As 2025 draws to a close, the Ultimate Fighting Championship prepares for its final explosive events, featuring multiple championship bouts and career-defining matchups that will shape the future of mixed martial arts.
Championship Landscape Transformed
The year has witnessed significant changes across UFC weight divisions, with several champions either vacating titles or achieving historic milestones. Islam Makhachev began 2025 by breaking the record for successful lightweight title defences before moving up to capture welterweight gold against Jack Della Maddalena in November.
Other notable championship changes include Ilia Topuria's remarkable transition from featherweight to lightweight champion, where he secured a first-round knockout against division legend Charles Oliveira. Meanwhile, Jon Jones' retirement from MMA finally allowed interim champion Tom Aspinall to be elevated to undisputed heavyweight champion.
Zhang Weili's attempt to become double champion fell short as she failed to dethrone Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight after vacating her strawweight title. Current champions maintaining their dominance include Merab Dvalishvili at bantamweight and Alexandre Pantoja at flyweight, while veterans Alexander Volkanovski and Alex Pereira have reclaimed their featherweight and light-heavyweight crowns respectively.
December Fight Cards Breakdown
UFC 323 on Saturday 6 December at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlines the month's action with two championship fights. Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili faces Petr Yan in a highly anticipated rematch, while flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja defends against Joshua Van.
The main card features several compelling matchups including former champions Brandon Moreno against Tatsuro Taira at flyweight, and Henry Cejudo's bantamweight clash with Payton Talbott. The preliminary card includes established names like Edson Barboza against Jalin Turner and Marvin Vettori versus Brunno Ferreira.
UFC Fight Night Finale
The year concludes on Saturday 13 December at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas with Brandon Royval returning to action against Manel Kape in a flyweight contender bout. The card also features Giga Chikadze against Kevin Vallejos at featherweight and notable welterweight action between Neil Magny and Yaroslav Amosov.
Women's divisions see action with Amanda Lemos taking on Gillian Robertson at strawweight, while the heavyweight division showcases Kennedy Nzechukwu versus Marcus Buchecha. The event rounds out a transformative year for UFC that has seen new champions crowned and legends either cement their legacy or pass the torch to the next generation.
All main events and title fights are scheduled for five rounds, though fight cards remain subject to change as the promotion's final events of 2025 approach.
