Brett OkamotoDec 12, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
The UFC wrapped up its 2025 pay-per-view schedule last weekend with a high-profile rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan for the men's bantamweight championship, and there are more rematches on the way.
Two of the first three numbered events in 2026 will feature rematches in the main event. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will attempt to defend his title against Diego Lopes at UFC 325 on Jan. 31 in Sydney. Five weeks after that, BMF champion Max Holloway will face Charles Oliveira in a fan-favorite headliner at UFC 326 on March 7 in Las Vegas.
Even this weekend's UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas, although not a rematch itself, could set one up for 2026. Brandon Royval, No. 3 in the ESPN men's flyweight rankings, is set to face Manel Kape. Should Royval win, it could very well lead to a rematch for the title, as he lost a decision to newly crowned champion Joshua Van in June in a fight of the year candidate.
Here are five other potential rematches to keep an eye out for in 2026.
1. Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane, heavyweight
This could be the most anticipated rematch of them all. These two met in the main event of UFC 321 in October, and the result was a disastrous no-contest, after Aspinall was unable to continue after an eye poke.
The rematch will be far more heated than the first meeting, as Aspinall has made it clear he doesn't believe the eye poke was necessarily "accidental," as it was ruled. The 32-year-old champ is still suffering from blurred and double vision in his right eye and, seven weeks later, has not been cleared to resume training. This type of injury doesn't come with a firm recovery time, but the UFC has said it wants to rebook this matchup as soon as Aspinall is fit to accept.
Every UFC title fight is significant, of course, and heavyweight fights always come with an added spotlight. Due to the circumstances, though, this will be one of the most crucial title fights all year, if and when it happens.
2. Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley, men's bantamweight
The mere mention of this matchup is enough to alienate some MMA fans, who believe O'Malley is the frequent recipient of "Dana White privilege." In other words, getting an opportunity he hasn't earned because he's a big name.
O'Malley is scheduled to face Song Yadong in what looks on paper to be an explosive fight, at UFC 324 on Jan. 24 in Las Vegas. If O'Malley looks good, fans might want to start embracing the idea of him back in a title fight opportunity. He and Yan have a history. Quite a history, actually. O'Malley defeated Yan in 2022 in a widely disputed split decision. Yan believes he won that fight and has said he doesn't think O'Malley deserves to face him. He actually laughed at the idea this month.
But again, the UFC is a business. O'Malley is a name, and there would be a story behind this event. Dvalishvili is likely to get a trilogy against Yan as well, meaning Yan's next several bouts could be rematches.
3. Jirí Procházka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., light heavyweight
This wouldn't happen until the second half of the year, but there's a very feasible scenario in which it could be a go. Procházka beat Rountree via TKO in October in one of the best fights of the year. Rountree was ahead on all three judges' scorecards at the time he lost in the third round. A rematch could be in the cards if something else happens -- something not within the control of either Procházka or Rountree.
The light heavyweight champ, Alex Pereira, is very keen on moving up to heavyweight. The UFC is not in love with that idea -- CEO Dana White has said as much publicly -- but a big fight is right there between Pereira and Jon Jones. The heavyweight title fight between Aspinall and Gane ending in the way it did likely boosts the odds of Pereira vs. Jones happening. White has said he doesn't trust Jones to headline the White House card in June, but that stance could very well be thawing. Jones wants the White House and he wants Pereira.
If that fight happens, the light heavyweight division would likely be looking at a fight for either a vacant title or an interim title. It wouldn't be Procházka vs. Rountree right away, as Carlos Ulberg is in the mix. But if things were to fall the right way, we could definitely be looking at this rematch later in the year.
4. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes, women's bantamweight
This would be a trilogy fight, not just a rematch. These two have fought twice -- in 2016 and 2017. Nunes won both times, but the second was by a tight split decision in which the judges agreed on only one of the five rounds.
Shevchenko hasn't competed at 135 pounds since those fights, and Nunes has been retired for 2½ years. But the former two-division champion is coming back next month to challenge current women's bantamweight champ Kayla Harrison. If Nunes reclaims the throne, this matchup will immediately rise to front and center. Nunes isn't coming back to resume regular title defenses against the next woman up. She would be looking for legacy fights.
Shevchenko, meanwhile, does have options at flyweight -- but how important are they? Important enough to delay a detour up to bantamweight to challenge Nunes one more time? Shevchenko believes she should have won their second fight. Bottom line, if Nunes wins in January, there will be a large appetite to run this matchup again.
5. Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway, lightweight
Initially, this one might not raise your pulse very much. Topuria knocked out Holloway just last year. And there are just so many options for Topuria, who is in a new weight class and has fought only once in the past 14 months.
But close your eyes and fast-forward to one year from now. Holloway defeats Charles Oliveira in March to retain the BMF title. He accepts a No. 1 contender fight at the White House against Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan has stated that's a fight he wants, and who would argue with adding a BMF fight to the White House lineup? Holloway wins and sits cageside later that night for Topuria's lightweight unification bout against the winner of next month's interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
That wasn't too hard of a scenario to envision, was it? Topuria wants Islam Makhachev, but that isn't happening any time soon. Makhachev looks right at home at welterweight; he's not going back to lightweight. Both have plenty of work to do in their own divisions. I am somewhat of the opinion we never see Makhachev vs. Topuria. And this scenario I laid out, leading to a Topuria vs. Holloway rematch around this time next year, could have legs.
