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UFC champions in 2026? Bookies bet on Khamzat Chimaev to become a champ-champ

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Did you know that Mackenzie Dern was a +15000 betting underdog to end 2025 as Strawweight champion?

With 2025 officially in the rearview mirror and 2026 already underway, DraftKings has revealed the odds of each division’s champion by the end of 2026 … and some of the odds are interesting.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titles changed hands eleven times in 2025 (nine new champions across divisions). Who will be UFC champions by the end of 2025?

Heavyweight

Tom Aspinall became the undisputed UFC Heavyweight champion when Jon Jones abruptly retired. He defended once when his fight with Ciryl Gane was ruled a no-contest due to an eye poke (watch it).

  • Tom Aspinall -180
  • Ciryl Gane +400
  • Jon Jones +500
  • Alexander Volkov +500
  • Curtis Blaydes +1000
  • Alex Pereira +1100
  • Sergei Pavlovich +1300
  • Waldo Cortes-Acosta +1500
  • Jailton Almeida +2500
  • Valter Walker +5000
  • Derrick Lewis +10000
  • Tai Tuivasa +20000

Light Heavyweight

Alex Pereira lost his title to Magomed Ankalaev in March of 2025, but then got it back when he knocked Ankalaev out at UFC 320 (watch highlights).

  • Khamzat Chimaev -150
  • Alex Pereira +150
  • Jiri Prochazka +600
  • Magomed Ankalaev +700
  • Carlos Ulberg +800
  • Azamat Murzakanov +2500
  • Jamahal Hill +5000
  • Bogdan Guskov +5000
  • Aleksandar Rakic +5000
  • Dominick Reyes +6000
  • Johnny Walker +9000
  • Khalil Rountree Jr. +10000
  • Ion Cutelaba +100000

Middleweight

Khamzat Chimaev finally claimed UFC gold when he dominated Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 (watch highlights).

  • Khamzat Chimaev -350
  • Nassourdine Imavov +300
  • Anthony Hernandez +550
  • Dricus Du Plessis +1600
  • Sean Strickland +2500
  • Caio Borralho +3000
  • Brendan Allen +4000
  • Ateba Gautier +5000
  • Reinier de Ridder +5000
  • Shara Magomedov +7000
  • Bo Nickal +8000
  • Israel Adesanya +8000
  • Joe Pyfer +8000
  • Robert Whittaker +9000
  • Gerald Meerschaert +500000

Welterweight

  • Islam Makhachev -300
  • Kamaru Usman +300
  • Shavkat Rakhmonov +500
  • Michael Morales +500
  • Ian Machado Garry +500
  • Carlos Prates +1000
  • Ilia Topura +1200
  • Jack Della Maddalena +2000
  • Leon Edwards +5000
  • Joaquin Buckley +7000
  • Belal Muhammad +10000
  • Colby Covington +25000
  • Stephen Thompson +200000

Lightweight

Ilia Topuria started the year as Featherweight champion, but vacated the title to move to Lightweight and challenge for the vacant 155 lb strap, which he ended up snatching when he slept Charles Oliveira (watch highlights).

  • Ilia Topuria -200
  • Arman Tsarukyan +200
  • Paddy Pimblett +300
  • Justin Gaethje +500
  • Max Holloway +700
  • Charles Oliveira +800
  • Benoit Saint-Denis +2000
  • Rafael Fiziev +2000
  • Alexander Volkanovski +3500
  • Mauricio Ruffy +15000
  • Terrance McKinney +50000
  • Michael Chandler +50000
  • Conor McGregor +70000
  • Jim Miller +100000

Featherweight

Volkanovski rematches Lopes at UFC 325 on Feb. 1, 2026.

  • Alexander Volkanovski +170
  • Diego Lopes +200
  • Lerone Murphy +300
  • Movsar Evloev +250
  • Jean Silva +500
  • Yair Rodriguez +800
  • Steve Garcia +1000
  • Aljamain Sterling +1300
  • Sean O’Malley +2500
  • Arnold Allen +3000
  • Youssef Zalal +4000
  • Aaron Pico +8000
  • Patricio Pitbull +15000
  • Giga Chikadze +200000

Bantamweight

  • Petr Yan +100
  • Merab Dvalishvili +150
  • Umar Nurmagomedov +250
  • Sean O’Malley +800
  • Song Yadong +1500
  • Payton Talbott +3000
  • Mario Bautista +5000
  • Cory Sandhagen +5000
  • Deiveson Figueiredo +5000
  • Raul Rosas Jr. +15000
  • Marlon Vera +15000
  • Patchy Mix +15000
  • Cody Garbrandt +100000
  • Kris Moutinho +200000

Flyweight

Joshua Van started the year unranked but ended the year as the UFC Flyweight champion when Alexandre Pantoja suffered a gruesome injury, coughing up his title.

  • Alexandre Pantoja -120
  • Joshua Van +300
  • Manel Kape +500
  • Tatsuro Taira +700
  • Kyoji Horiguchi +800
  • Amir Albazi +1200
  • Kai Kara-France +1500
  • Steve Erceg +2200
  • Brandon Royval +3000
  • Brandon Moreno +3000
  • Joseph Morales +3000
  • Lone’er Kavanagh +15000
  • Charles Johnson +15000
  • Jose Ochoa +100000

Women’s Bantamweight

Kayla Harrison only fought once in 2025, but it was a big one as she submitted Julianna Pena to win the Bantamweight championship.

Up next, Harrison is set to defend her title against former training partner and former two-division champion Amanda Nunes later this month at UFC 324.

  • Kayla Harrison -120
  • Amanda Nunes +100
  • Valentina Shevchenko +200
  • Raquel Pennington +600
  • Norma Dumont +650
  • Julianna Pena +650
  • Ketlen Vieira +700
  • Amanda Nunes +500
  • Raquel Pennington +600
  • Macy Chaisson +850
  • Ailin Perez +1000
  • Bia Mesquita +1500
  • Miesha Tate +10000
  • Ravena Oliveira +100000

Women’s Flyweight

Valentina Shevchenko was the only UFC champion to hold on to her title in 2025. She defended against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 and then did it again (dominantly) against Zhang Weili at UFC 322.

  • Valentina Shevchenko -150
  • Natalia Silva +230
  • Erin Blanchfield +320
  • Manon Fiorot +450
  • Maycee Barber +900
  • Zhang Weili +1000
  • Rose Namajunas +1100
  • Cong Wang +5000
  • Jasmine Jasudavicius +7000
  • Alexa Grasso +11000
  • Casey O’Neill +12000
  • Tracy Cortez +15000
  • Tereza Bleda +100000

Mackenzie Dern

  • Mackenzie Dern +125
  • Zhang Weili +150
  • Tatiana Suarez +500
  • Yan Xiaonan +700
  • Amanda Lemos +1500
  • Fatima Kline +1600
  • Loopy Godinez +1700
  • Virna Jandiroba +2000
  • Alexia Thainara +2500
  • Tabatha Ricci +3500
  • Gillian Robertson +4000
  • Jessica Andrade +7000
  • Karolina Kowalkiewicz 10000

Upfront Tony
Upfront Tony
Senior Editor, CEO, BJJ Black Belt, Muay Thai Kru, Entrepreneur

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