The Octagon is on vacation longer than your uncle who “just needs a nap” after Thanksgiving dinner. Now that the final event of 2025 has wrapped and the promotion has transitioned to the shiny new Paramount+ home, we’re staring at a barren wasteland of weekends with no cage, no knockouts, and no post-fight Dana White rants.
The next solution?
UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, where Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will battle for interim lightweight gold (and probably the right to eat more burgers).
That’s more than a month of Saturdays without anyone sleeping! Fear not, fight junkies. Here’s a completely serious (okay, mostly satirical) guide to productive, enriching activities to tide you over until the violence returns.
1. Start your own backyard fight club
The first rule of Backyard Fight Club? There are no rules, except that you wear gloves, otherwise your neighbors will call the police. Gather your friends, draw a circle in the sand with a stick and relive classic UFC moments. Bonus points if you say like Joe Rogan: “OHHH, HE’S GONE! Uncle Bob is badly hurt!”
For a tip: Stick to light sparring. Hospital visits aren’t as fun as watching them.
2. Binge old UFC events like it’s 2010
You have the UFC Fight Pass (or whatever archive your pirates use – don’t tell Dana). Relive the glory days: watch Conor battle his way to riches, or watch Anderson Silva crush his opponents into oblivion. By the time you’re done, you’ll be an expert on every controversial decision ever. Warning: This may cause severe depression when you realize that modern cards can’t always top UFC 189.
3. Train like a fighter (for one weekend)
Go to the gym! Do some Muay Thai kicks, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu rolls, or just shadowboxing in your living room while shouting “AND NEW!” shouts. with your cat. You feel like a warrior… until Monday morning, when you can no longer walk down the stairs. Then switch to yoga and pretend it’s “active recovery” like the pros.
4. Discuss on MMA forums until your thumbs bleed
Head to Reddit’s r/MMA or Twitter (sorry, X) and debate burning questions: Is Paddy Pimblett overhyped? Will Gaethje’s face hold up? Who is the real BMF? Hours will disappear defending your hot shots against strangers who definitely live in their mother’s basement. It’s basically verbal sparring: no black eyes, just blocked accounts.
5. Host UFC-themed parties
No fights? Make your own entertainment. Host a “Prediction Party” for the upcoming card. Grill steaks (rare, like Gaethje’s chin defense), drink responsibly and gamble on the outcome. Loser has to clean the grill while wearing a Conor McGregor tattoo sleeve from Amazon.
6. Try other martial arts (temporarily)
Treacherous, I know, but desperation calls. Check out some boxing, PFL highlights or even pro wrestling for scripted drama. Just promise to come back when the real elbows start flying again.
7. Touch grass (the horror!)
Go outside. Read a book. Spend time with family. Volunteer. Learn a skill that doesn’t analyze fighting IQ. Who knows, you might discover life outside the cage. (No, who are we kidding? Set a timer for January 24th.)
Hang in there, warriors. Only a few more weekends of this torture until the Highlight and the Baddy remind us why we love this beautiful, brutal sport. Mark your calendars, subscribe to Paramount+ and stock up on snacks. The drought ends soon – and then it’s the violence season again! 🥊
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