Former champions Alex Pereira and Sean O'Malley have been tipped to win UFC Gold next year.
We are more than mid -2025 and we have crowned five new champions.
Magomed Ankalaev did it first, with the lightweight King Alex Pereira denied by decision in the main event of UFC 313 in March.
Pereira, the most active champion in recent memory, will enter an immediate rematch with Ankalaev on UFC 320 on 4 October in Las Vegas.
You may remember that Sean O'Malley was in a similar position in a similar position after losing the current Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili on UFC 306 last September. O'Malley fought Dvalishvili again at UFC 316, where he lost due to entry on the third round.
Despite back-to-back defeats for DvalishVili, a former UFC title is still believing in O'Malley, as well as the championship potential of Pereira in a different weight class.
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Chael Sonnen thinks Sean O'Malley will be two -time champion in 2026
This week UFC Pay-Perview star and analyst Chael Sonnen was asked who could win a UFC title in 2026.
His first answer? 'Suga'.
“I'm going to give one to you and you're going to wonder where it comes from,” Sonen said on a good guy / bad guy.
“But I believe Sean O'Malley will get his belt back …”
“Real?” Co-host and former two-part UFC champion Daniel Cormier responded to Sonnen.
“I don't know how long Merab can stay at 135 pounds, which certainly has an expiry date, only that weight class alone,” Sons suggested.
“I really believe that O'Malley is the star of that division, absent Merab,” Sonen added.
O'Malley is 0-2 against Dvalishvili, where the former champion claimed that he won their first fight on UFC 306.
Chael Sonnen thinks Alex Pereira wins the third UFC title in heavyweight
Pereira has talked about a possible switch to the heavyweight division in recent years.
'Patan' has already won titles in the middleweight and slightly heavyweight, making it one of the 10 UFC hunters to keep belts in two weight classes.
Prior to his Rematch against Ankalaev, Sonnen Pereira saw 205 LBS left for a third heavyweight belt.
“I think it will be heavyweight now,” Sonen said about which the Pereira division will be champion.
“When I first started pushing the story of Pereira and a title [at] Heavyweight I pushed to that interim rib.
“Heavyweight got the chance of everyone twice. But I am still going to throw Alex's name there, because whether I get it or not, I think I really get close …
“I think title options are abundant for that young man,” said Sonnen about Pereira, 38 years old.
Tom Aspinall is currently ruling the heavyweight division as the undisputed champion after Jon Jones retired in June.