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The UFC embarks on an exciting new era with Paramount+, making mixed martial arts more accessible than ever before. Some of the promotion's top stars have fights announced coinciding with the new deal, while fans eagerly anticipate matchups for other champions and big names.

MMA's leading promotion has already announced a slew of action fights for 2026 featuring some of its most beloved stars, including Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira at UFC 326. Then there are global headliners like Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev, arguably the best fighters in the sport, awaiting their next moves.

Subscribe to Paramount+ now to get access to the UFC fight library to get ready for UFC 324

Ahead of the new year, the first of seven in the new era, take a look 10 UFC stars that everyone should know about.

Ilia Topuria

Check out some of Topuria's best fights

Topuria packs a serious punch in his 5-foot-7 frame. The undefeated fighter knocked out all-time greats Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira consecutively to become only the 10th two-division UFC champion. Currently ranked No. 2 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, the reigning lightweight champion has repeatedly called for a fight with welterweight champ Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately, whatever's next for Topuria -- whether it's the super fight or facing the winner of UFC 324's interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett -- must wait until he attends to personal matters.

Islam Makhachev

Check out some of Makhachev's best fights

Meet the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the UFC. Makhachev is a force to be reckoned with as the star pupil of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev has arguably eclipsed his mentor with recent accomplishments. In 2025, Makhachev broke the record for most lightweight title defenses -- previously a five-way tie with Nurmagomedov and others -- before becoming the 11th two-division champion in UFC history. He's a mauling wrestler with striking that surpasses his predecessor. If Makhachev can make an impact as welterweight champion, he might complicate the discussion for who should be on the Mount Rushmore of MMA.

Max Holloway

Check out some of Holloway's best fights

There might not be a more beloved fighter on the UFC roster today than Holloway. The former featherweight champion, an all-time great in that division, found a second life at lightweight as the ceremonial BMF champion. "Blessed" is effortlessly cool in his demeanor with an exciting style to back it up. He innovated the Octagon point down, a nonverbal agreement between fighters to duke it out in the center of the cage. Holloway holds multiple striking records, including: most knockouts in UFC title fights, most strikes landed in UFC history (3,907), and most significant strikes landed in a single fight (445 against Calvin Kattar). If there's one clip that epitomizes Holloway's style, it's the buzzer-beater KO he landed on Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

Charles Oliveira

Check out one of Oliveira's best fights -- his knockout of Beneil Dariush

If one fighter can give Holloway a run for sentimental fan-favorite, it's his upcoming BMF title challenger. Oliveira had one of the most remarkable winning streaks the sport has seen. His first seven years with the promotion were a mixed bag. In 2018, everything clicked. He embarked on an 11-fight winning streak -- including finishes of Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler -- winning and defending the UFC lightweight title in the process. Already one of the best submission fighters in MMA, Oliveira developed a devastating striking game that made him possibly the most potent offensive threat in the sport. To date, he holds UFC records for most finishes (21), most post-fight bonuses (21) and most submissions (17). Holloway vs. Oliveira headlines UFC 326 on March 7.

Alex Pereira

Check out some of Pereira's best fights

"Chama." It's a word that breaks language barriers. Pereira, UFC light heavyweight champion, is a rare non-English-speaking fighter to gain significant popularity with the North American audience. It's his stoic attitude, vicious knockout power and activity that endeared him to fans. "Poatan" is the only two-division UFC and two-division Glory Kickboxing champion in history. He won his first UFC title after one year with the promotion, winning his third consecutive fight against Israel Adesanya across the two sports. Pereira, the first person to KO Adesanya in MMA and kickboxing, soon after moved to light heavyweight, capturing that title twice. 

Khamzat Chimaev

Check out some of Chimaev's best fights

Chimaev seems to be an unstoppable menace. Chimaev seemed destined to become a champion from the first time he stepped foot in the Octagon. His first four opponents landed one combined significant punch on him. His ascent was delayed by long-term health complications, the aftershock of contracting coronavirus and a terrible weight miss that had matchmakers scrambling to salvage UFC 279. Chimaev made good on lofty expectations once he got on track. His last three wins are against UFC champions: beating Kamaru Usman, caving in Robert Whittaker's teeth with a submission and dethroning Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight crown.

Tom Aspinall

Check out some of Aspinall's best fights

The UFC heavyweight champion could go down as an all-time great big man, but the clock is ticking on his chance to prove it. Aspinall tore through the UFC with eight stoppage wins, and seven in the first round, to start his career. It seemed the only things that could stop Aspinall were bad timing and bad luck. First, a knee injury suffered 15 seconds into a Fight Night main event, his only UFC loss. Next, winning the interim heavyweight championship. An interim title is often a pipeline to the undisputed champion. Instead, it became Aspinall's albatross. Aspinall was benched as Jones fought Stipe Miocic, an aging former champ whom many believed was less threatening to Jones. Afterwards, Jones did everything he could to avoid and discredit Aspinall, before briefly retiring and vacating the title. 

Aspinall subsequently graduated to undisputed champion, eager to put Jones behind him. His first title defense against Ciryl Gane was meant to usher in his era of dominance. However, a first-round eye poke unceremoniously ended the fight and left Aspinall with prolonged eye damage. His fighting future is now in limbo, and his window to make good on lofty predictions is narrowing. 

Kayla Harrison

Check out some of Harrison's best fights

American fighters have been struggling at the championship level. Harrison is one of the few champions waving the Red, White and Blue. A major get for the UFC, Harrison became the women's bantamweight in her third Octagon appearance. She's among the most decorated combat athletes in history: a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time PFL champion and reigning UFC champ. A world-class judoka with ridiculous power, she's overwhelmed all her UFC contemporaries. Her competitive work ethic mirrors her homelife. She somehow juggles being a world-class athlete with raising two children, her niece and nephew, whom she adopted, and running her farm. Harrison makes her first title defense against UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes at UFC 324. 

Amanda Nunes

Check out some of Nunes' best fights

Nunes is the greatest women's fighter of all time, no doubt about it. She is the only woman to hold two separate UFC weight class titles simultaneously. Her resume is unparalleled, with wins over most of her fellow female greats. Nunes holds wins over Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Holly Holm and Miesha Tate, among others. While her status as the women's GOAT is bulletproof, Nunes also has a case worth discussing for the overall MMA Mount Rushmore, regardless of gender. "The Lioness" retired from MMA in June 2023, vacating both her titles, but returns to challenge women's bantamweight champ Harrison at UFC 324.

Valentina Shevchenko

Check out some of Shevchenko's best fights

The reigning UFC women's flyweight champion is Nunes' neighbor on the Mount Rushmore of women's MMA. Shevchenko's two losses to Nunes omit her from claiming the top spot, but it does little to mitigate her achievements. This is especially true because Shevchenko was the smaller fighter and arguably beat Nunes the second time. "Bullet" holds numerous records in the promotion, including most combined and consecutive women's title defenses in any division. It's easy to see why people compare the Kyrgyz and Peruvian fighter to Marvel's Black Widow. She has sniper-like accuracy, in the cage and at the firing range, and a bulletproof style that's among the most well-rounded in the sport. A competitive dancer who speaks four languages fluently, Shevcheko screams super soldier.

Honorable mentions: Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaethje, Alexander Volkanovski, Petr Yan