Without further ado, let’s take a look at our Christmas wish list.
Christmas Wishlist – UFC Edition
1 – Champions do NOT get immediate rematches
Okay, sometimes these are justified. Kamaru Usman getting an immediate rematch against Leon Edwards after dominating four and a half rounds before being brutally knocked out was fine. It was justified and it made sense.
TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2 was not warranted. TJ Dillashaw defeated Garbrandt in their first fight and did so even faster in their rematch. It didn’t make much sense and wasn’t necessary. Likewise, Israel Adesanya shouldn’t have gotten a title shot after losing to Sean Strickland, despite the fact that Dricus du Plessis was the champion.
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No champion should automatically get a rematch if he loses the title. It all depends on the circumstances. Let’s talk about mortgages. If Diego Lopes were to convincingly defeat Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 325. A one-sided five-round domination from the Mexican with Volkanovski not getting a sniff, should they rematch? No. There are logical contenders who should have been ahead of Lopes, so it’s illogical not to give them a chance.
Regardless of whether the champion has had a long reign over the division or not, this should not automatically earn him a rematch. You are only as good as your last fight and if you lose, you have to prove yourself again.
2 – Improved battle posters
This has been a personal complaint for several years. The efforts we have made in recent years have been far below par and we have consistently had lackluster posters. For example, the UFC 304 poster is one of the worst we’ve seen in a long, long time.
This year especially, the posters were lazy. UFC 320, UFC 321 and UFC 322 are all virtually identical.
There is just a distinct lack of creativity or originality among all the posters. Two posters stand out as two of the best released. The UFC 252 poster is amazing. It sets the stage for the main event. The UFC 189 poster is also striking, stands out and is one you will never forget.
Let’s hope 2026 brings some interesting, inventive and eye-catching battle posters.
3 – Fewer Fight Night Apex cards
It served a purpose, but it is now outdated and serves more as a money saver than as a suitable venue to host UFC fights. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFC Apex has been great. It allowed the UFC to continue fighting in a safe environment… but that was almost five years ago.
The cards are watered down and the main events often take place between fighters ranked between 10 and 15 or unranked. The highest ranked fighter (before UFC 323) to get an Apex card in the main event was #6 Manel Kape in March.
Fans are missing out on opportunities to see high-level fighters live because they are booked on Apex cards. Keep the Apex for TUF and the contenders, that makes sense, but let’s move all fight nights to arenas. They don’t have to be huge arenas. When Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan fought the first time, the attendance was poor 2,361. It felt intimate, it felt different and it was good!
4 – No more media leaks
In recent years, huge fights have often been leaked to the media before there was an official announcement. It takes the shine off the spectacle somewhat. No one can forget that Ariel Helwani leaked the return of Brock Lesnar at UFC 200, prior to the official announcement at UFC 199. At the time, this led to Helwani’s physical expulsion and a lifetime ban from covering future UFC live events, although this was later reinstated.
When the UFC posts about an announcement post from Dana White, the majority of fans know what the announcement will be. Media members who are ‘in the know’ have already written their pieces and video scripts are ready to go.
It would be great to see a completely random but huge fight announcement from the UFC in 2026. Invest in a video package to inform fans about an upcoming main event, like they did with Lesnar.
Picture this: At UFC 327 (for example), they play a video package hyping the upcoming White House card, ending it with a simple drop of a rose, signaling the return of Ilia Topuria. Simple, effective and engaging.
Other hopes and dreams
It is highly unlikely that the following hopes and dreams will ever become reality, not just in 2026, but ever. It’s fun to dream, though.
Dana White explains his reasoning behind booking fights.
Dana White is true to his word when it comes to booking #1 contender fights.
Consistent referee.
Open scoring.
Glove modifications to address eye punctures.
#Christmas #Wishlist #UFC #Edition #MMASucka