Welcome to MMAmania’s 2026 Mid-Year Awards!
Can you believe 2026 is already halfway over?
With six months of jaw-dropping action behind us, it is time to celebrate the fighters, fights and moments that have lit up the mixed martial arts (MMA) world so far this year. From stunning upsets and bone-crunching knockouts to rising stars and masterful submissions, 2026 has already delivered plenty of unforgettable highlights.
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Let’s dive into the best fight of the year so far.
Fight Of The Year: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC Freedom 250 — June 14, 2026
Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje headlined the historic — and most-watched — White House card for a reason.
Everyone knew it had chaos written all over it.
If Gaethje is involved, any fight has the chance to turn into complete madness. Pair him with Topuria, who entered the fight as the UFC Lightweight champion and, in the eyes of many, the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and it had all the ingredients for something special.
And, yeah, it delivered.
The first round was competitive, with many believing Gaethje did enough to take it. In the second, Topuria roared back and nearly finished “The Highlight” with brutal body shots that dropped him and had the champion looking like he was about to take over.
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But after that, it became the Gaethje show.
The MMA legend dug deep, flipped the momentum and started to beat the sh*t out of Topuria. Round by round, Gaethje broke down one of the most feared fighters on the planet until Topuria’s corner finally stopped the fight before the fifth round (watch highlights).
It was violent. It had drama. It had momentum swings. It had a historic setting. And best of all, Gaethje finally became the undisputed UFC champion after years of being one of the most beloved action fighters in the sport.
Here are a few honorable mentions:
Blaydes vs. Hokit
There is no doubt that the Heavyweight division has been pretty rough for the past few years, so expectations for Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit were not exactly sky-high.
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Well, they blew those expectations out of the water.
Blaydes and Hokit beat the life out of each other for three rounds in one of the most fast-paced Heavyweight fights in recent memory — and one of the best Heavyweight fights in UFC history.
Hokit became an instant star, Blaydes proved he is still game and not just a boring wrestler, and Miami was treated to an absolute war.
Van vs. Taira
Flyweight champion Joshua Van defended his title for the first time against one of the toughest young contenders in the division, Tatsuro Taira, and it was awesome.
Van silenced his doubters, but it did not come easily.
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Taira used his grappling to control Van early, and after the first round, it looked like UFC might be on its way to crowning its first Japanese champion.
Nope.
Van took over, battered Taira and nearly finished him in the third round. Then, out of nowhere, Taira stormed back and won the fourth, adding even more drama to an already excellent title fight.
Van eventually finished Taira in the fifth round, capping off a wild and memorable first title defense.
Jones vs. Sola
Mason Jones vs. Axel Sola was simply a joy to watch.
It was violent, competitive and just an overall great fight.
Both men were a bloody mess. Both got hurt. And going into the third round, it felt like the fight was dead even at one round apiece.
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Jones eventually made Sola wilt, winning a unanimous decision and continuing his strong run since returning to the promotion.
It may not have had the same massive stakes as some of the other fights on this list, but purely from an entertainment standpoint, it absolutely deserved some love.
Are any of these fights the best of the year? Let us know below!
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
