10/5/26
The UFC is making sure that the year ends with a bang, with former champions and elite championship contenders squaring off with the BMF belt on the line. Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is to be tested once again by former featherweight contender Diego Lopes, who has fought for the belt twice at featherweight and is now making his highly anticipated lightweight debut. One of the sport’s biggest names, Alex Pereira, is back for another heavyweight contender fight against one of the company’s scariest punchers, Sergei Pavlovich. A scary fight for both men, as the winner could very well be the number one contender in the weight class. Then a big middleweight bout between the powerhouse Joe Pyfer and the fan favorite Bo Nickel, which could propel the trajectory of the winner’s career.
Charles Oliveira vs Diego Lopes
Charles Oliveira initially planned to wait for a potential rematch with Justin Gaethje for the undisputed lightweight belt, but now that Arman Tsarukyan is Gaethje’s clear next fight, Oliveira cannot sit and wait while there are fights to be made. He is one of the most elite fighters in the weight class, and maybe in sports ever seen, as he continues to prove he is among the best. He is coming off a 50-45 masterclass win over all-time great Max Holloway to win the BMF belt, and now he is set to face a dangerous knockout artist in Diego Lopes.
Lopes has been at the top of the featherweight division for years and has fought Alexander Volkanovski for the belt twice. Despite losing both, he has beaten almost everyone the UFC has put in front of him recently and has done everything he needed to do at featherweight. He now moves up a weight class to fight one of the greatest lightweights of all time. This is likely the most dangerous fight he has ever had besides Volk, but with a win, he completely shakes the rankings and could name himself a serious contender. The BMF belt is up for grabs; will it change hands or not in what should be one of the most entertaining fights of the year?
Alex Pereira vs Sergei Pavlovich
Alex Pereira returns for another heavyweight bout against Sergei Pavlovich after his KO loss to Cyril Gane at UFC Freedom 250 for the heavyweight title. He is one of the biggest names to ever come from the sport as a former two-division champion whose title runs have been unlike anything seen in MMA. He has transcended the sport in a way that few have, but his dominance has been in middleweight and light heavyweight. The top of the heavyweight division is a different beast when it comes to power and size. Pereira had a taste of that against Gane but now faces a fighter equally as scary in Sergei Pavlovich.
Pavlovich has been an elite heavyweight for a long time and even fought for the interim belt against Tom Aspinall. Even though he lost, he remains at the top of the heap. There are a lot of questions going into this fight for Pereira when it comes to his size and whether his power can transfer to the big boys. He is obviously a massive person but taller and lean, and not necessarily a true heavyweight like Pavlovich. Sergei is massive and is one of the most powerful punchers in the sport. With a 84 in reach and a pressure-heavy style, it could make things tough for Pereira. Pereira is one of the most decorated kickboxers of all time, though, and has terrifying power as well against smaller opponents than Pavlovich. Not many are expecting this to go the distance, but nonetheless it will be a great fight.
Joe Pyfer vs Bo Nickel
A big fight in the middleweight division with the #4 ranked fighter in the division, Joe Pyfer, who is coming off a KO win against all-time great Israel Adesanya and has proven that he is among the top of the middleweight division as of right now. He is a power puncher of the highest order and only needs one shot to take his opponent out. His grappling is up to par as well, although it usually doesn’t get to that point when he fights. He will be facing Bo Nickel, who is one of the most elite collegiate wrestlers ever and is 9-1 in his career while on a two-fight win streak.
After a minor setback in his loss to Reinier De Ridder, he is back to form and looks dangerous. Nickel is the #12-ranked fighter in the weight class, and many wonder if he has earned a top-five fight, but with the eyes he draws and his recent performances, it isn’t too crazy. Especially if he wins, this would launch him into serious talks as a contender. This fight will be unpredictable and likely a war. Fans will be in for a treat when these two square off.