# 2025 in UFC

The year 2025 is the 33rd year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.

## UFC in 2025
### Class action: anti-trust lawsuits

On August 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware granted class action status to more than 1,200 former UFC fighters who competed between December 2010 and June 2017 and are suing for $800 million upward to $1.6 billion in wages, as the lawsuit claims Zuffa had abused its power to suppress UFC fighters' wages. The anti-trust law also permits private plaintiffs to be able to recover three times the damages suffered, meaning the UFC may ultimately pay several billions of dollars worth of damages. The case has a scheduled April 8, 2024 trial date. On March 20, 2024, TKO, UFC parent company reached an agreement to settle all claims in the class action lawsuits for $335 million where the settlement amount will be deductible for tax purposes. However, on July 31, 2024, Judge Richard Boulware ruled that the case would be heard by a jury and denied the preliminary approval for a settlement and reset for trial of in October. On February 6, 2025, Judge Richard Boulware of Nevada granted final approval for a $375 million settlement in the "Le vs. Zuffa" antitrust lawsuit for monopolistic practices. As part of the settlement, around $240 million to $260 million will be distributed to eligible fighters, specifically those who competed in at least one UFC bout from December 2010 to June 2017. These payments are expected to be made over the next year. Additionally, $40 million from the settlement will be set aside for administrative and legal expenses.

## Releases and retirements

These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement, or joined other promotions:
* Andrea Lee - Released in March - Women's Flyweight
* Armen Petrosyan - Released in March - Middleweight
* Bill Algeo - Retired in February - Featherweight
* Chris Weidman - Retired in January - Middleweight
* Clay Guida - Released in January - Lightweight
* Cody Stamann - Released in February - Bantamweight
* Danny Roberts - Released in January - Welterweight
* Dominick Cruz - Retired in February - Bantamweight
* Dylan Budka - Released in February - Middleweight
* Holly Holm - Released in January at her request - Women's Bantamweight
* Ihor Potieria - Released in January - Middleweight
* Jairzinho Rozenstruik - Released in February - Heavyweight
* Jalin Turner - Retired in March - Lightweight
* Jamal Pogues - Released in February - Heavyweight
* Joe Solecki - Retired in February - Lightweight
* Jonathan Pearce - Released in February - Featherweight
* José Johnson - Released in January - Flyweight
* Josefine Lindgren Knutsson - signed with GFL - Women's Strawweight
* Joshua Culibao - Released in February - Featherweight
* Julia Avila - Retired in February - Women's Bantamweight
* Julian Marquez - Released in March - Middleweight
* Julio Arce - Signed with GFL - Featherweight
* Kang Kyung-ho - Retired in January - Bantamweight
* Landon Quiñones - Released in March - Lightweight
* Magomed Gadzhiyasulov - Released in January - Light Heavyweight
* Marcos Rogério de Lima - Released in March - Heavyweight
* Matthew Semelsberger - Released in February - Welterweight
* Michał Figlak - Released in January - Lightweight
* Natan Levy - Released in February - Lightweight
* Nikolay Veretennikov - Released in February - Welterweight
* Roosevelt Roberts - Released in February - Lightweight
* Taylor Lapilus - Released in February - Bantamweight
* Tony Ferguson - Signed with GFL - Welterweight
* Urijah Faber - Released in January - Bantamweight
* Victor Hugo - Released in January - Featherweight
* Victoria Dudakova - Released in January - Women's Strawweight
* Warlley Alves - Released in February - Middleweight

## Debut UFC fighters

The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2025:
* Austin Bashi - UFC Fight Night 249
* Austin Vanderford - UFC Fight Night 252
* Azamat Bekoev - UFC 311
* Aleksandre Topuria - UFC 312
* Billy Elekana - UFC 311
* Bogdan Grad - UFC Fight Night 250
* Bruno Lopes - UFC Fight Night 249
* Colby Thicknesse - UFC 312
* Diyar Nurgozhay - UFC Fight Night 254
* Djorden Ribeiro dos Santos - UFC 313
* Elijah Smith - UFC Fight Night 251
* Eric McConico - UFC Fight Night 252
* Jacobe Smith - UFC Fight Night 249
* Jonathan Micallef - UFC 312
* Jose Delgado - UFC Fight Night 251
* Josias Musasa - UFC Fight Night 254
* Julius Walker - UFC Fight Night 252
* Kevin Vallejos - UFC Fight Night 254
* Kody Steele - UFC 312
* Marco Tulio - UFC Fight Night 249
* Mário Pinto - UFC Fight Night 253
* Nick Klein - UFC Fight Night 252
* Nicolle Caliari - UFC Fight Night 249
* Quillan Salkilld - UFC 312
* Tallison Teixeira - UFC 312
* Yuneisy Duben - UFC Fight Night 254

## Suspended fighters

The list below is based on fighters suspended either by (1) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for violation of taking prohibited substances or non-analytical incidents, (2) by local commissions on misconduct during the fights or at event venues, or (3) by the UFC for reasons also stated below.
| Name | Nickname | Division | From | Duration | Tested positive for / Info | By | Eligible to fight again | Notes |
| Walt Harris | The Big Ticket | Heavyweight | July 11, 2023 | 4 years | Drostanolone and its metabolites, exogenous testosterone, and Anastrozole | CSAD | July 11, 2027 | |
| Arman Tsarukyan | Akhalkalakets | Lightweight | April 13, 2024 | 9 months | Pre-fight altercation with spectator during UFC 300 | NSAC | January 12, 2025 | $25,000 fine; additionally, if he issued an anti-bullying public service announcement approved by the NSAC, sentence could have been reduced to six months with fight eligibility on October 12, 2024 |
| Hamdy Abdelwahab | The Hammer | Heavyweight | July 30, 2024 | 6 months | Exogenous testosterone | CSAD | January 30, 2025 | |
| Azamat Murzakanov | The Professional | Light Heavyweight | November 1, 2024 | 6 months | LGD-4033 metabolites | CSAD | May 1, 2025 | Second violation under the UFC. |
| Dennis Buzukja | The Great | Lightweight | December 7, 2024 | 9 months | Altercation with a fan at UFC 310 | NSAC | September 7, 2025 | $2,500 fine with additional legal fees of $157.04; additionally, if he does community service executed by the NSAC, sentence can be reduced to six months with fight eligibility on June 7, 2025. |
| Marcos Rogério de Lima | Pezão | Heavyweight | January 24, 2025 | 12 months | Anastrozole | CSAD | January 24, 2026 | Second violation under the UFC. |

## The Ultimate Fighter

The following The Ultimate Fighter season is scheduled for broadcast in 2025:
| Season | Division | Winner | Runner-up | Ref |
| The Ultimate Fighter 33 | Flyweight | | | |
| The Ultimate Fighter 33 | Welterweight | | | |

## Title fights

* ↑ For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Lightweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Middleweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
* ↑ For the vacant UFC Featherweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Women's Flyweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship.
* ↑ For the UFC Flyweight Championship.

## Events list
### Scheduled events

| Event | Date | Venue | City | Country |
| UFC 317 | June 28, 2025 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States |
| UFC 316 | June 7, 2025 | Prudential Center | Newark, New Jersey | United States |
| UFC Fight Night 258 | May 31, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States |
| UFC Fight Night 257 | May 17, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States |
| UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena | May 10, 2025 | Bell Centre | Montreal, Quebec | Canada |
| UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo | May 3, 2025 | Wells Fargo Arena | Des Moines, Iowa | United States |
| UFC on ESPN: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. | Apr 26, 2025 | T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Missouri | United States |
| UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes | Apr 12, 2025 | Kaseya Center | Miami, Florida | United States |
| UFC on ESPN: Emmett vs. Murphy | Apr 5, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States |
| UFC on ESPN: Moreno vs. Erceg | Mar 29, 2025 | Arena CDMX | Mexico City | Mexico |
| UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady | Mar 22, 2025 | The O$_2$ Arena | London | England |

### Past events

| # | Event | Date | Venue | City | Country | Atten. | Fight of the Night | Fight of the Night | Fight of the Night | Performance of the Night | Performance of the Night | Bonus |
| 725 | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 | Mar 15, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | — | — | — | — | Carlos Vera | André Lima | $50,000 |
| 725 | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs. Dolidze 2 | Mar 15, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | — | — | — | — | Priscila Cachoeira | Carli Judice | $50,000 |
| 724 | UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev | Mar 8, 2025 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | 18,869 | Justin Gaethje | vs. | Rafael Fiziev | Ignacio Bahamondes | Maurício Ruffy | $50,000 |
| 723 | UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev | Mar 1, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | — | Nasrat Haqparast | vs. | Esteban Ribovics | Manel Kape | Mário Pinto | $50,000 |
| 722 | UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song | Feb 22, 2025 | Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle, Washington | United States | 18,287 | Alonzo Menifield | vs. | Julius Walker | Jean Silva | Ricky Simón | $50,000 |
| 721 | UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues | Feb 15, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | — | Jared Cannonier | vs. | Gregory Rodrigues | Edmen Shahbazyan | Gabriel Bonfim | $50,000 |
| 720 | UFC 312: du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 | Feb 9, 2025 | Qudos Bank Arena | Sydney | Australia | 18,253 | Rong Zhu | vs. | Kody Steele | Tallison Teixeira | Quillan Salkilld | $50,000 |
| 719 | UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov | Feb 1, 2025 | anb Arena | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | — | Said Nurmagomedov | vs. | Vinicius Oliveira | Nassourdine Imavov | Bogdan Grad | $50,000 |
| 718 | UFC 311: Makhachev vs. Moicano | Jan 18, 2025 | Intuit Dome | Inglewood, California | United States | 18,370 | Merab Dvalishvili | vs. | Umar Nurmagomedov | Jiří Procházka | Jailton Almeida | $50,000 |
| 717 | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 | Jan 11, 2025 | UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada | United States | — | Chris Curtis | vs. | Roman Kopylov | Mackenzie Dern | César Almeida | $50,000 |