MMA and boxing schedule early 2025: Must-see showdowns!

Source: UFC (December 2024)

Introduction

2025 is set to be an unforgettable year for combat sports fans. With high-stakes title fights, thrilling rematches, and explosive undercards, early 2025's MMA and boxing events promise some exciting match-ups. Dive in — and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for insider updates and fight breakdowns!

MMA

11 January 2025 - UFC Fight Night 249 (Dern vs. Ribas 2)

Venue: UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada

Source: Instagram (December 2024)

Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas face off in a highly anticipated rematch on January 11, 2025, at UFC Fight Night. Both fighters have evolved since their last encounter, and the stakes have never been higher. Can Dern’s grappling mastery overcome Ribas’s striking finesse? This fight night is packed with potential stars of tomorrow, making it a can't-miss event.

Main Card

• Mackenzie Dern (14-5-0) vs. Amanda Ribas (12-4-0)

• Chris Curtis (31-11-0) vs. Roman Kopylov (13-3-0)

• Ihor Potieria (21-7-0) vs. Marco Tulio (12-1-0)

• Thiago Moises (18-8-0) vs. Trey Ogden (15-6-0)

• Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (9-0-0) vs. Bruno Lopes (13-1-0)

• Cesar Almeida (6-1-0) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6-0)

  
  

Preliminary Card

• Austin Bashi (13-0-0) vs. Christian Rodriguez (13-2-0)

• Carlston Harris (19-6-0) vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-7-0)

• Uros Medic (10-2-0) vs. Punahele Soriano (9-4-0)

• Felipe Bunes (12-7-0) vs. Jose Johnson (13-8-0)

• Nurullo Aliev (9-0-0) vs. Yanal Ashmouz (9-1-0)

• Nicolle Caliari (8-2-0) vs. Ernesta Kareckaite (6-0-1)

• Andreas Gustafsson (11-2-0) vs. Preston Parsons (11-5-0)

• Viktoriia Dudakova (8-0-0) vs. Fatima Kline (4-1-0)

  
  

18 January 2025 - UFC 311 (Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2)

Venue: Intuit Dome | Inglewood, California

Source: UFC (December 2024)

On January 18, 2025, UFC 311 delivers one of the most exciting rematches in UFC history, as Islam Makhachev faces Arman Tsarukyan for the lightweight title. Tsarukyan has steadily climbed the ranks, and fans are eager to see how he matches up with the dominant champion this time. With two title fights and a stacked card, this event is shaping up to be one of the year's highlights.

Main Card 

• Islam Makhachev (26-1-0) vs. Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0) – for Lightweight Title

• Merab Dvalishvili (18-4-0) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (18-0-0) – for Bantamweight Title

• Beneil Dariush (22-6-1) vs. Renato Moicano (20-5-1)

• Jamahal Hill (12-2-0) vs. Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1)

• Kevin Holland (26-12-0) vs. Reinier de Ridder (18-2-0)

Preliminary Card 

• Bogdan Guskov (16-3-0) vs. Johnny Walker (21-9-0)

• Raoni Barcelos (18-5-0) vs. Payton Talbott (9-0-0)

• Jailton Almeida (21-3-0) vs. Serghei Spivac (17-4-0)

• Sedriques Dumas (9-2-0) vs. Zach Reese (8-1-0)

Preliminary Card 

• Grant Dawson (22-2-1) vs. Diego Ferreira (18-5-0)

• Ailin Perez (11-2-0) vs. Karol Rosa (18-6-0)

• Muin Gafurov (19-6-0) vs. Rinya Nakamura (9-0-0)

• Bernardo Sopaj (11-3-0) vs. Ricky Turcios (12-4-0)

• Clayton Carpenter (8-0-0) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2-0)

1 February 2025 - UFC Fight Night 250 (Adesanya vs. Imavov)

Venue: ANB Arena | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Source: Getty Images (Licensed 2024)

On February 1, 2025, UFC Fight Night 250 takes place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main event features Israel Adesanya taking on Nassourdine Imavov, with both fighters looking to cement their legacy in the middleweight division. The card is stacked with exciting matchups, including Shara Magomedov’s clash with Michael Page and heavyweight fireworks between Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. With rising stars and veterans in action, this event is a must-watch.

Main Card

• Israel Adesanya (24-4-0) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (15-4-0)

• Shara Magomedov (15-0-0) vs. Michael Page (22-3-0)

• Sergei Pavlovich (18-2-0) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5-0)

• Ikram Aliskerov (15-2-0) vs. Andre Muniz (23-6-0)

• Said Nurmagomedov (18-3-0) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (21-3-0)

  
  

Preliminary Card

• Damir Hadzovic (14-7-0) vs. Terrance McKinney (15-7-0)

• Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4-0) vs. Jordan Leavitt (11-3-0)

• Lucas Alexander (8-4-0) vs. Bogdan Grad (12-2-0)

• Muhammad Naimov (9-3-0) vs. Kaan Ofli (11-3-1)

• Hamdy Abdelwahab (4-0-0) vs. Jamal Pogues (11-4-0)

• Mayra Bueno Silva (10-4-1) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (12-3-0)

• Shamil Gaziev (13-1-0) vs. Thomas Petersen (9-2-0)

• Mike Davis (11-2-0) vs. Fares Ziam (16-4-0)

8 February 2025 - UFC 312 (Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2)

Venue: Qudos Bank Arena | Sydney, Australia

Source: UFC (December 2024)

On February 8, 2025, UFC 312 heads to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena for a historic night featuring two title bouts. Dricus Du Plessis faces Sean Strickland in a highly anticipated rematch for the middleweight title, while Zhang Weili defends her strawweight belt against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez. With thrilling matchups like Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio and local favorite Anshul Jubli facing Quillan Salkilld, this event is packed with excitement.

Main Card

• Dricus Du Plessis (22-2-0) vs. Sean Strickland (29-6-0) – for Middleweight Title

• Zhang Weili (25-3-0) vs. Tatiana Suarez (10-0-0) – for Strawweight Title

• Jimmy Crute (12-4-0) vs. Marcin Prachnio (17-8-0)

• Anshul Jubli (7-1-0) vs. Quillan Salkilld (7-1-0)

• Stewart Nicoll (8-1-0) vs. Rei Tsuruya (9-0-0)

Preliminary Card

• Justin Tafa (7-4-0) vs. Tallison Teixeira (7-0-0)

• Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1) vs. Tom Nolan (7-2-0)

15 February 2025 - UFC Fight Night 251 (Cannonier vs. Rodrigues)

Venue: UFC Apex | Las Vegas

Source: UFC (December 2024)

Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues are set to clash on February 22, 2025, in a pivotal middleweight bout. Both fighters are known for their power and durability, making this main event a guaranteed slugfest. With rising stars on the undercard, this event is a must-watch for fans eager to see the next wave of MMA talent.

Main Card

• Jared Cannonier (17-8-0) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (16-5-0)

• Edson Barboza (24-11-0) vs. Steve Garcia (17-5-0)

• Carli Judice (3-2-0) vs. Juliana Miller (3-3-0)

• Jacob Malkoun (8-3-0) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (10-2-0)

• Ismael Bonfim (19-4-0) vs. Nazim Sadykhov (6-1-1)

• Gabriel Bonfim (16-1-0) vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov (24-2-1)

Preliminary Card

• Jose Delgado (8-1-0) vs. Connor Matthews (7-2-0)

• Billy Ray Goff (9-3-0) vs. Nikolay Veretennikov (12-5-0)

• Dylan Budka (7-4-0) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5-0)

• Vince Morales (11-8-0) vs. Elijah Smith (7-1-0)J

• esus Aguilar (10-2-0) vs. Rafael Estevam (12-0-0)

• Don'Tale Mayes (11-7-0) vs. Valter Walker (12-1-0)

• Kaue Fernandes (9-2-0) vs. Jared Gordon (18-6-0)

Boxing

25 January 2025 - Matchroom Boxing Double-Header

A night for the ages awaits boxing fans on January 25, 2025, as Matchroom Boxing delivers two events in one evening, showcasing elite talent across multiple venues. From Dalton Smith’s quest for the European title to Diego Pacheco’s stateside battle, this double-header is a must-watch for boxing fans.

Event 1

Venue: Motorpoint Arena | Nottingham, England

Source: DAZN (December 2024)

Main event

• Dalton Smith (15-1-0) vs. Walid Ouizza (18-2-0) – European Light-Welterweight Title

Event 2

Venue: The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan | Las Vegas, Nevada

Source: Olympics (December 2024)

Main event

• Diego Pacheco (19-0-0) vs. Steven Nelson (17-1-0)

Additional bout

• Andy Cruz (1-0-0) vs. TBD

22 February 2025 - Riyadh Season Boxing Extravaganza

Venue: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Source: Facebook (December 2024)

22 Februar 2025, brings what is being hailed as one of the greatest boxing lineups of all time.

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol headline a historic unification bout, while heavyweight action between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker ensures a thrilling co-main event. Shakur Stevenson will also defend his lightweight title, making this card a can’t-miss for any boxing fan.

Main event

• Artur Beterbiev (19-0-0) vs. Dmitry Bivol (21-0-0) – Undisputed Light-Heavyweight Championship

Co-main events

• Daniel Dubois (19-2-0) vs. Joseph Parker (32-3-0) – IBF Heavyweight Title

• Shakur Stevenson (21-0-0) vs. Floyd Schofield (16-0-0) – WBC Lightweight Title

Additional bouts

• Carlos Adames (23-1-0) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (17-0-0) – WBC Middleweight Title

• Joshua Buatsi (17-0-0) vs. Callum Smith (29-1-0) – WBO Interim Light-Heavyweight Title

• Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0-0) vs. Israil Madrimov (9-0-0) – WBC Interim Super-Welterweight Title

• Zhilei Zhang (25-1-1) vs. Agit Kabayel (23-0-0) – WBC Interim Heavyweight Title

1 March 2025 - Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach

Venue: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, New York

Source: Wiki (December 2024)

When Gervonta "Tank" Davis steps into the ring on 1 2025, in Brooklyn, fireworks are guaranteed. Facing Lamont Roach for the WBA lightweight title, this fight promises to deliver drama, skill, and intensity. Can Davis maintain his dominance, or will Roach pull off the upset of the year?

Main event

• Gervonta Davis (29-0-0) vs. Lamont Roach (24-1-1) – WBA Lightweight Title

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