Le Journal

2026 is here, and while we’re still a couple of weeks away from UFC action, it’s time to look ahead. One of the things we love about MMA is its unpredictability, and never was that more prominent than in 2025. Ten of the eleven UFC titles changed hands at least once last year, with only Valentina Shevchenko holding onto an undisputed title from January through the year. It’s unlikely we have another year like that, but it’s also unlikely that all the current champions remain that way until 2027. So, who is most likely to lose their belt this year, who is most likely to keep theirs, and who is the best bet for an out-of-nowhere title run as Joshua Van gave us? Join MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Jed Meshew, and Alexander K. Lee as they look ahead to 2026. 1. Which UFC champion is most likely to lose their title in 2026? Heck: Joshua Van This one seems like the chalk answer, but I’m mostly saying this because, despite it being a legit win at UFC 323 over Alexandre Pantoja, I learned nothing new about Joshua Van, nor am I confident he’s the best flyweight in the world. The beauty of this sport, and this division in general, is that Van can answer that question in two fights or less. With Pantoja likely to return no later than the third quarter, the second-best flyweight of all time will get his chance to regain the title. But Van may end up fighting before that against Manel Kape or Tatsuro Taira, and those are both super tough fights. Meshew: Alexander Volkanovski Here’s the harsh truth about Volkanovski: the man may be an all-time great, but he’s also 37 years old. Last year, Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight title, beating Diego Lopes for the vacant belt after Ilia Topuria moved up. It was an impressive performance and achievement from Volk, given his age and the fact that he was coming off a pair of brutal KO losses. But for as impressive as he was, that was also the worst I’ve ever seen Volkanovski look. Make no mistake, Volkanovski won the fight clearly, but the gap between him and Lopes in technical skills was vast, and Lopes still made a fight of it because Volkanovski was obviously not the same athlete he used to be. That’s not a problem that gets better with time, but worse. Volkanovski is rematching Lopes in a few weeks, and while he’s a justified favorite, there’s also a real chance that another year of age means Lopes catches him this time. And if Lopes doesn’t, the next guy will. Father Time is undefeated in MMA. The greats, like Volk, can delay it for a while, but eventually, he always wins out. Lee: Tom Aspinall There are so many ways Tom Aspinall could lose his belt. First of all, this is heavyweight, we’re talking about. Yes, the contender field is currently a horror show, but when the big boys come to play, chaos tends to follow, and Aspinall is one slip of a banana peel away from being caught by, I don’t know, a Waldo Cortes-Acosta flurry or a Valter Walker heel hook and it’s all over. Heck, according to Aspinall critics, not dominating Ciryl Gane in the first five minutes of their fight means Aspinall was headed to certain doom. Speaking of Gane, his fateful eye poke also has to be considered, as there is no timetable for Aspinall’s return as he addresses lingering issues with his vision. It would suck if Aspinall misses out on another chunk of his competitive prime, but if the UFC receives any indication he can’t fight in 2026, they’ll tear that title from his waist tout suite. 2. Which UFC champion is most likely to retain their title in 2026? Heck: Tom Aspinall (???????) Look, this question is incredibly tough because this year could go off the rails in several divisions (including my out-of-the-box) answer for the next question. After weighing everything out, Tom Aspinall ends up being my answer. Aspinall may not fight at all this year, and after everything they put this man through during the Jon Jones heavyweight championship era, benching him for most of a 24-month stretch in the prime of his…

La menace de Donald Trump d'imposer de nouveaux droits de douane pour racheter le Groenland enflamme les tensions internationales. Une réunion d'urgence va se tenir ce dimanche.