3 Wishes For The UFC In 2026

No matter what one thinks of Conor McGregor nowadays, it can be agreed that a gruesome leg fracture is not how his career should end.

That was what happened in the trilogy bout between “”The Notorious” and Dustin Poirier at UFC 261, putting an anticlimactic end to a heated rivalry. McGregor since then became a pariah more famous for off-field controversies, but he recently claimed to have “found God” and gotten married.

If this is the McGregor that begins 2026, then his chances of completing his contract and potentially ending his career on a high are very strong. Poirier is sadly retired now, but two men still make sense for the Irishman: The Ultimate Fighter 31 co-coach Michael Chandler and BMF champion Max Holloway.

2) A Return To The Bay Area

Remember when the UFC was supposed to visit San Francisco and the then-new Chase Center for the first time in 2019, only to backtrack and move it to Tampa?

The home court of the Golden State Warriors and Valkyries has proven itself to be a top-notch venue, having hosted NBA Finals games and sellout concerts. Yet the UFC has spurned it in favor of venues in Southern California, most recently the Intuit Dome in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood.

In doing so, it is actively shunning a hitherto rich market. San Francisco itself boasts a historically significant Chinese population, which should make an Asian-themed card a good sell. Meanwhile, nearby San Jose is the base of the famed American Kickboxing Academy that has produced champions like Cian Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Bay Area still has plenty to offer to MMA, and Dana White would be wise to capitalize on it…

1) More Women’s Main Events

The first main event of 2025 was a strawweight rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. After that, there were no more female headliners, even though some fights would have made sense for that role, like Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius in Vancouver in October.

Heading into 2026, there are at least two women’s fights that would have been a main event is not that. One is Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison at UFC 324. It is a monumental clash between two of MMA’ greatest women, yet it is playing second fiddle to an unnecessary interim title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.

Another is a strawweight clash between former challenger Amanda Lemos and the fast-rising Gillian Robertson on February 7. While not exactly the most popular fight among the “just bleed” section of the fanbase, it would have gotten more attention as a headliner over a month later. A win would especially establish Robertson as a potential challenger in a division that still does not know Weili Zhang’s next move after her failed flyweight bid.

Instead, it may find itself buried in the prelims yet again despite its significance, and so may be other similar bouts. That has to change. As Karl Bainbridge from It’s Not Cagefighting repeatedly puts it on Reddit, “How will fans care about contenders when the fights have no pedestal?”

End Of My UFC 2026 Rant

Of course, there are so many other things that must happen in 2026. Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane need to settle their rivalry to get the heavyweight division moving. Jon Jones must make a definitive answer to whether he will fight in the White House after unretiring.

Unfortunately, not all of those may, can, and will be fulfilled once 2026 ends and 2027 looms. Still, here is hoping that they are…