January 2026 - why no fights?

[The_Renaissance]

I've just realised that we're midway through November and the UFC haven't announced any events or fights beyond the end of December. This is really weird for the UFC - usually events and fights are announced or at least rumoured months in advance? Any ideas on what's going on here?

 

[2004 account]

Dana is part of the elite and they know the world is ending before that lol

 

[The_Renaissance]

It's very weird, like - I mean surely there's gonna be a major card in January, with a title fight..........you're gonna give them like 6 weeks to prepare for that?! Something genuinely seems really odd about this.

 

[HHJ]

January is a dead month for the whole world. We spent all the money on Thanksgiving, Xmas and NYE. So January is recovery month.

 

[The_Renaissance]

January is a dead month for the whole world. We spent all the money on Thanksgiving, Xmas and NYE. So January is recovery month.

Not for sports though, the UFC always has like a UFN and a PPV in January.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Because Paramount is like Sherdoggers and only wants good fights... not this watered down ESPN Bush League crap..

 

[mkess101]

I'm sure Paramount would be super happy they spent $8b on it to have no events in their inaugural month lol.

They'll have fights bro, don't worry.

 

[The_Renaissance]

I'm sure Paramount would be super happy they spent $8b on it to have no events in their inaugural month lol.

They'll have fights bro, don't worry.

I'm hoping it's one of those big drops where an entire card is announced at once, all 15 fights.

 

[TheNewGame]

I'd guess Topuria or Khamzat will be headlining at 324. Maybe the Aspinall/Gane rematch too.

Spoiler

 

[Jawth]

I assume it has to deal with paramount and figuring out who goes where or wanting to save the announcements.

It will be like the first Fox event superstacked for a Fight Night if a Fight Night is first.

 

[sdpdude9]

First paramount cards, I’d imagine they’re just waiting to announce them. Probably kick it off with a big card.

 

[kingmob6]

Government shutdown. Dana is waiting for the democrats to give up.

 

[RockyLockridge]

January is a dead month for the whole world. We spent all the money on Thanksgiving, Xmas and NYE. So January is recovery month.

I was an adon main in street fighter 4, number 1 in the world on pc.

 

[HHJ]

I was an adon main in street fighter 4, number 1 in the world on pc.

Sick. This used to be my AV back in the day

 

[RockyLockridge]

Sick. This used to be my AV back in the day

for me, it was this. captured my love of fighting games and mma

 

[jeskola]

I've just realised that we're midway through November and the UFC haven't announced any events or fights beyond the end of December. This is really weird for the UFC - usually events and fights are announced or at least rumoured months in advance? Any ideas on what's going on here?

They probably need to work out contractual issues on how they are allowed to promote the Paramount events on ESPN. Maybe they aren't allowed to, so they need to formulate a strategy on how to deal with that.

 

[Leonard Haid]

The UFC does two events in January, and the bigger one of the two will be in late January, which is more than 2 months away, so so far nothing seems amiss. They can put together another shitty mid-January Apex card in a couple of weeks, so still plenty of time for that. They probably have some lesser fights a done deal, but don't want to lead with those, so they're waiting for the better fights to be a sure thing before they announce the cards, possibly.

 

[usernamee]

The UFC does two events in January, and the bigger one of the two will be in late January, which is more than 2 months away, so so far nothing seems amiss. They can put together another shitty mid-January Apex card in a couple of weeks, so still plenty of time for that. They probably have some lesser fights a done deal, but don't want to lead with those, so they're waiting for the better fights to be a sure thing before they announce the cards, possibly.

Yeah they tend to open up the new year with a dog shit card so that one wouldn't be difficult at all to put together over a weekend

 

[jeff7b9]

They probably need to work out contractual issues on how they are allowed to promote the Paramount events on ESPN. Maybe they aren't allowed to, so they need to formulate a strategy on how to deal with that.

Reminds me of a potential contract issue.

So let's assume they want to kick off Paramount deal with a big star ... right?



So this big star... Poatan, Ilia, Khamzat, Tom.... they have a contract

And in that contract, they receive the BULK of their pay from...


Drumroll....



Wait for it...




Pay Per View points!!!!



So maybe they are having problems with someone like Ilia saying "OK well, how are you going to compensate me for the money I would have made from PPV points with this new streaming only model?"







Base pay and 1 FREE workout at the Performance Institute.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Topuria should be headlining the UFC 324 card in January. If he's not, their first event on CBS is gonna suck.