The year's ultimate fighters

As the year of UFC action ends, here are the fights, fighters and finishes that stood out

- Alex Pattle and Will Castle

The UFC is in a strange state going into 2026.

A new broadcast deal with Paramount+ looms for US viewers, imploding the pay-per-view model, but with what ramifications for fighters and their pay? For some time, fans have felt that the UFC has been complacent as a promoter, and with no reason to encourage fans to buy its events, how will the UFC approach its matchmaking in the New Year?

There has already been criticism of some of the fights booked for 2026, but when the politics of a sport begin to drain enthusiasm in its followers, the competitive action itself often offers relief.

While there was much to dislike about the UFC this year, there were many phenomenal fights and finishes from extraordinary athletes who deserve our appreciation. And now and then, these fighters and moments combined to make fantastic events – sometimes despite the UFC’s own approach to building and marketing cards.

So, below we look at everything great about the UFC in 2025 – and make bold predictions for what 2026 might bring...

Best fighter

Alex Pattle: Merab Dvalishvili. No, it does not matter that the Georgian ended the year by losing his bantamweight title. Just by competing at UFC 323 this month, Dvalishvili made history as the first-ever UFC champion to attempt four title defences in a calendar year. And even in his points loss to Petr Yan, Dvalishvili never went away, despite his old foe building a firm lead and repeatedly denting the “Machine”’s cogs with punishing body shots. In any case, Dvalishvili’s year is much more about what came before UFC 323.