Gaethje and Pimblett will be vying for the opportunity to face UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, as the interim title will create a definitive No. 1 contender. The two of them recently became entangled when Pimblett had some sharp words for Gaethje's claim that "They owe me a championship fight."

This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/mma as Decorated ex-MMA champion reportedly set to debut on final UFC card of the year. Former Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Yaroslav Amosov will reportedly make his highly-anticipated UFC debut at the promotion’s final event of the year.

🚨 STARTING OFF THE YEAR RIGHT 🚨 The first card of 2026 is STACKED! Watch #UFC324 LIVE January 24 on @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/ZwG25pNteL

Gable Steveson has been tipped to become a UFC champion “in 18 months”, just two fights into his professional mixed martial arts ( MMA) career. Steveson made his name as an amateur wrestler, winning Olympic gold for Team USA at the 2021 Games in Tokyo, before signing a pro-wrestling contract with WWE.

Anthony Joshua was confirmed to be facing Jake Paul in his return to the ring on December 19 in Miami earlier this month. While the former two-time heavyweight champion’s last win came against Francis Ngannou, he’s been competing against top names and mandatory challengers ever since he knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.

Gable Steveson made short work of Kevin Hein in his second MMA fight. Steveson scored a 24-second KO over Hein in the main event for APFC 21, a promotion run by former UFC champion Anthony Pettis. Steveson caught Hein with a left hand as he changed levels and scored a takedown.