Five Of The Best MMA Fights Scheduled This Summer

MMA Fights That Are Fire This Summer

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans are in for a treat this summer, with the upcoming UFC schedule packed with a host of eye-catching events.

The next few weeks are guaranteed to spark a wave of activity in the betting industry as punters use their MMA knowledge to wager on the bouts.

Read on as we look at what is on the agenda this summer and highlight five fights that will trigger plenty of interest amongst UFC bettors. 

UFC318 – Holloway vs Poirier 3 NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 19 : Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier meet in the octagon for a 5-round BMF title main event bout for UFC318 – Holloway vs Poirier 3 at Smoothie King Center on July 19, 2025 in New Orleans, LA Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/ABACAPRESS.COM New Orleans, LA NEW ORLEANS, LA United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xPXxImages/ABACAx
UFC 318 – Saturday, July 19 – New Orleans

Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier – Lightweight
Dan Ige vs Patricio Pitbull – Featherweight
Ateba Gautier vs Robert Valentin – Middleweight
Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov – Middleweight
Michael Johnson vs Daniel Zellhuber – Lightweight
Marvin Vettori vs Brendan Allen – Middleweight
Kevin Holland vs Daniel Rodriguez – Welterweight
Jackson McVey vs Brunno Ferreira – Middleweight
Adam Fugitt vs Islam Dulatov – Welterweight
Kyler Phillips vs Vinicius Oliveira – Bantamweight
Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio – Light Heavyweight
Francisco Prado vs Nikolay Veretennikov – Welterweight
Carli Judice vs Nicolle Caliari – Women’s Flyweight
Ryan Spann vs Lukasz Brzeski – Heavyweight 

With some of the big names set for the octagon, anticipation is building among fans and bettors. This is where trusted betting platforms come in, offering a range of MMA bet options for both casual and seasoned punters. 

They offer competitive UFC odds and a plethora of live betting options, giving punters the chance to get involved before and during the events, making it the ideal platforms for anyone who wants to increase their enjoyment of the upcoming fights.

Duston Poirier heads into his trilogy fight with Max Holloway as the slight underdog with the bookmakers, despite winning their previous two meetings.

Poirier will be desperate to complete the hat-trick over his rival given this is his final MMA bout before he retires from competing.

He has posted a 2–3 record over his last five bouts, but his defeats have been against some of the best in the business and he undoubtedly has the ability to end his career on a winning note.

The featherweight clash between Dan Ige and Patricio Pitbull should also garner plenty of betting activity, and the first-named fighter looks a good bet to emerge victorious.

Ige is a tough nut to crack and his significant reach advantage should be enough to keep his veteran opponent at bay throughout the contest.

UFC Fight Night – Saturday, July 26 – Abu Dhabi

Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder – Middleweight
Movsar Evloevvs Aaron Pico – Featherweight
Petr Yan vs Marcus McGhee – Bantamweight
Bryce Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov – Bantam weight
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault – Middleweight
Nikita Krylov vs Bogdan Guskov – Light Heavyweight
Asu Almabayev vs Ramazan Temirov – Flyweight
İbo Aslan vs Billy Elekana – Lightweight

The UFC returns to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, July 26, with a card which is guaranteed to have local fight fans in raptures.

The headline bout is a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder, and the winner may earn a shot at the world title.

Whittaker suffered a damaging first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev last October, and subsequently needed to undergo dental surgery. 

De Ridder recorded a hugely impressive victory over Bo Nickal in his most recent outing in May and could be the value bet to extend his professional record to 21-2. 

While Whittaker is no slouch in the octagon, De Ridder can use this fight as a stepping stone to a crack at the middleweight championship.

UFC 319 – Saturday, August 16 – Chicago

Dricus du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev – Middleweight
Jared Cannonier vs Michael Page – Middleweight
Gerald Meerschaert vs Michal Oleksiejczuk – Middleweight
Edson Barboza vs Drakkar Klose – Lightweight
King Green vs Diego Ferreira – Lightweight
Karine Silva vs JJ Aldrich – Women’s Flyweight
Bryan Battle vs Nursulton Ruziboev – Middleweight
Tim Elliott vs Kai Asakura – Flyweight
Chase Hooper vs Alexander Hernandez – Lightweight
Jessica Andrade vs Loopy Godinez – Women’s Strawweight

Dricus du Plessis is scheduled to headline UFC 319 against the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight world title clash in Chicago on August 16.

Victories over Sean Strickland (twice) and Israel Adesanya have cemented Du Plessis’ status as a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight ranks.

Chimaev’s emphatic victory over Whittaker demonstrated his fearsome finishing ability and he could give the champion plenty to think about in Chicago.

Elsewhere on the card, Michael Page has another chance to make his mark in the middleweight division when he faces Jared Cannonier.

Page upset the previously unbeaten Shara Bullet in his most recent fight and is strongly fancied to add another victory to his career CV.