Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll, here are some of 2025's most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.
EVENT FEATS
The UFC held 42 events in 26 different cities across 12 countries and five continents.
Within those events, there were 520 fights across 12 different weight classes (including catchweight bouts).
Those 520 fights combined for a total cage time of 93 hours, 43 minutes and 36 seconds.
The longest event of the year was "UFC on ABC 8: Hill vs. Rountree" in Baku, at 2 hours, 53 minutes and 52 seconds of total fight time.
The shortest event of the year was "UFC on ESPN 68: Blanchfield vs. Barber" in Las Vegas, at 1 hour, 36 minutes and 45 seconds of total fight time.
At those events, the UFC drew an announced total attendance of 457,808 for a live gate total of $143,245,514.94 (Note: live gate was not announced for 19 events; attendance figures were not revealed for 16 events).
The highest reported attended event of the year was "UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev" in New York (20,664), while the lowest attended event with an announced crowd was "UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs. Reyes" in Perth (12,543).
The highest reported income gate of the year was "UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev" in New York ($13,624,189), while the lowest reported income gate of the year was "UFC Fight Night 260: Ulberg vs. Reyes" in Perth ($1,800,000).
In 2025, 169 fight-night bonuses were given out for a sum of $8,450,000. Diego Lopes, Jiri Prochazka, Jean Silva and Merab Dvalishvili led with three bonuses each.
In 2025, athletes were paid $8,441,500 in Promotional Guidelines Compliance money.
The most knockouts at a single event came at "UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs. Borralho" with nine.
The most submissions at a single event came at "UFC Fight Night 263: Garcia vs. Onama" with six.
The most fights to go to a decision at a single event came at "UFC on ABC 8: Hill vs. Rountree" with 10.
Betting favorites went 342-164 over the course of the year. Fourteen fights ended in a draw, no contest or had even odds.
Betting favorites went 24-16 in headliners. Two main events ended in a draw, no contest or had even odds.
"UFC on ESPN 66: Machado Garry vs. Prates" had the most favorites come through victorious, with 12 of 13 winning. On the flip side, eight underdogs won at "UFC Fight Night 259: Dolidze vs. Hernandez," the most of the year on a single card.
A total of 32 fighters officially missed weight for their respective contests. The 26 fighters in that group who competed went 8-18 in their respective bouts.
A total of 94 fighters made their UFC debut in 2025. Those fighters went 50-44. Debuting fighters who faced an opponent with at least one bout of UFC experience went 44-37.
A variety of circumstances caused a total of 14 UFC main event or co-main event fights to be adjusted, postponed or canceled entirely.
OTHER EVENT FEATS
"UFC Fight Night 252: Cejudo vs. Song" marked the fourth event in company history with two or more predetermined catchweight bouts on the card. UFC 279, UFC Fight Night 183 and UFC 186 were the others.
"UFC Fight Night 254: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2" marked the first event in company history to feature back-to-back first-round knockout results in women’s fights.
"UFC Fight Night 254: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2" marked the first event since UFC 123 in November 2010 to feature multiple submission finishes by kimura.
"UFC on ABC 8: Hill vs. Rountree" marked the longest 12-bout card in history with 2:53:52 of total fight time.
"UFC 319: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev" was the first event in company history with multiple spinning back elbow knockout results.
"UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs. Borralho" featured 11 stoppage results, tied with three other events for most finishes on a single card in modern company history.
"UFC Fight Night 258: Imavov vs. Borralho" featured nine knockout results, the single event record in modern company history.
DIVISIONAL RESULTS AND INFO
HEAVYWEIGHT
Number of fights: 36
Knockouts: 14
Submissions: Five
Decisions: 16
Other: One
Champion at beginning of year: Jon Jones
Champion at end of year: Tom Aspinall
Most fights in divisional history: Andrei Arlovski (42)
Longest winning streak in division: Walter Walker (four)
Most wins in divisional history: Arlovski (23)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Derrick Lewis (16)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Lewis (16)
Most submissions in divisional history: Frank Mir (eight)
Most fight-night bonuses: Stipe Miocic (nine)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Number of fights: 40
Knockouts: 16
Submissions: Nine
Decisions: 14
Other: One
Champion at beginning of year: Alex Pereira
Champion at end of year: Pereira
Most fights in divisional history: Ovince Saint Preux (26)
Longest winning streak in division: Carlos Ulberg (nine)
Most wins in divisional history: Jon Jones (20)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Glover Teixeira (13)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Chuck Liddell (nine)
Most submissions in divisional history: Teixeira (seven)
Most fight-night bonuses: Teixeira (10)
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Number of fights: 74
Knockouts: 33
Submissions: 10
Decisions: 29
Other: Two
Champion at beginning of year: Dricus Du Plessis
Champion at end of year: Khamzat Chimaev
Most fights in divisional history: Brad Tavares (27)
Longest winning streak in division: Anthony Hernandez (eight)
Most wins in divisional history: Tavares and Michael Bisping (16)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Gerald Meerschaert (12)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Anderson Silva, Thiago Santos and Uriah Hall (eight)
Most submissions in divisional history: Meerschaert (11)
Most fight-night bonuses: Silva (12)
WELTERWEIGHT
Number of fights: 58
Knockouts: 27
Submissions: 10
Decisions: 21
Champion at beginning of year: Belal Muhammad
Champion at end of year: Islam Makhachev
Most fights in divisional history: Neil Magny (37)
Longest winning streak in division: Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales (seven)
Most wins in divisional history: Magny (24)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Matt Brown (15)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Brown (13)
Most submissions in divisional history: Gunnar Nelson (seven)
Most fight-night bonuses: Chris Lytle (10)
LIGHTWEIGHT
Number of fights: 70
Knockouts: 22
Submissions: 12
Decisions: 36
Champion at beginning of year: Islam Makhachev
Champion at end of year: Ilia Topuria
Most fights in divisional history: Jim Miller (43)
Longest winning streak in division: Paddy Pimblett (seven)
Most wins in divisional history: Miller (24)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Miller (17)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Drew Dober (10)
Most submissions in divisional history: Miller and Charles Oliveira (11)
Most fight-night bonuses: Oliveira and Joe Lauzon (15)
FEATHERWEIGHT
Number of fights: 59
Knockouts: 21
Submissions: Eight
Decisions: 30
Champion at beginning of year: Ilia Topuria
Champion at end of year: Alexander Volkanovski
Most fights in divisional history: Darren Elkins (28)
Longest winning streak in division: Lerone Murphy (nine)
Most wins in divisional history: Max Holloway (20)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Holloway (11)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Holloway (nine)
Most submissions in divisional history: Oliveira (six)
Most fight-night bonuses: Cub Swanson (11)
BANTAMWEIGHT
Number of fights: 58
Knockouts: 11
Submissions: Seven
Decisions: 39
Other: One
Champion at beginning of year: Merab Dvalishvili
Champion at end of year: Petr Yan
Most fights in divisional history: Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera (22)
Longest winning streak in division: Aiemann Zahabi (seven)
Most wins in divisional history: Aljamain Sterling (14)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Vera (10)
Most knockouts in divisional history: T.J. Dillashaw (seven)
Most submissions in divisional history: Urijah Faber and Rani Yahya (six)
Most fight-night bonuses: Sean O'Malley (nine)
WOMEN'S BANTAMWEIGHT
Number of fights: 20
Knockouts: Four
Submissions: Four
Decisions: 12
Champion at beginning of year: Julianna Peña
Champion at end of year: Kayla Harrison
Most fights in divisional history: Raquel Pennington (18)
Longest winning streak in division: Ailin Perez (five)
Most wins in divisional history: Amanda Nunes (13)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Nunes (eight)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Nunes (six)
Most submissions in divisional history: Ronda Rousey (three)
Most fight-night bonuses: Rousey (seven)
FLYWEIGHT
Number of fights: 40
Knockouts: Nine
Submissions: 13
Decisions: 18
Champion at beginning of year: Alexandre Pantoja
Champion at end of year: Joshua Van
Most fights in divisional history: Joseph Benavidez (19)
Longest winning streak in division: Van (six)
Most wins in divisional history: Pantoja (14)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Pantoja (eight)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Benavidez and Manel Kape (five)
Most submissions in divisional history: Pantoja (six)
Most fight-night bonuses: Demetrious Johnson (nine)
WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT
Number of fights: 24
Knockouts: Four
Submissions: Three
Decisions: 17
Champion at beginning of year: Valentina Shevchenko
Champion at end of year: Shevchenko
Most fights in divisional history: Shevchenko, Katlyn Cerminara and Andrea Lee (14)
Longest winning streak in division: Natalia Silva and Maycee Barber (seven)
Most wins in divisional history: Shevchenko (12)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Gillian Robertson (seven)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Shevchenko (four)
Most submissions in divisional history: Robertson (six)
Most fight-night bonuses: Molly McCann and Carli Judice (three)
WOMEN'S STRAWWEIGHT
Number of fights: 33
Knockouts: Six
Submissions: Seven
Decisions: 20
Champion at beginning of year: Zhang Weili
Champion at end of year: Mackenzie Dern
Most fights in divisional history: Angela Hill (28)
Longest winning streak in division: Denise Gomes (four)
Most wins in divisional history: Hill (12)
Most stoppages in divisional history: Jessica Andrade (six)
Most knockouts in divisional history: Andrade (four)
Most submissions in divisional history: Dern (five)
Most fight-night bonuses: Andrade (nine)
CHAMPIONSHIP FEATS
Islam Makhachev became the first lightweight champion to achieve four consecutive title defenses with his UFC 311 victory.
Zhang Weili tied Joanna Jedrzejczyk's record for most strawweight title fight victories with her win at UFC 312. Jedrzejczyk held sole possession of the record since May 2017.
Magomed Ankalaev became the 18th undisputed light heavyweight champion and the first from Russia with his UFC 313 win.
Alexander Volkanovski became the first in history to win an undisputed championship after back-to-back losses when he claimed featherweight gold at UFC 314.
Jack Della Maddalena became the 13th undisputed welterweight champion with his UFC 315 win.
Della Maddalena became the third champion to be signed through Dana White's Contender Series. Jamahal Hill and Sean O'Malley also accomplished the feat.
Valentina Shevchenko became the sixth in history to earn 10 or more title-fight victories with her UFC 315 win.
Kayla Harrison became the seventh undisputed women's bantamweight champion with her UFC 316 win.
Harrison became the second in history to win a UFC championship and Olympic gold medal with her UFC 316 win. Henry Cejudo also accomplished the feat.
Julianna Peña became the third in history to have two championship reigns and no title defenses when she lost the women's bantamweight belt at UFC 316. Randy Couture and Carla Esparza also experienced the dubious feat.
Ilia Topuria became the 10th in history to win titles in two weight classes when the former featherweight champ claimed lightweight gold at UFC 317.
Topuria became the first in history to win titles in two weight classes with an undefeated record in his UFC 317 win.
Max Holloway became the first to successfully defend the BMF title in his UFC 318 win.
Khamzat Chimaev became the 15th undisputed middleweight champion with his UFC 319 win.
Chimaev became the 15th in history to win a title with an undefeated record in his UFC 319 win.
Merab Dvalishvili became the eighth in history to register three title defenses in one calendar year with his UFC 320 win. He's the first bantamweight to accomplish the feat.
Dvalishvili's 20 takedowns landed at UFC 320 set the record for most in a championship fight.
Alex Pereira became the fifth in history to win titles in two weight classes and then have multiple title reigns in one with his UFC 320 victory. Jon Jones, Randy Couture, Georges St-Pierre and Amanda Nunes also accomplished the feat.
Mackenzie Dern became the sixth undisputed strawweight champion with her UFC 321 win.
Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 marked the second championship fight to end in a no contest (Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 214). It was the first to be ruled as such inside the cage.
Shevchenko earned her 11th women's title fight victory at UFC 322, tied with Amanda Nunes for most in company history.
Makhachev became the 11th in history to win titles in two weight classes when the former lightweight champ claimed welterweight gold at UFC 322.
Alexandre Pantoja became first in history to lose a championship belt as a result of an injury stoppage at UFC 323.
Pantoja vs. Joshua Van at UFC 323 marked the third time in history that a title fight ended due to an injury stoppage (excluding eye injuries). Patrick Cote's knee injury vs. Anderson Silva and Anderson Silva's leg injury vs. Chris Weidman were other instances.
Van became the first champion from Myanmar when he captured the flyweight title at UFC 323.
Van became the first champion born in the 2000s with his flyweight title win at UFC 323.
Van, 24, became the second-youngest first-time champion in history behind Jon Jones (23) with his UFC 323 win.
Petr Yan became the third two-time bantamweight champion with his UFC 323 win. Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw also accomplished the feat.
INDIVIDUAL FEATS
Roman Kopylov earned the seventh Round 3, 4:59 finish in history in a three-round bout with his TKO at UFC Fight Night 249.
Dvalishvili broke Georges St-Pierre's longstanding record for takedowns landed when he secured his 92nd in competition at UFC 311.
Jimmy Crute became the seventh in history to fight to multiple draws in octagon competition at UFC 312.
Sean Strickland set a new record for most significant strikes landed in middleweight history in his UFC 312 loss. He passed Michael Bisping, who held sole possession of the record since November 2017.
Andrea Lee became the first female to suffer six consecutive octagon losses with her UFC Fight Night 253 defeat.
Justin Gaethje was awarded his 14th fight night bonus in 14 promotional appearances with his UFC 313 Fight of the Night, the highest bonus rate in company history.
Raul Rosas Jr., at 20, became the youngest fighter to reach five octagon victories with his UFC on ESPN 64 win.
Torrez Finney landed just four significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 65, the lowest number for a decision winner in a three-round middleweight bout.
Gillian Robertson earned her 10th stoppage victory at UFC on ESPN 67 and tied with Amanda Nunes for most finishes by any female in company history. Nunes has held sole possession of the record since March 2021.
Jeremy Stephens tied the record for most all-time losses in octagon competition with his 19th at UFC on ESPN 67. Clay Guida also shares the record.
Luana Santos earned the first Americana submission finish in women's competition at UFC Fight Night 256.
Nikolas Motta became the first in history to earn two fight-night bonuses in a defeat when he won Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night at UFC on ABC 8.
Van and Brandon Royval combined for 419 significant strikes landed at UFC 317, the single-fight record for a three-round fight.
Van and Royval combined for 419 significant strikes landed at UFC 317, the most in flyweight history and third-most all-time in a single fight.
Van landed 215 significant strikes and Royval landed 204 significant strikes at UFC 317, marking the first time in history that two fighters had 200 significant strikes each in a single fight.
Valter Walker became the first heavyweight in history to earn three consecutive victories by heel hook submission with his UFC on ESPN 70 win.
Derrick Lewis extended his all-time knockout record to 16 with his UFC on ESPN 70 win.
Carli Judice became the first female in history to earn knockout victories stemming from a knee and from a kick after her UFC 318 win.
Holloway had his 17th performance of 100 more significant strikes landed at UFC 318. No other fighter has more than 10 such performances.
Steven Nguyen's six knockdowns landed at UFC on ABC 9 marked the single-fight record for any bout in company history.
Nguyen's five knockdowns landed in Round 1 at UFC on ABC 9 marked the single-round record for any bout in company history.
Elijah Smith earned the 15th knockout in history stemming from a slam at UFC on ESPN 72.
Angela Hill became the first female to lose 15 times in the promotion with her UFC on ESPN 72 defeat.
Carlos Prates earned the ninth knockout in history stemming from a spinning back elbow at UFC 319.
Lerone Murphy earned the 10th knockout in history stemming from a spinning back elbow at uFC 319.
Chimaev landed 529 total strikes at UFC 319, a new single-fight record.
Chimaev landed 411 total head strikes at UFC 319, a new single-fight record.
Chimaev landed 517 total ground strikes at UFC 319, a new single-fight record.
Kaue Fernandes earned the 19th knockout in history stemming from leg kicks at UFC Fight Night 258.
Daniil Donchenko became the 50th domestic winner of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series when he claimed the Season 33 welterweight crown at UFC Fight Night 259.
Rodolfo Bellato became the second fighter in history to have a record of 1-1-1 with one no contest in his first four octagon appearances with his loss at UFC Fight Night 260. Damon Jackson also accomplished the feat.
Neil Magny became the second fighter to reach 24 octagon victories with his UFC Fight Night 260 win.
Jiri Prochazka's eight fight-night bonuses in his first eight octagon appearances, after UFC 320, are second-most in company history behind Gaethje (nine in his first eight fights).
Dvalishvili became the first in history to land 10 or more takedowns in five separate bouts with his UFC 320 performance.
Charles Oliveira's 21 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition after his UFC Fight Night 261 win are tied with Mirko Cro Cop for most in combined organizational history.
Oliveira added to his record for most stoppage wins in company history (21) with his UFC Fight Night 261 victory.
Oliveira added to his record for most submission wins in company history (17) with his UFC Fight Night 261 victory.
Oliveira added to his record for most fight night bonuses in company history (21) with his UFC Fight Night 261 victory.
Drew Dober's 10 knockout victories in lightweight competition after his UFC Fight Night 262 win are most in divisional history. He was previously tied with Dustin Poirier at nine.
Hamdy Abdelwahab landed 70 significant ground strikes at UFC 321, a new single-fight record for a heavyweight bout.
Valter Walker became the first in history to earn four consecutive victories by heel hook submission with his UFC 321 win.
Makhachev earned his 16th consecutive octagon victory at UFC 322, tied with Anderson Silva for the longest streak in company history.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev's 33-second victory at UFC Fight Night 265 marked the fastest submission in modern light heavyweight history.
Jan Blachowicz became the eighth athlete to fight to multiple octagon draws in his UFC 323 fight vs. Bogdan Guskov.
Van became the first fighter to go 4-0 in 2025 with his win at UFC 323.
Steven Asplund's 170 significant strikes landed at UFC on ESPN 73 marked a new single-fight record for a three-round heavyweight fight.
Asplund's 170 significant strikes landed at UFC on ESPN 73 are second-most in a heavyweight fight behind Daniel Cormier's 181 landed vs. Stipe Miocic at UFC 241.
Melquizael Costa became the second fighter to go 4-0 in 2025 with his win at UFC on ESPN 73.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC in 2025: A recap of the facts, stats, records and more
