The UFC is ever-so-slightly increasing the amount of events it’ll hold in next year, as opposed to this year.
In 2026, the promotion is targeting 13 marquee (numbered) events and 30 UFC Fight Night events for a total of 43 events in the calendar year, broadcast partner Paramount revealed Friday. That’s one more event than the 42 it will have held in 2025 following the conclusion of this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 73.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion has remained in the same general wheelhouse. The year-by-year breakdown of the number of UFC events is as follows.
Some viewers wondered if the new $7.7 billion streaming partnership deal between UFC and Paramount would change the promotion’s approach to its schedule. But the UFC isn’t deviating from what it did during the ESPN era.
One key difference, however, is the lengthy break between the final event of 2025 (Dec. 14) and the first one of 2026 (Jan. 24). That’s the longest period (six weeks) without UFC events since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused the promotion to stop holding fights (eight weeks). With no events until the fourth Saturday of the new year, fight fans can likely expect a pretty dense schedule for the rest of the year.
The promotion’s schedule kicks off with UFC 324, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: How many UFC events will be held in 2026? Paramount reveals number
