in a great place especially in other countries where the international reach has never been higher.

With multiple Fight Nights scheduled in England, France, Australia and more countries, fans have been able to see this sport all around the world more than any other point in it's history. More than that, they're able to cheer for their home-country fighters as we've seen fighters from more than 100 countries fight in the Octagon in just 2025 alone.

With absences from world-renowned stars like Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones making the UFC feel as if it's cooled off a bit this year compared to the previous, the UFC has also been in publicized and contentious talks about it's new streaming platforms. With it's "debatably awful" partnership with ESPN coming to a close at the end of the year, a new potential partnership with Netflix has been rumored especially with the WWE's move to the streaming platform at the beginning of the year. With parent company TKO Holdings Group hosting both organizations, the Netflix-UFC deal seems imminent and should make 2026 a more public and prosperous year for the organization.

With a distant future seeming brighter and a HUGE Superfight seemingly in the works for it, as fans we have to winder where the UFC is and where it's going.

As a fan of the sport for 15+ years now, I have an understanding of the fighters, fight styles, politics within the company and historical patterns that can allow me to predict which fighters will ascend the rankings and which fighters will be forgotten.

The biggest point to remember about UFC and it's fighters is that the best and most skilled don't always make it. Surrounding factors like "drawability", "personality outside of the octagon" and "willingness to work with management" play huge roles in a fighters rise or fall. Head promotor Dana White and head booker Hunter Campbell are the makers and breakers of fighters and we've seen some of the very best get thrown aside for lacking political-willingness to "play the game" in order to get better fights and attempt to fight for championships, (see Francis Ngannou and Muhammad Mokaev).

As the UFC stands right now, there are three huge events to look forward into the future for... the aforementioned Makhachev-Topruia Superfight, Jon Jones potentially coming back for the "missed" Jones-Aspinall Superfight and UFC at the White House, which has drawn many rumors with even the President supporting the idea. Fighters like Jon Jones and even Conor McGregor have stated their want to fight at this event that could be 2026's and even the companies biggest ever.

So where are we right now? Who runs the UFC and each of it's division? What are the next fights we'll see and how will those lead us into 2026? Zak Drapeau's expert knowledge of the sport gives you the rundown of the entire company and even predicts it's outcomes.

Enjoy -Z.D.

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Current Rankings

Champions

HW - Tom Aspinall

LHW - Magomed Ankalaev

MW - Dricus Du Plessis

WW - Jack Della Maddanela

LW - Illia Topuria

FEW - Alexander Volkanovski

BW - Merab Dvalishvili

FLW - Alexandre Pantoja

Men's P4P

Ilia Topuria (Champ)
Islam Makhachev
Merab Dvalishvili (Champ)
Dricus Du Plessis (Champ)
Alexandre Pantoja (Champ)
Alexander Volkanovski (Champ)
Magomed Ankalaev (Champ)
Jack Della Maddalena (Champ)
Tom Aspinall (Champ)
Alex Pereira
Max Holloway (BMF Champ)
Belal Muhammad
Arman Tsarukyan
Khamzat Chimaev
Charles Oliveira

Zak's P4P

Jon Jones
Islam Makhachev
Ilia Topuria (Champ)
Merab Dvalishvili (Champ)
Dricus Du Plessis (Champ)
Alexandre Pantoja (Champ)
Alex Volkanovski (Champ)
Magomed Ankalaev (Champ)
Alex Pereira
Tom Aspinall (Champ)
Jack Della Maddelena (Champ)
Max Holloway (BMF Champ)
Khamzat Chimaev
Belal Muhammad
Armen Tsaukyan
Sean O'Malley
Movsar Evloev
Diego Lopes
Charles Oliveira
Sean Strickland
Shavkat Rakhmonov
Ciryl Gane
Justin Gaethje
Umar Nurmagomedov
Khalil Rountree Jr.

So there's a lot to unpack here so let me start with the most head-turning. Yes, I still have Jon Jones as my #1 P4P fighter and until he loses or firmly says he's done with the sport I don't know if I will move him from that spot.

With Topuria possibly challenging for his 3rd belt at some point in 2026, if he manages to do so and especially if he does it by beating Islam, I will have to make an exception. The much-hyped matchup between the two Champ-Champs may be the greatest fight the UFC has ever made but will need to see Makhachev win his Welterweight debut when he challenged champion Jack Della Maddalena later this year.

I currently have Islam ahead of Topuria barely because to me he is more dominant in his wins... but just barely. I also have 'Do Bronx' much lower than the UFC and while he is still one of my favorites, if we're being honest he's well past his prime and guys like O'Malley and Evloev are much better in their own divisions and belong above the former champion.

Tom Aspinall is lower than I would've expected as well but looking back on it, he doesn't have a title defense yet and the state of the Heavyweight division means he's beaten some tough guys, but not enough "top-level guys" to be put above Pereira or Ankalaev. His skill merits a Top-10 spot but he just doesn't have the talent in his division to be shot higher.

I believe guys like Movsar Evloev and Shavkat Rakhmonov will shoot up this list and may even be Top-10 champions at some time in 2026. Umar Nurmagomedov and Khalil Rountree should also be around that 15 mark next year.

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Upcoming PPVs

319 (8-16)

Du Plessis v Chimaev

320 (10-4)

Ankalaev v Pereira 2

Dvalishvili v Sandhagen

Rountree v Prochazka

Cannonier v Page

321 (10-25)

Aspinall v Gane

322 (11'8)

Della Maddalena vs Makhachev

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What to Do Next?

Heavyweights

Aspinall vs Gane (conf) (winner fights Jon Jones at the White House)

Volkov vs Almeida (conf.)

Pavlovich v Waldo (conf)

With Jon Jones seemingly away for another 6 months at least, Aspinall vs Gane will finally happen in October and I can only see this fight happening one way. In a bombshell of a first round, both fighters throw strike after strike and Gane gets some good kicks in before Aspinall's speed and power knock Gane on his butt and finally gives Aspinall the "undisputed" claim he deserves.

After that though... fight Jon at the White House. Espcially if it's Aspinall as this is the fight we've been waiting for for years. Talks of Jones "ducking" Aspinall could be credited but are some I don't believe. Jones has said he will only come out of retirment for this fight and it would be the Main Event, (yes it would push Conor down the draw) and be a Heavyweight clash he world hasn't seen since Fury v Wilder. I still have to pick Jon here too, making him retire as the P4P #1, G.O.A.T. and any and every other accolade he could ever get.

Volkov vs Almeida is a true clash of styles and even with his late-career resurgence, Volkov may drown in Almeida's grappling as the phenom continues his quest for the gold.

Pavlovich vs Waldo is set for two weeks and should be done in the first round. Sergei has legitimate power that is some of the UFC's greatest but has switched to a more strategic boxing as of late. Matching his style and power, Waldo Cortes-Acosta should make for an excellent dance partner but one that I can see being slept by the russian.

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Light Heavyweight

Ankalaev vs Pereira 2 (conf)

Jiri vs Rountree (conf.)

Ulberg v Reyes (conf.)

Hill vs Blachowicz

Ankalaev v Pereira 2 will be a war that everyone besides Russia is hoping Pereira walks out with belt. Not to be overshadowed, Ankalaev's well-rounded skill is impressive but boring especially compared to one of the UFC's golden boy Alex Pereira. I do believe after the first matchup, Pereira will make adjustments and keep the fight standing, leading to a decision Win for the challenger.

Prochazka v Rountree should be a slugfest at UFC 320 and create fireworks between these two skilled but different strikers. The next title challenger awaits the winner of this fight and I have to believe Rountree's rise will overcome the Samurai.

Carlos Ulberg is fighting Dominick Reyes in September in a fight with two fighters at completely different trajectories. Long away from his 5 minutes of fame against Jon Jones, Reyes should be able to swiftly defeat Reyes and look forward to a bigger fight next.

Jamahal Hill and Jan Blachowicz are both on 3-fight losing streaks but are still effectively Top-10 in this division. This fight makes a lot of sense between two former-champion strikers and could be a catapult to revitalize one of their careers and if i had to pick who, I'd take Blachowicz.

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Middleweights

DDP v Chimaev (conf)

Imavov v Borralho (conf)

Cannonier v Page (conf)

Strickland?

Izzy?

The Main Event of the next UFC PPV will finally see Khamzat Chimaev fight for a title. The reign of Dricus Du Plessis has seen him get better and better and defy everyone's doubts. The upcoming matchup will see two of the UFC's very best and is a massive fight. I do believe DDP can outlast Chimaev's initial onslaught in the first two rounds and take over afterward, for a division-cementing title defense and Chimaev's first loss.

Main Event of UFC Paris in September, Borralho v Imavov will decide who fights for the title next. Both fighters have taken a long road to get here but are have grinded their way to multiple Top-15 wins. I believe Borralho's grappling will be the difference and earn him a UD win.

Michael Page continues his run through the UFC against Jared Cannonier in a fight that could easily see the best striking in the division. Page's elite kickboxing vs Cannonier's strategic and powerful boxing could see Page's style win out especially with youth and momentum on his side.

The recent suspension of Sean Strickland for his TUF incident has put a damper on things but a rematch with Izzy seems to be next for the ex-champ. With his twilight well on it's way it could be the last we see of Izzy as well and in true G.O.A.T. retirement fashion, he'll take a respectful loss and lay his gloves after this one.

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Welterweights

JDM vs Makhachev

Brady v Muhammad 2

Rakhmonov v Usman

Edwards v Garry

It pains me to say it, but JDM's title reign came too early and couldn't have come at a worse time with Makhachev looking to capture his 2nd belt. In a style-matchup that's too one-sided, Makhachev will absolutely have to be careful boxing with the champ but should get a sub to win it here and move on to Topuria.

After the ex-champ Muhammad was somewhat shockingly beaten in May, he'll need a big win to try and re-enter the title scene that is extremely exclusive at the moment. The first fight between Belal and Brady was a brutal showing of Belal's striking but has been followed by a much-improved Sean Brady. I have no idea who would win this fight with both having a lot of momentum that has brought them to the Top-5 of the division.

Shavkat is the boogeyman of this division but sadly for him, his well-deserved title shot still seems far away. A fight with the legend Kamaru Usman should solidify a claim to at least a #1 contender bout and even though I believe the Hall of Famer still has gas left in the tank, may spell the end for one of the Welterweight division's G.O.A.T.s.

Leon Edwards vs Ian Garry is heavily rumored and will likely happen by the end of the year and YES PLEASE. A kickboxing battle between two high-level artists, the former champ vs the "future". As much potential and momentum as Ian Garry still has, give me the former champ by a split decision in this one.

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Lightweights

Topuria vs Makhachev

Tsarukyan v Holloway

Gaethje vs Pimblett (winner fights Conor at White House)

Oliveira v Gamrot

The Lightweight division has been the most competitive in the UFC for years now but I believe we're starting to see a dull period. Ilia Topuria is luckily here to carry the division but will be making a pitstop in Welterweight for the biggest dream fight the UFC can make, likely in Q2 or Q3 of 2026. It's incredibly hard for me to pick against Islam, but i believe Topuria is too well-rounded and has so much momentum. I can see a back-and-forth fight before Topuria TKO's him around the 4th.

With Topuria going for champ-champ status, I predict Holloway to fight Tsarukyan for the interim belt sometime around December. This fight couldn't have higher stakes for both fighters and will be a war. I have to take Blessed though because unless he's knocked out, he will be so tough for Tsarukyan to defeat in a boxinf match.

Gaethje-Pimblett will be the co-main event of a PPV some time in the next 8 months. The fireworks this fight promises and the sh*t-talking that will build it is too great for the sport not to. In a war between two exciting strikers, Pimblett's grappling and Gaethje's age will spell the W for the Scouser.

The added bonus (and I have to go on record saying I DON'T believe Conor will ever come back,) is that the winner of this fights Conor at the potential "UFC White House" Event. Either of these fighters have everything Conor would look for in an opponent, exciting style, willingness to hype the fight with sh*t talk and a well-established fan base. This fight may not even crack the Main Event of the event but would still be the biggest draw and either way, would lead to a Conor loss and subsequent retirement for the man who might mean more to this company than anyone else in it's history.

Charles Oliveira is long past his Covid-run of legend but is still one of the best in the world. Instead of the clash of style-wars he's had against strikers in the past 2 years, I want to see him in a grappling contest and I can think of no one better than the cardio-machine Mateusz Gamrot. Give me the former champ in a beautiful showing of jiu jitsu and wrestling.

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Featherweights

Volk vs Evloev

Lopes v J. Silva (conf.)

Ortega v Sterling (conf.)

Murphy v A. Pico (conf.)

The undefeated Evloev has been long overdue for a title shot and with plans between him and Volk in the works it was a shame to see the Russian pull out of his upcoming fight with Aaron Pico. This UFC is looking to reschedule the fight that will pit maybe the all-time greatest of the division against it's future. Give me Evloev by a BORING UD... Love you Volk.

Diego Lopes came up well short in his title match against Volk but will look to bounce back against the #8 ranked Silva who is skyrocketing up the division and WILL have a claim for the title with another win here. Lopes is still a savage and I'll take him by decision.

Ortega v Sterling is VERY interesting and will be one of the final pushes for these two UFC veterans to make a title push. These men may have the best two ground games in the Featherweight division and could make for a chess match in their upcoming Fight Night co-main event. Give me Sterling by UD.

Lerone Murphy will step in against the debuting Aaron Pico who is coming to the UFC with a HUGE aura. Having dominated the PFL and Bellator in recent years, Pico was set to make his debut against the #1 Featherweight but will instead take on Lerone Murphy in short notice. Either fighter could demand a title shot after this one even though neither has probably done enough to earn it. I'll take Pico by TKO in the first.

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Bantamweight

Dvalishvili v Sandhagen (conf.)

O'Malley v Yan 2

U. Nurmagomedov v Bautista

Yadong v Zahabi

Figueiredo v V. Oliveira

Dvalishvili v Sandhagen is set for the Co-Main Event for UFC 320 in September and as much as I love Cory, it feels like another dominant performance incoming for the Georgian. Dvalishvili may be the best example of cardio and wrestling we've EVER seen in the UFC. Sandhagen is a great, all-time Bantamweight fighter but it will take a herculean effort for anyone to dethrone the champ.

O'Malley-Yan 2 needs to happen especially after the first match ended in such controversy. O'Malley's had two cracks at Merab in the last year and lost both badly, while Petr Yan has slowly been working his way back up the rankings. With 1 and 3 rankings respectively, the winner may be next in line, especially for Petr Yan who hasn't faced the champ since he began his reign. I'll still take O'Malley here though but this time by KO.

Umar Nurmagomedov is rumored but not confirmed for an October Fight Night and will be an underrated banger. Bautista is on an 8-fight win streak but will need to have the fight of his life to defeat Nurmagomedov and is unrelenting ground game. Umar by Sub.

The next two fights are classic "Top-10 Gatekeeper" fights with Zahabi and Oliveira ascending the rankings and Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo being in the perfect place to defend their spots in the Top-10 of the bantamweight division. Give me both risers in these fights probably by dominant decision.

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Flyweights

Pantoja vs Van

Moreno v Kape

Royval v Perez

Almabayev v Erceg

Albazi v Taira

Joshua Van is next in line for Alexandre Pantoja's reign of terror. Pantoja is well on his way to making a claim for Demetrious Johnson's all time Flyweight status and even though Van's boxing is very good, Pantoja should be able to move past this challenger as he's done to so many others. Pantoja wins again.

Brandon Moreno may be past his prime but after a 2-fight win streak should be fighting for another shot at gold in his next fight. Manel Kape has been on the verge of challenging for the belt for a while now and besides a loss to the "banished" Muhammad Mokaev has been unstoppable. The winner of this matchup would be next in line. I think Kape wins this one and sends Moreno to the twilight of his career.

Royval-Perez and Almabayev-Erceg are both Top-10 fights and are necessary fights between 4 killers in the middle of the division.

Albazi v Taira was cancelled for last night's Fight Night but Albazi was not cleared to fight. On less than a week notice, HyunSung Park stepped in and Tatsuro Taira submitted him in the second round. I'd ve very interested to see these two try to fight again with the winner possibly cracking the Top-5. Taira should barely ink out the win here.

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