UFC 2026 Predictions: O’Malley, Usman, and Unwanted Matchups
Dave Simon delivered his most controversial UFC 2026 predictions on Ringside Report MMA: the Paramount era will bring fights nobody wants. Sean O’Malley gets another undeserved title shot after one win over Song Yadong. Islam Makachev’s welterweight debut will be against Kamaru Usman instead of legitimate contenders like Shavkat Rakhmonov. Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje fight for an interim lightweight title that means nothing. Dave, AJ D’Alesio, and Fred Garcia explained why the UFC’s subscription model will prioritize star power over merit, making 2026 “the year the UFC gives us a bunch of fights no one asked for.” Plus Merab Dvalishvili’s fighter-of-the-year debate after his UFC 323 loss, Brandon Royval vs Manel Kape predictions, and the six-week UFC drought before the Paramount deal begins.
UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane Preview – Bold Picks + Vancouver Recap
The Ringside Report MMA team delivered their most comprehensive UFC 321 analysis yet, and their insights on the heavyweight title fight are fascinating.
Dave Simon makes a compelling case for why Ciryl Gane presents unique problems for Tom Aspinall: “It’s hard not to pick Aspinall. However, Ciryl is competent. He’s capable of winning the fight. Aspinall is probably the safer pick. But Cyril could easily win that fight, especially at heavyweight.”
The episode also features:
Detailed betting analysis (AJ reveals his 5-fight parlay strategy)
UFC Vancouver post-mortem (What went wrong with Reinier de Ridder?)
Canadian fighter spotlight (Malott, Zahabi, and the Jourdain brothers)
Women’s strawweight title fight breakdown (Dern vs Jandiroba)
After watching their Vancouver predictions implode spectacularly, the crew is approaching Abu Dhabi with hard-earned wisdom and zero BS.