2026 год стал провальным для фаворитов UFC

The UFC’s biggest favorites were supposed to make these fights look easy. Instead, 2026 delivered shocking knockouts, championship upsets, and underdogs who refused to follow the script. Justin Gaethje was supposed to be the aging veteran standing in Paddy Pimblett’s way. After beating him, he walked into another title fight against undefeated champion Ilia Topuria—and overturned the expectations all over again. Sean Strickland faced a different problem: surviving the wrestling pressure that had made Khamzat Chimaev look almost impossible to beat. Getting taken down wasn’t the surprise. What happened after he kept getting back up was. Then came Gable Steveson. An Olympic gold medalist with Jon Jones in his corner, Steveson was already answering questions about a future heavyweight title fight. Sean Sharaf needed just twelve seconds to change the conversation. In Shanghai, Song Yadong faced Umar Nurmagomedov with most fans expecting another win for the favorite. In Philadelphia, Jeremiah Wells was losing on every scorecard before turning a hometown opportunity into an upset finish. And on Dana White’s Contender Series, Bella Mir entered with a famous last name, an unbeaten record, and a betting line that reached minus 6000. Alex Apodaca still had to get in the cage with her—and she wasn’t there to help launch someone else’s career. These are seven of the most memorable betting upsets across the UFC and Contender Series in 2026: the predictions, the confidence, and the moments the favorites discovered that the odds couldn’t fight for them. Subscribe for more MMA Amplified:    / @mmaamplified   WATCH NEXT: Shavkat Rakhmonov Is Still the UFC’s Boogeyman    • Shavkat Rakhmonov Is Still the UFC’s Booge...   Who’s Left to Stop Islam Makhachev?    • Who’s Left to Stop Islam Makhachev?   Payton Talbott Is More Dangerous Than He Looks    • Payton Talbott Is More Dangerous Than He L...   Why UFC Fighters Are Actually Scared of Ateba Gautier    • Why UFC Fighters Are Actually Scared of At...   #UFC #MMA #UFCUpsets