Justin Gaethje Fighter of the Year frontrunner heading into 2026 second half
Justin Gaethje has locked down the Fighter of the Year lead through the first half of 2026, according to MMA Fighting's mid-year awards voting. The lightweight champion scored two major upsets, headlined the UFC's historic White House card in June, and produced a pair of Fight of the Year contenders along the way.
MMA Fighting's Jed Meshew writes that Gaethje is unlikely to defend his newly won title before the end of the year, which he has reportedly said himself. That leaves room for other contenders to make a run, though the gap is wide. Meshew sees Sean Strickland as the real runner-up, not Carlos Ulberg, who landed second in the voting. Strickland also has two upset wins this year, though his victory over Khamzat Chimaev was close, and Strickland stays active enough that a title defense could shift the narrative.
Who else can challenge Gaethje for Fighter of the Year honors
Heavyweight Josh Hokit enters the conversation with three wins already, two over ranked opponents, plus his own Fight of the Year candidate. If Hokit fights for and captures the heavyweight title before December, he would have a legitimate case to overtake Gaethje. Meshew also floated long-shot scenarios involving Mackenzie Dern and Joshua Van, but both require multiple big wins in the second half of the year.
On Jon Jones, Meshew remains skeptical the former champion ever fights again despite fresh retirement teases. "If Jon Jones wanted to fight again, he would," Meshew wrote, arguing that Jones passed on fighting when the UFC met his demands. Jones would take safe matchups but not Tom Aspinall, who represents an actual risk.
The column also tackled a reader's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles casting exercise, with Islam Makhachev as Leonardo, Alexander Volkanovski as Donatello, Arman Tsarukyan as Raphael, and Max Holloway as Michelangelo. Meshew picked Ciryl Gane for Shredder and Josh Hokit as Bebop. UFC 329 and Conor McGregor's return kick off the second half of the year next week.
Original reporting:
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