In the next match after that, dominant 125-lb kingpin Alexandre Pantoja was expected to stifle the rise of young challenger Joshua Van. However, just 26 seconds into the first round, the Brazilian unfortunately suffered a devastating arm dislocation, meaning “The Fearless” won the title via TKO. Van’s triumph in the cage last Saturday etched his name in the martial arts history books as the second-youngest UFC champion in history, behind only Jon Jones. Maybe gamblers should have invested their money in it online slot machines instead of?
With this massive shake-up at the top of the weight class, flyweight doesn’t present any interesting matchup possibilities for either the new title holder or the rest of the men vying for their shot at gold. As 2025 draws to a close and new opportunities begin to reveal themselves on the approaching horizon, the UFC will have no shortage of fantastic 125-pound fights on the upcoming cards next year.
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Here are the three flyweight fights you can make in 2026:
Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira: UFC Flyweight Championship
At UFC 323, both newly minted flyweight great Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira staked their claim to being among the best athletes on the UFC roster.
By extending his current winning streak to six in a row, Van became the first Burmese competitor to have promotional gold wrapped around his waist. Although fans didn’t see much action from the 24-year-old in the biggest match of his life, he can still lay claim to being called the gold standard of his weight category. Taking into account that he barely suffered any damage during the fight, it is likely that Van could compete as early as the first quarter of 2026.
As for who deserves to take over as the new flyweight ruler next, that honor rightfully belongs to Taira. While he is coming off the first loss of his professional career just a year ago, the Okinawa native has since bounced back with back-to-back stoppage time victories. Starting by defeating then-Park Hyun-sung in August, he pulled off perhaps the biggest upset on the UFC 323 card by handing Brandon Moreno his first defeat by far. Taira grabbed the Mexican’s back and started hitting the previous champion with punches until the referee called off the tilt.
With an astonishing highlight-reel finish over a man who once held the flyweight crown twice, Taira is clearly the next man to challenge for the belt. While the upcoming clash between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape could produce another worthy challenger for that honor, it’s currently the Japanese by a wide margin.
Another aspect to consider in Taira’s legitimacy to face Van is the fact that Pantoja will likely be out of action for quite some time while he recovers from his arm injury. In previous cases where long-reigning champions have lost their titles after lengthy defensive streaks, the UFC has often been quick to immediately book the pair for a quick rematch. However, considering that Van and Taira barely landed any blows in their respective matches, it only makes sense to have them face each other in the near future so that Pantoja has enough time to heal and get back into the right shape.
Flyweight Fights to Make: Brandon Moreno vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
Moreno is coming off his first setback in the finish at UFC 323 and now finds himself at a precarious crossroads as a top prospect at flyweight. With his previous two-match winning streak extinguished in the most tragic way possible, he will have a potentially long road ahead on his journey to regaining the championship. At this point, most of the 125-pound upper echelon are already preparing for a match or have just fought, but there exists one foe who, should he manage to fall, could possibly get the 32-year-old back on track in the hunt for gold: Kyoji Horiguchi.
Horiguchi made his long-awaited return to the Octagon after lengthy success abroad, making his first UFC appearance in nearly a decade last November at UFC Fight Night 265. His opponent for the occasion was Russian newcomer Tagir Ulanbekov, who had won his last four bouts in a row. Horiguchi looked like one of the best fighters in the world and dominated Ulanbekov from start to finish in their fight, ultimately sending him into the third round early.
Considering Horiguchi’s colossal return to the promotion, and considering his phenomenal stints at RIZIN and Bellator, during which he claimed world championships in both companies, he makes a solid choice to team up with Moreno as a test to see if “The Assassin Baby” still has what it takes to challenge for the title. On the other hand, the fight also marks a huge step forward in competition for Horiguchi, and if he can beat Moreno, he could strengthen his own case for a championship bout or a shot at number one.
Flyweight Fights to Make: Asu Almabayev vs. Tim Elliot
Asu Almabayev returned to the saddle after losing to Manel Kape for the first time in the UFC earlier last March and has quickly racked up two consecutive victories. Starting with a one-sided beating of Jose Ochoa at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder, “Zulfikar” concluded a fruitful 2025 by eliminating Alex Perez last month. Heading into the new year, there are a slew of fun and worthwhile matchups for the streaking prospect from Kazakhstan, including one against perennial flyweight great Tim Elliot.
Stepping into the cage at UFC 319 in August, Elliot produced a stunning victory over recent corporate debutant Kai Asakura, who had won multiple titles with leading Japanese organization RIZIN. Fighting as a staggering underdog at the event, Elliot showcased his expert Jiu-Jitsu skills by knocking out Asakura in the second round, bringing his current position in the win column to two in a row.
While Almabayev would be taking a fight with someone lower ranked than him, his theoretical match with Elliot could provide an interesting clash between some of the best wrestlers in the flyweight division.
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