UFC bold predictions for 2026: Women's bantamweight, men's heavyweight divisions heat up with big fights

UFC's new era brings new possibilities. The mixed martial arts promotion has laid out the groundwork for its first quarter, but many important questions remain unanswered.

Speculation is running rampant about the future of UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who requires multiple eye surgeries before he can return. Then there's the UFC women's bantamweight division, which is primed for a historic year as Amanda Nunes returns to challenging Kayla Harrison at UFC 324. With UFC exclusively streaming on Paramount+ for years to come, pay-per-views are a thing of the past, allowing for new matchmaking philosophies to emerge. 

Last year, CBS Sports' expert panel nearly swept their bold predictions. They correctly predicted Islam Makhachev conquering welterweight and former Bellator champions migrating to the UFC. If Jon Jones hadn't vacated the heavyweight title instead of fighting Tom Aspinall, it would've been a perfect run. 

While the sport can feel predictable at times, 2025 served as a stark reminder of just how unpredictable it really is. With that in mind, our crew at CBS Sports took a shot at picking some bold predictions for the new year below.

Get ready for the beginning of the UFC era on Paramount+ with our Fan Guide series: Brief history of UFC | Biggest fighters to know | Playlist of fights to watch and get excited

Women's bantamweight becomes a hotbed for superfights

For a division that has been considered barren and below elite standards for years, and hasn't held a superfight since Amanda Nunes knocked out Cris Cyborg in 2018 to become the GOAT of women's MMA, business is expected to pick up quickly in 2026 at women's bantamweight. Kayla Harrison will defend her 135-pound title against Nunes, who returns from a three-year retirement in January at UFC 324, in a true superfight between former teammates. In addition, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, Nunes' longtime rival, is on the verge of a possible move back up in weight to not only seek the title but possibly a trilogy fight against "The Lioness."

The potential of a round-robin of fights in the new year between all three fighters is extra intriguing because each would be considered a true superfight, especially because of how close Shevchenko is to matching Nunes in terms of career accomplishments (not to mention the fact that Harrison has long said her goal is to one day retire as the women's GOAT). But there's even more than that. Not only is two-time champion Julianna Pena still a viable contender, former two-division PFL tournament champion Larisa Pacheco, who delivered Harrison's lone pro defeat in their third meeting in 2022, has been publicly pushing for the UFC to offer her a contract to return to the promotion. Cyborg, meanwhile, the 40-year-old legend who recently won the inaugural PFL featherweight title, has just one more fight on her current PFL deal. It may be a longshot considering Cyborg left UFC in 2019 on acrimonious terms (and has never fought below 140 pounds) but it all adds to the potential of how big 2026 might become. -- Brian Campbell

Heavyweight sees at least two new champions

Every report on heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall makes it sound more and more likely he will be sidelined for a considerable amount of time after suffering eye injuries due to pokes from Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. While some claimed Aspinall took the easy way out in a fight he was losing, it has become clear the champion's eyes were significantly injured. If Aspinall is going to be out for a significant amount of time, the promotion will need to move on without him for the time being.

That would create an interesting situation in a wide-open division. Below Aspinall, the heavyweight division is basically Gane and then a bunch of fighters who all have wins and losses against various other contenders. This could mean a very interesting 2026 in the division, with a title, either undisputed or interim, changing hands at least twice. Hopefully, that would lead to heavyweight finding its footing as a division and being ready for Aspinall's eventual return. -- Brent Brookhouse

UFC legends return for Zuffa Boxing

Zuffa Boxing could breathe new life into the combat careers of aging UFC stars. Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal and Anderson Silva are a small handful of high-profile names who boxed after retiring from mixed martial arts. Zuffa Boxing is a convenient landing spot should they, or other legends, want to expand their footprint in that sport. UFC and WWE have prominently cross-promoted under the TKO umbrella. Early signs suggest the same for Zuffa Boxing. There's convenience and value to signing former UFC champions to Zuffa, using them to attract UFC fans to Zuffa's growing boxing roster.

The UFC-Zuffa Boxing pipeline also presents opportunities for active UFC fighters. We've seen an influx of active fighters, such as Arman Tsarukyan and Bo Nickal, compete in grappling between UFC bouts. Reigning champion Alex Pereira is among those who have expressed interest in boxing professionally. Zuffa Boxing could allow the UFC roster to box without breaking their existing contractual obligations. -- Shakiel Mahjouri