As 2026 kicks off, Dana White’s UFC enters a new era. The promotion ends its traditional PPV system and instead launches a seven-year deal with Paramount streaming services. With this shift, UFC now must consistently deliver the best cards with top-tier fighters, while retaining only those who meet the promotion’s stricter policies. Naturally, this puts fighters like Merab Dvalishvili and other former champions on alert.
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Last week, UFC released one of its heavyweight stars, Jailton Almeida, after he suffered a disappointing loss at UFC Vegas 113. In that fight, Dagestani sensation Rizvan Kuniev handed Almeida his second consecutive defeat, which prompted the promotion to cut him. Almeida joins a growing list of fighters released; earlier, the promotion had parted ways with Russian star Rinat Fakhretdinov.
Many analysts suggest UFC now focuses on keeping fighters who can sell fights, produce finishes, and appeal to Western audiences. However, achieving that goal presents challenges. Finishes remain a problem. Earlier this year, Laura Sanko predicted UFC would favor violent fighters in 2026, and as Andy Hickey MMA recently stated on X, “which now puts threats around the fighters who lack finishes in the promotion.”
Looking at the roster’s most decision-heavy fighters, former champion Merab Dvalishvili stands out. In 17 UFC fights, he has achieved only one knockout win and two submission wins; the rest come via decision. Other former champions on this list include UFC welterweight Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. Edwards earns six finishes in 20 UFC bouts, while Muhammad achieves four in 21.
In the wake of Jailton Almeida’s exit from the UFC, I’ve reviewed the most decision heavy fighters in the UFC.
Established fighters that may be under pressure to perform in the entertainment era of the UFC: pic.twitter.com/5TTi0d58oq
— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) February 16, 2026
In addition, names like former champions Kamaru Usman, Aljamain Sterling, and Brandon Moreno also appear, which raises concerns about the promotion’s veteran fighters. What is even more shocking is that UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has only 4 finishes in his career, giving him a 25% finish rate. Beyond finishes, Dana White and company are increasingly releasing Russian fighters, particularly those who rely on wrestling-heavy styles.
The Russian broadcasting market does not generate sufficient revenue, and many fans rely on piracy. Despite these factors, Khabib Nurmagomedov expresses dissatisfaction with UFC’s handling of Russian and Dagestani fighters.
Khabib Nurmagomedov slams UFC for axing fighters who struggle to deliver finishes
Since last year, UFC has struggled to sell out arenas and attract fans, especially as many fighters from the Russian regions fail to generate significant fight interest. At the same time, with fighters delivering little trash talk to hype their bouts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has lost much of its entertainment appeal. As a result, the promotion has released fighters regardless of their wins or skills, because they often fail to connect with the audience.
However, Khabib Nurmagomedov disagrees with UFC’s and other promotions’ approach.
“I feel very bad for U.S. promotions, very, very bad,” Nurmagomedov said at the World Sports Summit. “Because there are so many hungry fighters coming, and they don’t like to talk, they don’t like trash talk. They just come, smash people, and take money. And U.S. promotions, they don’t like this. They like trash talking, they like entertainment.
I understand. In one way, it’s business. But at end of day, this is sport. It’s sport. One-on-one, you go alone inside of cage, and we’ll see who is the best in the world.”
So, where do you stand on UFC’s approach? Do you think Dana White & Co. act correctly by focusing on business to protect their promotion, which, after all, depends on money and entertainment, the very things that drive fans? Share your thoughts below.