Biggest MMA and Boxing Fights in September 2026
September promises to be one of the hottest months of the year in combat sports. Fans are in for an exceptional concentration of major fights: from UFC championship rematches to a historic unification bout between the Rizin and PFL champions, as well as long-awaited boxing megafights.
In this article, we have selected the biggest fights of September 2026 that you simply should not miss.
AJ McKee vs Rajabali Shaidullaev
Date and venue: September 10, Super Rizin 5 (Osaka, Japan)
Status: Rizin-PFL featherweight title unification bout
A historic fight for Asian and global MMA. The unbeaten 25-year-old prospect from Kyrgyzstan, Rajabali Shaidullaev (19-0), has been making waves. All 19 of his professional wins have come inside the distance, with the vast majority ending in the first round. Over the past 11 months, Shaidullaev has defended his Rizin belt three times, stopping Viktor Kolesnik, Mikuru Asakura and Yuta Kubo. Standing across from him will be 31-year-old American veteran AJ McKee (25-2), a former Bellator champion looking to add more belts to his collection.
Evgeny Goncharov vs Jailton Almeida
Date and venue: September 12, ACA 207 (Krasnodar, Russia)
Status: main event
Russian promotion ACA has lined up a high-profile international heavyweight clash. Two-time champion Evgeny Goncharov (23-3), 39, who has never lost his belt inside the cage, returns after a two-year layoff. His opponent will be 35-year-old former UFC top-10 fighter Jailton Almeida (22-5). The Brazilian grappling specialist, who has 11 fights in the world's leading promotion behind him, comes to Krasnodar looking to spoil Goncharov's long-awaited return and establish himself as the leading title contender in the heavyweight division.
Jose Delgado vs Jean Silva
Date and venue: September 12, UFC Fight Night 288 / Noche UFC 4 (Glendale, Arizona, USA)
Status: main event
The event, staged around Mexican Independence Day, has already gone through changes: Yair Rodriguez withdrew through injury, but a worthy replacement was found. Mexican-American Jose Delgado (12-2), 28, gets the biggest opportunity of his career — his first UFC main event in his home state of Arizona. Across the cage will be dangerous Brazilian finisher Jean Silva (17-3), ranked sixth and coming off a statement win over Arnold Allen.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Curtis Blaydes
Date and venue: September 12, UFC Fight Night 288 / Noche UFC 4 (Glendale, Arizona, USA)
Status: main-card bout
The same event in Arizona will feature a clash between two top heavyweights. Dominican fighter Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17-3), 34, who owns a 10-3 promotional record, will try to bounce back from his loss to Alexander Volkov. His opponent is experienced 37-year-old American veteran Curtis Blaydes (19-6), currently ranked fourth in the division.
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn
Date and venue: September 12, Zuffa Boxing (T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas)
Status: WBC welterweight world title fight
This is arguably the biggest event of the month in professional boxing. Ryan Garcia (25-2, 20 KOs), 28, will make the first defense of the WBC belt he took from Mario Barrios in February 2026. The American star faces 29-year-old British mandatory challenger Conor Benn (25-1, 14 KOs), the son of legendary boxer Nigel Benn.
Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2
Date and venue: September 19, UFC 331 (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles)
Status: main event, flyweight title rematch
The UFC 331 main event is a long-awaited championship rematch. In December 2025, 24-year-old Joshua Van (21-2) became the new champion under dramatic circumstances: then-dominant titleholder Alexandre Pantoja (32-7) injured his arm just 26 seconds into the fight and suffered a painful defeat. Now fully recovered, the 36-year-old Brazilian — who had made four successful defenses before that freak injury — is determined to reclaim his crown and prove the result of their first fight was an accident.
Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy
Date and venue: September 19, UFC 331 (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles)
Status: lightweight title eliminator
The UFC 331 co-main event will determine a new contender for the lightweight title. Arman Tsarukyan (23-3), 29, was originally scheduled to share the Octagon with Charles Oliveira, but after the Brazilian withdrew, Tsarukyan accepted a challenge from Oliveira's compatriot, 30-year-old Mauricio Ruffy (14-2). The replacement matchup promises to be every bit as interesting. It is a classic clash of styles: Tsarukyan's elite wrestling and all-round game against Ruffy's knockout power and spectacular striking. Which approach will prove more effective?
Takuma Inoue vs Tenshin Nasukawa 2
Date and venue: September 27, Prime Video Boxing 16 (Toyota Arena, Tokyo)
Status: WBC bantamweight world title rematch
Japan will host a rematch between two homegrown stars. Their first meeting in November 2025 ended with 30-year-old champion Takuma Inoue (22-2, 5 KOs) winning by decision. However, 27-year-old kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa (8-1), who is rapidly making his mark in professional boxing, has worked on the mistakes from the first fight and is ready to challenge for the belt again.
Read our latest MMA predictions in the dedicated section of our website.
