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UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats: Up-to-Date Information, Head-to-Head Analysis, and How to Interpret It

By Khizar Hussain • October 14, 2026
UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats: Up-to-Date Information, Head-to-Head Analysis, and How to Interpret It

Fight week? Scroll to the Buckley vs. Malott head-to-head table, then bookmark this page so the numbers are one tap away before the next card.

Highlight clips tell you who looked good last time. The numbers tell you who is likely to look good this time. That is why serious fans open the UFC upcoming fight card stats before they open the hype videos.

This guide does three things. First, it brings you up to date on the UFC calendar as of October 13, 2026. Second, it compares two of the biggest upcoming matchups side by side using official-style tale-of-the-tape data. Third, it explains which metrics deserve your attention and which ones quietly mislead.

UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats: Latest Updates

Last Saturday: Allen vs. Duncan in Las Vegas

The most recent card, UFC Fight Night: On October 10, Brendan Allen defeated Christian Leroy Duncan in round five at 2:46 in the Allen vs. Duncan match. It was a late finish in a main event that nearly went the distance.

The rest of the card was far more violent. Going by the results feed, nine of the twelve bouts ended inside the distance, and five of those finishes came in the opening round. There were only three bouts that made it to the judges, and one of them was a majority draw.  If you track finish rates, that is a reminder that a single card can swing wildly away from the long-term average.

This Saturday: UFC Edmonton, Buckley vs. Malott

On Saturday, October 17, 2026, UFC Fight Nite: Buckley vs. Malott will take place at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The main card begins at 8 p.m. ET after the preliminary round, which begins at 5 p.m.  ET, streaming on Paramount+. Welterweights Joaquin Buckley and Mike Malott headline over five rounds, with Erin Blanchfield and Jasmine Jasudavicius expected in the flyweight co-main.

Other bouts listed on the card include Nate Landwehr against Mandel Nallo at lightweight, Tanner Boser against Jhonata Diniz at heavyweight, and Marc-Andre Barriault against Kyle Daukaus at middleweight. As always, bouts can change late, so confirm the final lineup on fight day.

The Road Ahead: Upcoming UFC Schedule

DateEventHeadlinerLocation
Oct 17UFC Fight Night (Edmonton)Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike MalottEdmonton, Canada
Oct 24UFC 333Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev (featherweight title)Abu Dhabi, UAE
Oct 31UFC Fight NightMoicano vs. NolanLas Vegas, USA
Nov 7UFC Fight NightGabriel Bonfim vs. Sean BradyLas Vegas, USA
Nov 14UFC 334Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit (heavyweight title)New York City, USA
Nov 21UFC Fight NightJiri Prochazka vs. Navajo StirlingDoha, Qatar
Dec 12UFC 335Oliveira vs. LopesLas Vegas, USA

UFC 333 also features a second title fight, with bantamweight champion Petr Yan facing Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout. Schedules and main events shift often, so treat any date beyond the next two weeks as provisional.

Head-to-Head: Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott Stats

This is the matchup most readers searching for UFC upcoming fight card stats want broken down right now. The table below uses the UFC Stats tale of the tape.

StatJoaquin BuckleyMike Malott
Record21-8-014-2-1
Age3234
Height5’10”6’1″
Reach76″73″
StanceSouthpawOrthodox
Avg. fight time11:459:12
Sig. strikes landed per minute3.624.02
Striking accuracy36%48%
Sig. strikes absorbed per minute3.103.09
Striking defense58%56%
Takedowns per 15 min1.431.63
Takedown accuracy45%50%
Takedown defense70%57%
Submissions per 15 min0.10.7

Striking: Malott Owns the Efficiency Edge

Malott lands more significant strikes per minute and does so at 48 percent accuracy against Buckley’s 36 percent. Both men absorb almost exactly the same volume, about 3.1 strikes per minute, so the gap comes down to output quality rather than durability.

If you subtract strikes absorbed from strikes landed, Malott sits at roughly +0.93 per minute while Buckley is near +0.52. That is not a dramatic gulf, but it points in one direction. Buckley, meanwhile, has the more explosive finishing history. By one third-party tally, 15 of his 21 wins came by knockout, compared with six of Malott’s 14.

Grappling: The Biggest Question Mark

Here the story gets interesting. Malott averages more takedowns than Buckley and carries a real submission threat at 0.7 attempts per 15 minutes. Buckley rarely hunts submissions, but his 70 percent takedown defense is meaningfully better than Malott’s 57 percent.

In plain terms, Malott’s wrestling will be tested by a fighter who is hard to put down, while Buckley’s own takedown defense is the cushion that lets him stay on the feet where his power lives. If Malott scores early takedowns, the numbers swing his way. If he cannot, the fight becomes a striking contest in which Buckley’s length matters.

Reach, Height, Age and Stance

Buckley has a three-inch reach advantage, while Malott is three inches taller. The southpaw-versus-orthodox angle adds a lead-foot puzzle that raw percentages cannot show. Age is the other quiet variable: Malott is 34 and Buckley is 32, a small difference, but it is worth watching how each handles a five-round pace.

What the Numbers Suggest

On paper this is a close fight. Malott leads in output, accuracy and submission threat. Buckley leads in takedown defense and reach. Betting markets lean slightly toward Malott, with CBS Sports listing him as a modest favorite, while at least one statistical model prefers Buckley. When tools disagree like this, the matchup is genuinely close, and a single early knockdown or takedown can decide it.

For context, Malott arrives off a third-round TKO of Gilbert Burns in April 2026, a performance that earned a post-fight bonus. Buckley’s latest result was a loss to Sean Brady later that same month.

Head-to-Head: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev (UFC 333)

The next big title fight is October 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with the main card starting at 2 p.m. ET.

StatAlexander VolkanovskiMovsar Evloev
Record28-4-020-0-0
Age3832
Height / Reach5’6″ / 71″5’7″ / 72″
Avg. fight time16:5016:00
Sig. strikes landed per minute5.993.91
Striking accuracy57%47%
Sig. strikes absorbed per minute3.312.80
Striking defense58%61%
Takedowns per 15 min1.634.78
Takedown accuracy34%52%
Takedown defense68%61%

This is a classic striker-versus-wrestler framework. Volkanovski’s striking differential is around +2.68 per minute, which is elite, while Evloev’s is closer to +1.11. Evloev, however, averages nearly three times as many takedowns and has built an undefeated record largely through control and decisions. His 61 percent takedown defense is a reminder that he is not invulnerable when forced to defend, but Volkanovski’s own takedown rate is modest.

The numbers frame the fight clearly: if Volkanovski keeps it standing, volume and accuracy favor him. If Evloev turns it into a grind, the longer the fight goes, the more the wrestling data matters. Notably, Petr Yan has publicly leaned Volkanovski at roughly 55-45, which is an opinion rather than a statistic but shows how close the matchup is perceived to be.

Which UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats Matter Most?

Not every number carries equal weight. Here are the ones worth checking first.

Strike Differential Beats Raw Volume

Strikes landed per minute alone can flatter a busy fighter who also absorbs a lot of damage. Subtract strikes absorbed per minute to get a cleaner picture of who wins exchanges. As the Volkanovski example shows, a large positive differential is a stronger signal than a high output number by itself.

Takedown Defense and Takedown Volume Together

Takedown defense is only half the story. Pair it with the opponent’s takedown average and accuracy. A 70 percent defender facing a fighter who attempts rarely is in a very different position than a 57 percent defender facing a relentless wrestler. This is the grappling lens used in the Buckley-Malott breakdown above.

Accuracy Versus Defense

Compare one fighter’s accuracy with the other’s defense. When a high-accuracy striker faces someone with weak defensive numbers, you have found a potential mismatch. Conversely, a low-accuracy volume striker may struggle against an opponent whose defense is strong.

Average Fight Time

Average fight time hints at how a fighter tends to win. A short average suggests finishes in either direction, while a number near the full distance suggests decisions or grinding fights. Use it as a tiebreaker, not a prediction.

How to Read UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats Like an Analyst

Start With the Most Recent Fights

Career averages blend years of different versions of the same fighter. Look at the last three or four bouts and ask whether the trend supports the career numbers. A fighter coming off a knockout loss or a long layoff deserves more skepticism than the spreadsheet suggests.

Match the Styles, Not Just the Percentages

Two fighters with identical striking accuracy can look completely different in the cage. Ask what each man wants to do, then check whether the opponent’s numbers allow it. A wrestler facing a poor takedown defender and a striker facing a poor striking defender are both statistical green lights.

Respect Sample Size and Opposition

A fighter with only a handful of UFC bouts has noisy numbers. A great percentage built against weak opposition is less valuable than a modest percentage built against ranked contenders. Whenever possible, look at who the data came from, not just what it says.

Remember What the Stats Do Not Show

Weight cuts, injuries, camp changes and short-notice replacements never show up in a tale of the tape. Age, cardio and mental state matter too. The numbers are the foundation of a good read, and they work best alongside recent news.

Using UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats With Betting Odds

Many fans compare statistical profiles with market odds to see whether the public is overreacting to a recent highlight. That is a reasonable analytical exercise, and the Buckley-Malott example shows how a model and a market can disagree.

A few cautions apply. Odds move constantly, so any price quoted in an article is only a snapshot. A statistical edge is not a guarantee, and fights are volatile even for the best favorite. Betting is also restricted or illegal in some countries, so check your local laws, and never wager money you cannot afford to lose. This article is for analysis and entertainment only.

Where to Check UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats Before Fight Night

  • UFC Stats (ufcstats.com): Offers tale-of-the-tape tables for scheduled bouts, fighter pages and event listings. Most numbers in this article come from here.
  • UFC.com: The official site for schedules, fight cards, ticket links and broadcast information, plus fight-by-fight previews.
  • CBS Sports and ESPN: Quick profiles, odds snapshots and event schedules.
  • Tapology and Sherdog: Useful for records, rankings views and full career histories, though rankings differ between trackers.

Ranking numbers vary from site to site, so treat them as a rough guide. On fight day, check the event page once again because broadcast times, bout orders, and cards can still change. 

Final Thoughts: Make UFC Upcoming Fight Card Stats Your Pre-Fight Habit

The best fight analysis is simple. Look at strike differential, check takedown offense against takedown defense, confirm recent form, and read the style matchup before you read the opinions. Do that and you will understand why Saturday’s headliner is closer than the clips suggest.

For this week, the key question in Edmonton is whether Malott’s output and wrestling can overcome Buckley’s takedown defense and reach. Next week in Abu Dhabi, it is whether Evloev’s takedown volume can neutralize Volkanovski’s striking differential. Bookmark this page, compare the tables again before the first bell, and let the data guide your read.