5 major UFC fights already announced for 2025

With just two UFC events left in 2024, eyes are already turning to 2025. Incredibly, some big fights have already been announced for the New Year. The UFC has confirmed a total of eleven events up to the end of March 2025, and the earliest of them have plenty of big bouts on tap.

So while fans will need to wait for some more fights to be made official, it's worth looking forward to some of the confirmed ones already.

Here are five major UFC fights already announced for 2025.

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#5. Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos - UFC 311

One of 2024's biggest breakout stars has been bantamweight prospect Payton Talbott.

After making a successful octagon debut in 2023, Talbott has dispatched two opponents this year, both by knockout, winning bonus awards for both finishes. His most recent win only took him 19 seconds.

It looks like he isn't willing to waste any of his momentum too, as his first fight of 2025 has already been announced.

In a bout likely to make the main card of UFC 311, Talbott will face veteran Raoni Barcelos. The Brazilian veteran is 7-4 in the octagon, holding wins over the likes of Said Nurmagomedov and Chris Gutierrez. Put simply, he's no joke.

However, if Talbott is as good as his performances have suggested thus far, he probably should win this fight, and could well crack the top fifteen with a victory.

Given his form to date, the 26-year-old has quickly become a must-see fighter, making this bout one of the best announced for 2025 thus far.

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#4. Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik - UFC Fight Night 250

The UFC is set to visit Saudi Arabia for a Fight Night event on Feb. 1 next year, and while a headliner has not yet been confirmed, the event already looks strong.

One of the best clashes made official for the event is a heavyweight tilt between knockout artists Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Pavlovich is at a crossroads in his UFC career right now, as he's lost his last two bouts, being knocked out by Tom Aspinall and out-fought by fellow Russian Alexander Volkov.

Realistically, he needs to win this one to stay afloat as a viable contender in the division.

Thankfully for him, Rozenstruik will likely meet him in the middle of the octagon to exchange, rather than look to pick him apart as Volkov did.

'Bigi Boy' is one of the division's best strikers, with eight of his nine octagon wins coming via KO or TKO. He might not possess the brute power of Pavlovich, but he's arguably quicker and more accurate.

Given both men have also been knocked out before, the chances of this one going the distance seem slim, making it a must-see affair.

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#3. Sharaputdin Magomedov vs. Michael 'Venom' Page - UFC Fight Night 250

When former Bellator star Michael 'Venom' Page signed with the UFC in early 2024, most observers expected him to produce some wild and exciting fights, even if climbing into title contention seemed doubtful.

Unfortunately, while Page won his octagon debut, neither that fight with Kevin Holland nor his second against Ian Machado Garry was that great to watch.

2025, though, will see 'Venom' look to change that up when he moves to 185 pounds for the first time in over a decade.

The reason hopes are so high for his bout - which is set for Saudi Arabia in February - is that he's up against one of the most exciting breakout stars of 2024, Shara Magomedov.

'Shara Bullet' debuted in 2023, but has come into his own this year, reeling off three straight wins to take his overall record to 15-0. More to the point, he scored a knockout of the year contender in his last fight, stopping Armen Petrosyan with a ludicrous double-spinning back fist.

With the aggression that the Dagestani is likely to bring, there's little chance that his fight with Page will turn into a staring contest.

Instead, we should expect the very best from two of the flashiest strikers in the sport, making this one a potential show stealer, as well as an early highlight of 2025.

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#2. Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill - UFC 311

The first pay-per-view event of 2025 will take place on January 18 in Inglewood, California, and the headliner and co-headliner have seemingly already been announced.

The co-headliner is a seriously intriguing clash at light-heavyweight, as former champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill are set to duke it out.

With both men looking to get back into contention, a win here will be absolutely crucial, meaning neither man can afford to make a mistake.

The big question, of course, will be whether Hill can keep Prochazka from turning the bout into a chaotic brawl.

'Sweet Dreams' is the more technical striker, and if he can stick to a game plan and look to pick 'BJP' apart, then he can definitely win, even if it might not be as exciting.

Prochazka, though, thrives in a wild and unpredictable environment, as we saw in his wins over Aleksandar Rakic and Glover Teixeira. That's the kind of energy he'll look to bring to this one, hoping for a third crack at Alex Pereira.

With both men still ranked in the top three at 205 pounds, this should be a key fight for the division at the beginning of 2025.

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#1. Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan - UFC 311

It's safe to say that in the lightweight division, Islam Makhachev has picked up where his longtime friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov left off.

The Dagestani has dominated every foe he's faced since his upset loss to Adriano Martins in 2015, and he's now riding a lengthy 14-fight win streak. Along the way, of course, he's become UFC lightweight champion.

Realistically, only two fighters have given him any issues. One was Alexander Volkanovski, who Makhachev brutally knocked out in their rematch. The second was Arman Tsarukyan.

That's why Makhachev's upcoming rematch with the Armenian, which is set to headline UFC 311 in January, could be such a huge fight.

Their first clash was Tsarukyan's octagon debut, and since then, he's improved dramatically. He's won nine of his last ten fights and has beaten both Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira.

Given the success he had against Makhachev in their first fight, then, could he topple the champion over five rounds? It's definitely a possibility, making this not just the best fight announced for 2025 thus far, but also one of the most intriguing title bouts in recent memory.