Video: Expect to see more ‘violent’ (and less boring) UFC fights in 2026 … or else – ‘We have a new audience’

Just bleed.

There are just 12 days left until the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) officially ushers in a new era with its Paramount+ debut at UFC 324, headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

With a new broadcast partner and a potentially massive influx of casual viewers, one thing is clear: the UFC cannot afford boring fights.

And behind the scenes, it sounds like the promotion knows it.

While much of this remains speculation, there has been growing chatter that the UFC is cracking down on fighters who consistently fail to deliver excitement. The promotion recently cut undefeated contenderRinat Fakhretdinov — despite him coming off a 54-second knockout — largely due to a reputation for dull performances. Even reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has publicly encouraged fighters (particularly Russian ones) to be more entertaining and to improve their English.

Now, UFC broadcaster Laura Sanko is echoing that sentiment — and hinting that fans should brace for more violence in 2026.

“I think the trend is going to continue to be violence,” Sanko said. “There is so much talk now around rewarding violent fighters, rewarding finishes, and fighters striving for finishes. There’s a feeling in the atmosphere that with this new broadcast partner, we need to show these people what fighting really is.”

With the paywall gone, Sanko believes the UFC will lean heavily into what made the sport explode in the first place.

“We are going to have a new audience,” she added. “What electrified people early on was the storylines mixed with what these fighters actually go out there and do. The fighters who emerge as stars will be the ones delivering those incredible finishes.”

This wouldn’t be a new philosophy.

Back in 2013, Kenny Florian revealed the UFC planned to move on from fighters who consistently produced boring bouts — and they followed through. Jon Fitch was famously released despite a 14-3-1 record in the promotion. More recently, heavyweights Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Martin Budaywere both cut after stringing together lackluster performances, even while ranked in the Top 15.

With the move to Paramount+, the UFC will be under a brighter spotlight than ever. And the last thing the promotion wants is a new audience tuning in to watch five rounds of lay-and-pray instead of chaos and carnage.

Wait a minute ….