MMA Fighting names two 2026 Fight of the Midyear winners
MMA Fighting could not pick a single winner for its 2026 Fight of the Midyear, awarding the honor to both Justin Gaethje's lightweight title upset over Ilia Topuria at UFC White House and Josh Hokit's heavyweight slugfest with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 327 in Miami.
Gaethje achieved what the site called one of the greatest moments in UFC history when he stopped Topuria on the South Lawn to claim the undisputed 155-pound championship. Topuria had Gaethje hurt in the second round but made a tactical error that kept the American in the fight, and Gaethje capitalized in an outcome almost no one predicted. "The Highlight" later described the win as his "Miracle on Ice" moment, per MMA Fighting.
Hokit silences doubters with all-time heavyweight battle
The Hokit-Blaydes clash turned the narrative on a fighter who had drawn the wrong kind of attention during fight week. Hokit was getting "Get this guy off of my TV screen" heat rather than genuine heel heat, MMA Fighting wrote, but once the bell rang the two heavyweights traded damage for three full rounds. Both men were hurt multiple times in what the outlet called one of the greatest heavyweight fights in UFC history, with Hokit earning the decision and a spot on the UFC White House card less than an hour after the announcement.
Joshua Van's flyweight title defense against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 328 in Newark took third on the list. Taira opened with his grappling game before the fight turned into a standup war, with Van nearly finishing in the third and ultimately stopping Taira in the fifth. Van had won the belt from Alexandre Pantoja under controversial circumstances and is expected to rematch the former champion when Pantoja returns from injury.
The UFC White House event took place June 14, with UFC 327 held April 11 and UFC 328 on May 9.
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