MMA Fighting Names 2 UFC Bouts as 2026 Midyear Fight of the Year
Updated
Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 3
MMA Fighting Names 2 UFC Bouts as 2026 Midyear Fight of the Year
3 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jul 3
Summary
Two fights shared MMA Fighting’s 2026 Fight of the Midyear top spot after its voting panel failed to reach a majority winner.
Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria earned one No. 1 slot after Gaethje upset Topuria at UFC White House to become undisputed lightweight champion in what the outlet called one of UFC history’s biggest shocks.
Josh Hokit vs. Curtis Blaydes took the other top spot after a 15-minute heavyweight brawl at UFC 327 ended with Hokit’s decision win and a rapid boost onto the UFC White House card.
No. 3 went to Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328, where Van defended his flyweight title with a fifth-round TKO in another standout first-half fight.
The list capped what MMA Fighting described as a wild first six months of 2026, mixing major upsets, title stakes and technical battles likely to resurface in year-end awards.