Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira during weigh ins for UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 2025 Calendar: The Most Anticipated UFC Fights for 2025

As 2025 inches closer, let us take a closer look at some of the most anticipated fights scheduled for the next year!

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alex Pereira during weigh ins for UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC has always been a roller coaster of excitement, raw energy, and unexpected twists. The anticipation is reaching a fever pitch for fight fans as they gear up for 2025. These matchups set up by Dana White and the UFC matchmakers are sure to set the octagon on fire and create legendary moments.

Now, as 2025 inches closer, let’s take a closer look at some of the most anticipated fights scheduled for the next year.

7. Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez

The upcoming UFC 312 co-main event between Zhang Weili and Tatiana Suarez promises to be an exciting clash of styles and an intriguing showdown for the women’s strawweight title. Zhang Weili (25-3) has been a dominant force in the 115-pound division. She has successfully defended her title twice since.

Tatiana Suarez is an undefeated powerhouse (10-0). She is known for her elite wrestling and grappling. Series of injuries had sidelined her for a few years but now, Suarez has made a successful return to the Octagon, earning submission victories over opponents like Montana De La Rosa and Jessica Andrade.

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland and Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez have both been made official for UFC 312 in Sydney!!! 🚨#UFC312 pic.twitter.com/6gQftkJZKu
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) December 8, 2024

Suarez’s dominant wrestling and control on the ground make her a unique challenge for Zhang, who prefers to stand and strike. This fight is shaping up to be a classic striker vs. grappler matchup.

6. Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis

The middleweight division is cooking up some serious drama. Sean Strickland’s trash talk has made him a fan favorite and more so after his win over Israel Adesanya. His title rematch against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312 is sure to deliver excitement and fireworks!

This time they won’t call it a robbery, they’ll call it attempted murder. #UFC312 #preparetobeamazed pic.twitter.com/oSOJ0ih5yf
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) December 9, 2024

The first fight was one hell of an affair, with Strickland losing a controversial decision to Du Plessis at UFC 297. It might be Strickland’s chance to take back what he believes is rightfully his!

5. Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

The fight between Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov was supposed to be the headliner for UFC 310. However, a bone infection forced Muhammad to pull out of the bout.

Instead of canceling the bout, Rakhmonov took on the undefeated Ian Garry. Despite Garry having ‘Nomad’ in trouble on the ground towards the end of the fight, he lost the fight and his undefeated record.

Belal Muhammad and Shavkat Rakhmonov face-off 👀 #UFC310 pic.twitter.com/u15Nk4ou12
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) December 8, 2024

Now, Rakhmonov is set to face Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title next. Nicknamed ‘Remember The Name’, this will be Muhammad’s first title defense after snatching the title from Leon Edwards at UFC 304.

Also Read: Jaoquin Buckley Has His Eyes Set On Former Welterweight Champion

4. Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili took the bantamweight crown from Sean O’Malley back in September 2024 at the Sphere. Now, he is set to face an undefeated Dagestani fighter, Umar Nurmagomedov.

Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/WkxpopmWlW
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) December 6, 2024

Bad blood is written all over this fight. Both Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov have traded barbs, both face-to-face and on social media. The MMA fraternity is looking forward to this exceptional matchup in the co-main event of UFC 311.

3. Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira was declared UFC Fighter of the Year for 2024, all thanks to his exceptional performances. He delivered at UFC 300, UFC 303 as well as UFC 307. Now, he is gearing up to face what many think would be his greatest challenge in Magomed Ankalaev.

The Russian star has been undefeated since late 2018. He has also made several claims that ‘Poatan’ was trying to actively avoid this challenge, which, of course, was denied by the Brazilian.

Fight fans also want to see if the Poatan is actually any good on the ground. This, of course, depends on whether Ankalaev wants to use his exceptional wrestling against Pereira. Standing up against the Brazilian might be a bad idea, just ask Jamahal Hill!

2. Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Islam Makhachev has cemented his legacy after claiming the #1 Pound-for-Pound fighter in the world spot (although Dana White may disagree). His next challenge comes in the form of a rematch against the man many think gave him the toughest fight to date: Arman Tsarukyan.

🚨 BREAKING!

DANA WHITE ANNOUNCES SOME BANGERS FOR #UFC311

🏆 Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan
🏆 Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov

🎥 @danawhite

pic.twitter.com/kBY8iXRmn6
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 5, 2024

Their previous fight ended in a unanimous decision victory for Makhachev. But it must be noted that it was Tsarukyan’s debut in the UFC. Both fighters have grown tremendously since then and defeated foe after foe. A clash of the titans awaits us at UFC 311, which is also the first PPV event for 2025.

1. Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

Jones vs. Aspinall will arguably be the greatest potential fight of 2025. The call-outs and the ducking allegations have caused some bad blood between these heavyweights. Tom Aspinall has tried every spell in the book to lure Jon Jones for a title unification bout but has failed.

But, Dana White finally come to Aspinall’s rescue. The UFC President White was adamant that Jon Jones must face Tom Aspinall next, or just exit the UFC. This has put Jones in a difficult position, as he was angling for a super fight against LHW Kingpin Alex Pereira.

Dana White says Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight title is the fight he wants to see most next year 👀 pic.twitter.com/WwrwtVrVii
— ESPN (@espn) December 16, 2024

However, both Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall have hinted at ongoing negotiations. This could very well be the fight that will highlight the year 2025 for the UFC!

(Image Credits: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Arman Tsarukyan

Belal Muhammad

Dana White

Dricus Du Plessis

Islam Makhachev

Jon Jones

Magomed Ankalaev

Merab Dvalishvili

Sean Strickland

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Tom Aspinall

UFC 2025

Umar Nurmagomedov

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!