June is in the books, which means we are officially halfway through the year. The first half of 2026 has been a mixed bag, with several underwhelming events, but a few incredible highlights. During this down week before we head to UFC 329 and the back half of the year, MMA Fighting is going to stop and take stock of where things stand in the “Best of 2026” rankings right now. And what better place to start than with the big one, Fighter of the Year.
And if we’re looking at who the Fighter of 2026 is thus far, there’s really only one choice: UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Honestly, what more is there to say about Gaethje? Since his incredible upset win over Ilia Topuria at UFC White House, practically everyone in MMA has extolled the virtues of the Most Violent Fighter in MMA history. But let me do it one more time.
Gaethje is 37 years old, and while he’s a beloved figure in MMA, the man was essentially left for dead two years ago when Max Holloway slept him at UFC 300. Sure, Gaethje was still a good fighter, and he’s always thrilling to watch, but the man was clearly past his prime, and the hope of ever holding undisputed UFC gold was a pipe dream. When Gaethje started talking about possibly retiring, nobody batted an eye. It made sense. He’d given enough.
But then lightweight champion Ilia Topuria had some personal issues that left him unwilling to defend his title, and Arman Tsarukyan was still on the outs with the UFC, so Gaethje got subbed in to an interim title fight with Paddy Pimblett. Even though Pimblett has his detractors, everyone had given up on Gaethje, and he entered the fight as a 2-to-1 underdog.
But as he’d done an incredible seven times already in his UFC career, Gaethje defied the odds and battered Pimblett in one of the best fights of 2026, becoming the first person in UFC history to be a two-time interim champion. That was a fun fight, and a good outcome for Gaethje, but the truth is, people don’t care much about interim titles, and in this case, all that belt meant was a reservation to get demolished by Ilia Topuria at some point in the future.
Heading into UFC White House, Gaethje was a massive underdog to Topuria, and for good reason. Even he acknowledged he’d need to fight a perfect fight to upset the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and given the run Topuria had been on, Gaethje seemed set up to fail, and to do so on the biggest stage possible.
Instead, Gaethje did deliver a perfect performance, breaking Topuria down in another Fight of the Year contender, and authoring one of the greatest upsets in UFC history, all on the grandest stage possible. It was the epic crowning achievement of one of the most remarkable MMA careers you’ll ever see, and one that will live forever. MMA doesn’t get stories like this, and I’ll be shocked if any fighter surpasses Gaethje in 2026.
If Gaethje was the runaway choice for Fighter of the Year, the man who came in second in our voting process was a complete surprise: Carlos Ulberg.
Ulberg only fought once in 2026, but it was certainly impressive, as “Black Jag” scored the best comeback of 2026, knocking out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 327 from the brink of defeat.
After losing his UFC debut in 2021, Ulberg had an unassuming run to the light heavyweight title, winning nine fights in a row, while still seemingly flying under the radar. Against Prochazka, everyone knew Ulberg could land the big KO shot, but after he suffered a knee injury early in the first round, it looked like Ulberg was about to have a tragic loss. But like any cornered animal, Ulberg proved to be most dangerous when injured, flooring the former champion and etching his name in history.
The knee injury means Ulberg is unlikely to compete again this year, and subsequently is unlikely to make the year-end list, but for now, “Black Jag” can celebrate his spot near the top of the first half of 2026.
No. 3: (TIE) Sean Strickland and Josh Hokit
Ulberg’s surprise appearance in second place ultimately resulted in a tie for third, with the other two names that looked to be frontrunners for this list: Sean Strickland and Josh Hokit.
MMA Fighting’s 2023 Fighter of the Year, Strickland is firmly in contention to reclaim that title in 2026. In February, Strickland added another upset win to his résumé by stopping the surging Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez at UFC Houston. That earned Strickland a crack at newly minted middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, and though some feel Chimaev did enough to retain his title, Strickland edged out a split decision win to score yet another massive championship upset and become a two-time UFC champion. If Strickland adds a title defense to his year, he may end up becoming another two-time Fighter of the Year.
While Josh Hokit may not be everybody’s cup of tea, it’s hard to argue with his effectiveness. “The Incredible Hok” has become infamous this year for his outside-the-cage antics, but the man has also been putting in plenty of work inside the cage. Three wins, three bonuses, two finishes, and a Fight of the Year contender with Curtis Blaydes. Outside of winning a belt, it’s hard for a fighter to do more in just six months.
Read the full article here
