MMA better of 2026 midyear: Gaethje’s title victory earns three awards

It has been a high-profile yr thus far for combined martial arts.

In Could, two pioneers of the game, Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, got here out of lengthy retirements to headline the inaugural foray into MMA by Jake Paul’s Most Useful Promotions. That occasion drew almost 17 million viewers, based on Netflix. Earlier this month, the UFC placed on a historic occasion on the White Home in entrance of an invitation-only viewers of politicians, celebrities and navy personnel, and reached one other 17 million.

The struggle card in Washington, D.C., concluded with an enormous title bout upset, however it was not the one belt-winning shock within the first half of 2026. Along with Justin Gaethje taking the light-weight belt from beforehand unbeaten Ilia Topuria in the primary occasion at UFC Freedom 250, middleweight Sean Strickland additionally handed reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev his first defeat at UFC 328 in Could. Carlos Ulberg shockingly overcame a first-round leg damage to knock out Jiří Procházka for the sunshine heavyweight title at UFC 327 in April — and it wasn’t even the most effective struggle on that card.

So many large moments, and we’re solely midway via the yr. An ESPN panel voted on superlatives for the primary six months of 2026. Listed below are the outcomes.

Greatest occasion: UFC 327

Proportion of the vote: 50%
Others receiving votes: UFC Freedom 250, UFC 324

Different occasions have been extra star-studded (Rousey vs. Carano launching MVP MMA, for instance) or extra star-spangled (UFC Freedom 250 on the White Home), however by way of struggle high quality, nothing thus far this yr beats UFC 327. The April occasion in Miami had a bit little bit of every little thing: a stunning title-winning turnaround (badly injured Ulberg knocking out Procházka), a heavyweight slobberknocker (Josh Hokit outslugging Curtis Blaydes), a grand exit (Cub Swanson ending his 22-year profession with a knockout of Nate Landwehr), a prospect lastly reaching potential (Aaron Pico beating Patricio Pitbull) and a fighter exhibiting off her pound-for-pound bona fides (Tatiana Suarez submitting Crazy Godínez). And there was lots extra to love on this deep, deep struggle card. — Jeff Wagenheim

Greatest males’s fighter: Justin Gaethje

Proportion of the vote: 100%

Is there any doubt? All Gaethje did was beat up a beforehand unbeaten champion on the White Home garden in the primary occasion of the UFC’s highest-profile struggle card — not simply the largest of the primary half of 2026 however within the promotion’s whole 33-year historical past. Gaethje, a large underdog, seized management of the light-weight title bout from the beginning, persevered after Topuria put him in hassle, then swung the struggle again his approach to bloody up Topuria and go away him sagging on his stool after Spherical 4, unable to proceed. This was Gaethje’s second victory of the yr, and the primary, a battering of Paddy Pimblett in January to earn the title shot, was much more dominant. It may take fairly a feat over the following six months for an additional fighter to surpass Gaethje as fighter of the yr. — Wagenheim

Greatest ladies’s fighter: Alexa Grasso

OH MY GOODNESS

ALEXA GRASSO FINISHES MAYCEE BARBER!!

@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/dMNRIKuLEt

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) March 29, 2026

Proportion of the vote: 50%
Others receiving votes: Joselyne Edwards and Ronda Rousey

Few fighters went into 2026 with extra questions round their rapid future than Alexa Grasso. Following her historic victory over Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC ladies’s flyweight title in 2023, Grasso went 0-2-1, and the 2 losses have been fairly one-sided. However on March 28, Grasso seemed something however defeated from that three-year skid. Her knockout (or was it a submission?) win over Maycee Barber, who was using a seven-fight win streak and extremely motivated, was as memorable a end as we’ll see all yr. It has been an total quiet first half for girls’s MMA, with zero UFC title fights and few ladies combating greater than as soon as to date, however Grasso took benefit of her alternative. — Brett Okamoto

Greatest struggle: Justin Gaethje defeats Ilia Topuria by TKO4 at UFC Freedom 250

Proportion of the vote: 75%
Others receiving votes: Blaydes vs. Hokit

Gaethje vs. Topuria had every little thing you need in a championship struggle. The oddsmakers foresaw a mismatch in Topuria’s favor, however Gaethje made it clear from the beginning that he can be no pushover. He took cost of the struggle with an aggressive assault that put Topuria within the unfamiliar place of combating off his again foot. Topuria finally discovered his rhythm, and his left hook discovered Gaethje’s midsection, dropping the challenger in Spherical 2 and threatening to finish the struggle. Relatively than forcing Gaethje to face up, although, Topuria adopted him to the canvas. Large mistake. Gaethje used the grappling time to get well, and when he did climb again to his ft, he was refreshed and able to end the battering he’d began. Topuria’s face changed into a bloated mess. He was wiping blood away from each eyes all through the third and fourth rounds. His nook then waved off the struggle earlier than Spherical 5 started, and Gaethje had simply sufficient power to take his iconic backflip off the highest of the cage in celebration of the largest victory of his profession. — Wagenheim

Greatest KO: Carlos Ulberg defeats Jiří Procházka by KO1 at UFC 327

Proportion of the vote: 50%
Others receiving votes: Grasso def. Barber by KO1; Sean O’Malley def. Aiemann Zahabi by KO2

It appears like we are saying this on a regular basis in MMA, however it’s true: If Ulberg’s championship second in Miami have been a scene straight out of a film, it would not be plausible. A primary-time UFC title challenger suffered a catastrophic knee damage within the opening spherical, forcing him to struggle on one leg. He then rebounded to land an ideal shot that knocked out Procházka. All of us noticed it, and it was nonetheless onerous to imagine it really occurred. Ulberg has flown underneath the radar throughout his profession — and historical past will in all probability keep in mind Gaethje’s UFC championship second on the White Home way over Ulberg’s knockout on one leg — however this deserves to be acknowledged as one of many wildest knockouts in UFC historical past. — Okamoto

Greatest submission: Alice Ardelean defeats Polyana Viana by SUB2 at UFC Battle Night time

Polyana Viana faucets and Alice Ardelean will get the win!

@paramountplus pic.twitter.com/QnUc8skEEE

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) May 16, 2026

Proportion of the vote: 50%
Others receiving votes: Rousey def. Carano by SUB1; Michael Chiesa def. Niko Worth by SUB1; Mario Bautista def. Vinicius Oliviera by SUB2

All these years into UFC, and we’re nonetheless seeing issues occur for the primary time. Alice Ardelean’s first feedback on this traditionally uncommon capsule lock submission, wherein Polyana Viana secured a physique triangle from the underside place, have been, “She calf-sliced herself.” It was a humorous, uncooked response to a end we’re unlikely to see once more any time quickly. Full credit score to Ardelean, who instantly acknowledged Viana’s mistake and took benefit of it. There have been extra technically superior submissions within the first half of the yr, and larger moments — however none that have been extra one-of-a-kind than Ardelean’s. — Okamoto

Breakout fighter: Quillan Salkilld

Proportion of the vote: 63%
Others receiving votes: Joselyne Edwards

There is a tried-and-true system for establishing your self as a star in MMA: compete steadily, end fights and switch in occasional charismatic moments on the mic. Quillan Salkilld is 2-0 in 2026, with two first-round finishes, making him an ideal 5-0 within the UFC. He is been doing this lengthy sufficient now that the UFC is giving him greater alternatives and higher competitors in higher-profile spots. And he is thriving in each space. His final win — a first-round knockout of Beneil Dariush in his house nation of Australia in Could — established him in a means he is by no means been earlier than. When a fighter can exceed expectations, at the same time as expectations rise, that’s when a breakout occurs. — Okamoto

Most improved fighter: Aaron Pico

Proportion of the vote: 50%
Others receiving votes: Gabriel Bonfim, Ciryl Gane and Lone’er Kavanagh

At this level, it is in all probability secure to imagine that Pico’s story is simply supposed to incorporate heartbreaking, adversity-filled moments. His skilled profession started with a loss in some of the high-profile debuts in MMA historical past. After which in 2025, his UFC debut produced a disastrous first-round knockout loss. And but, Pico seemed sharper than ever in a bounce-back win over Pitbull in April. He seemed extra snug, although he felt he was combating for his job at UFC 327. He seemed extra fluid and well-rounded, outclassing Pitbull in each space of their three-round struggle. Pico continues to be younger at 29 years previous, and it seemed like he was placing it collectively in April. — Okamoto

Greatest second: Gaethje leaves UFC Freedom 250 lastly undisputed

Proportion of the vote: 63%
Others receiving votes: Rousey and Carano return at MVP MMA 1; Cub Swanson retires after KO win at UFC 327

For those who’re a soccer fan of a sure age, you would possibly keep in mind that the taking part in profession of John Elway was outlined for years by him creating championship alternatives, solely to then lose in these large moments. The Corridor of Fame quarterback misplaced three Tremendous Bowls early in his profession earlier than lastly main the Denver Broncos to back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999 and retiring in glory. Perhaps it is a Colorado factor, as a result of hockey Corridor of Famer Ray Bourque, who got here up empty time and again throughout twenty years in Boston, lastly lifted the Stanley Cup in 2001 after a late-career commerce to the Avalanche. And now the Rocky Mountains have Gaethje. After falling quick in two earlier photographs on the UFC light-weight title, the 37-year-old Colorado resident lastly arrived on the mountaintop. Gaethje did it in entrance of his household and as soon as once more thrilled followers he is been entertaining with breathtaking performances for years — solely this time there was gold on the finish of the rainbow. — Wagenheim