MMA’s Global Push Takes Shape Through Sydney, London and Madrid
Major MMA promotions brought distinct international events to Sydney, Mexico City, Madrid and London during the opening months of 2026. The completed cards illustrate how the sport’s calendar connects established host cities with new promotional markets.
Established cities anchor the calendar
UFC 325 took place in Sydney on February 1, local time, with Alexander Volkanovski defending the featherweight championship against Diego Lopes. Volkanovski won unanimously, giving the Australian audience a home title defense at the center of the program.
The UFC returned to Mexico City on February 28, where Lone’er Kavanagh defeated Brandon Moreno over five rounds. On March 21 in London, Movsar Evloev beat Lerone Murphy by majority decision at The O2, placing two unbeaten featherweight contenders atop another international headliner.
Madrid adds a new promotional market
PFL added a different milestone in between those UFC dates. Its March 20 event at Palacio Vistalegre marked its first show in Spain. Costello van Steenis retained the middleweight championship against Fabian Edwards, while A.J. McKee defeated Adam Borics on the same card.
Together, these events show several practical forms of international expansion: returning to familiar arenas, building cards around local interest and introducing a promotion to a new country. They also produced specific sporting outcomes rather than remaining announcements. The broader global story is visible in the completed schedule, where championship defenses and contender contests took place across multiple regions within a short span of the year.
Sources
- ufc.com: ufc 325 results volkanovski vs lopes 2 main card highlights winners interviews
- ufc.com: ufc mexico official scorecards moreno vs kavanagh
- ufc.com: ufc london official scorecards evloev vs murphy fight night
- sherdog.com: Professional Fighters League PFL Madrid Van Steenis vs Edwards 2 110863
Article Tags
MMA, International events
