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Fight night has always had a social side. Friends gather around a television, argue over predictions, order food, and stay up through a packed card to see whether the main event lives up to expectations. Traditionally, alcohol has often been part of that picture. But the way adults socialize around sports is becoming more varied.
What separates an all-time great from a champion in MMA’s lighter weight classes comes down to title reigns, finish rates, and opposition. When mixed martial arts fans argue over the greatest fighter of all time, the debate tends to start at heavyweight, but the technical skills in the UFC lives in the lighter weight classes. The top 10 greatest lightweight carry distinctive boxing pedigrees, including volume punching, counterpunching, and knockout power.
| Friday, October 16th 2026: PFL Chicago: Carmouche vs. Bishop 2 | |||
 [#6 W125] Liz Carmouche | [#14 W125] Jena Bishop | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#16 W125] Viviane Araujo Last 5: L W W W W | Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#37 W125] Ariane Lipski da Silva Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF New Years Eve Event | |||
 [#5 FW] Rajabali Shaidullaev |  [#17 FW] Kyoma Akimoto | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#7 FW] A.J. McKee Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 8/11/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#26 FW] Kleber Koike Erbst Last 5: W W W W W | ||
| Saturday, November 14th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL Returns to Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy | |||
 [#6 HW] Vadim Nemkov | [#16 HW] Sergey Bilostenniy | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 12/13/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 5/02/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| [#16 BW] | Raul Rosas Jr. | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#1 FLW] |  Joshua Van | [#8 HW] | Josh Hokit | |
| [#25 BW] |  Raoni Barcelos | [#644 WW] |  Tamerlan Dulatov | |
| [#4 LW] |  Arman Tsarukyan | [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje | |
| [#3 HW] |  Tom Aspinall | [#174 HW] | Sean Sharaf |
September gives MMA fans and bettors a full month to follow, with a UFC event scheduled for every Saturday. The action moves from Paris to Arizona and Los Angeles before finishing in Las Vegas, with each card presenting a different kind of matchup to assess.
That variety also means there isn’t one formula for evaluating the month. A high-profile UFC debut creates different questions from a late opponent change, while a championship rematch provides evidence that a first-time meeting cannot. Looking beyond records and considering styles, recent performances, and fight circumstances can provide a clearer picture before each event begins.
Live data streams have transformed in-play betting on MMA by providing real-time information that shapes odds and market decisions. Bettors now rely on rapid, accurate feeds to interpret what’s happening inside the cage, where every second counts. Understanding how these data flows work helps explain why in-play MMA betting offers unique risks and opportunities compared to pre-fight wagering.
UFC betting is a challenging issue for any oddsmaker. Fights occur on a relatively rare basis, styles can lead to unexpected matchups, injuries are not always transparent and a single clean punch can change a number of rounds. While AI has the potential to analyze a wealth of data that a human bettor simply could not, this does not necessarily translate to better pricing of a fight.
Lightweight (155)
[#15][#13UFC] Dan Hooker (24-14-0, +409) vs. [#29] Salahdine Parnasse (23-2-0, -567)
Dan Hooker is the All-Time #47 ranked Lightweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Dan Hooker (1-2-0)
2026-01-31: L vs. [#10LW] Benoit St. Denis (17-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:45 of round 2
2025-11-22: L vs. [#4LW] Arman Tsarukyan (23-3-0) via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) in 3:34 of round 2
2024-08-17: W vs. [#13LW] Mateusz Gamrot (26-5-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Salahdine Parnasse (3-0-0)
2026-05-16: W vs. [#123LW] Kenneth Cross (17-5-0) via KO in 4:18 of round 1
2026-01-17: W vs. [#127LW] Marcin Held (31-11-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:35 of round 2
2025-05-10: W vs. [#172LW] Marian Ziolkowski (26-11-1) via TKO (Punches) in 3:54 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Salahdine Parnasse | -567 | 81.22% | |
| Elo K170 | Salahdine Parnasse | 2065.29 | +74.13 | 60.51% |
| Elo Modified | Salahdine Parnasse | 2059.77 | +167.85 | 72.44% |
| Glicko-1 | Salahdine Parnasse | 2157.17 | +251.49 | 80.97% |
| WHR | Salahdine Parnasse | 2006.89 | +258.77 | 81.60% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Dan Hooker 36.5, Salahdine Parnasse 28.7
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Dan Hooker 217, Salahdine Parnasse 112
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#46][#27UFC] Fares Ziam (18-5-0, -158) vs. [#82][#43UFC] Axel Sola (12-1-1, +130)
Last 3 Fights: Fares Ziam (2-1-0)
2026-06-06: L vs. [#37LW] Tom Nolan (11-1-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-12-06: W vs. [#109LW] Nazim Sadykhov (11-3-1) via TKO (Elbows and Punches) in 4:59 of round 2
2025-02-01: W vs. [#163LW] Mike Davis (12-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Axel Sola (2-1-0)
2026-07-25: W vs. [#190LW] Ismael Bonfim (20-7-0) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 4:44 of round 1
2026-03-21: L vs. [#75LW] Mason Jones (18-3-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2025-09-06: W vs. [#93MW] Rhys McKee (15-7-1) via TKO (Punches) in 2:02 of round 3
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Fares Ziam | -158 | 58.47% | |
| Elo K170 | Fares Ziam | 1835.65 | +86.79 | 62.24% |
| Elo Modified | Fares Ziam | 1810.71 | +30.66 | 54.40% |
| Glicko-1 | Fares Ziam | 1842.93 | +10.87 | 51.57% |
| WHR | Fares Ziam | 1745.70 | +6.12 | 50.88% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Fares Ziam 29.4, Axel Sola 28.9
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Fares Ziam 91, Axel Sola 42
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#12][#12UFC] Michael Page (25-3-0, -177) vs. [#40MW][#27MWUFC] Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2, +145)
Last 3 Fights: Michael Page (3-0-0)
2026-03-21: W vs. [#55WW] Sam Patterson (15-3-1) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
2025-08-16: W vs. [#15MW] Jared Cannonier (18-10-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2025-02-01: W vs. [#22MW] Sharabutdin Magomedov (17-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Nursulton Ruziboev (3-0-0)
2026-06-27: W vs. [#178MW] Andrey Pulyaev (10-5-0) via NC in 3:58 of round 1
2025-05-17: W vs. [#53MW] Dustin Stoltzfus (17-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2025-02-22: W vs. [#97MW] Eric McConico (11-5-1) via TKO (Punches) in 0:33 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Michael Page | -177 | 61.01% | |
| Elo K170 | Michael Page | 2146.11 | +323.50 | 86.56% |
| Elo Modified | Michael Page | 2140.53 | +305.71 | 85.32% |
| Glicko-1 | Michael Page | 2190.49 | +256.90 | 81.44% |
| WHR | Michael Page | 2034.86 | +218.36 | 77.85% |
Fighter Ages on Fight Day: Michael Page 39.4, Nursulton Ruziboev 32.8
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Michael Page 168, Nursulton Ruziboev 70
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Keep Reading
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Combat sports turn bodies into columns. Height, reach, age, record, significant strikes, and takedown accuracy sit beside the fighters before the cage door closes. Roulette does something similar with a completely different kind of drama: 37 or 38 numbered pockets, a field of possible bets, and a result that arrives in one small ball’s final movement.
Fight week is full of numbers: records, rankings, reach, striking percentages and betting odds. Fans who also compare gambling promotions around major events may come across an nd bonus, a type of offer that can be claimed without making an initial deposit and therefore needs to be judged by its wagering rules, withdrawal limits and eligibility rather than by the headline value alone. The same principle applies to fight analysis. A 15-2 record can look impressive, but without knowing the quality of opposition, recent form and style matchups, the number tells only part of the story.
