Monthly Report | April 2026

Carlos Ulberg of New Zealand reacts after a knockout victory against Jiri Prochazka of the Czech Republic in the UFC light heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 327 event at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Highlighting The Standout Action From Inside The Octagon Over The Previous Month

By E. Spencer Kyte • Apr. 27, 2026

Four down, eight to go.

April came and went in a flash with the annual Miami numbered event and a return to Winnipeg sandwiched between crucial fight cards at the Meta APEX. Along the way, there were 50 fights resulting in 14 knockouts or technical knockouts, eight submissions, 26 decisions, and two draws that produced plenty to discuss.

So let’s get the discussions rolling. Here’s a look at the top efforts from the month of April inside the Octagon.

Breakout Performance: Ethyn Ewing (UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan)

Quietly, there was a lot of pressure on Ethyn Ewing heading into his second UFC appearance. After rolling into Madison Square Garden on short notice and upsetting Malcolm Wellmaker, the Californian bantamweight was tasked with welcoming undefeated Brazilian Rafael Estevam to the division on the first card of the month, with all eyes on “The Professor Finesser” to see how he would follow up his debut win at UFC 322.

WATCH: Ethyn Ewing Ends It Early With A TKO Against Rafael Estevam | UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Duncan

Ewing emphatically showed that his win over Wellmaker was far from a fluke as he patiently picked apart Estevam until felling him with a nasty body shot early in the third round. It was a performance that echoed elements of his first showing — clean, technical striking, poise in the pocket — but came with even less damage incurred.

Ethyn Ewing kicks Rafael Estevam of Brazil in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on April 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The 28-year-old is generally unassuming — he’s not a big personality, his style isn’t flashy, and he’s still getting accustomed to being in the spotlight — but his performances have spoken volumes thus far and there aren’t going to be many people in the division that are rushing to sign up to face him in the future. With his rock-solid fundamentals and crisp technical striking, Ewing profiles as the type of competitor that could make a steady climb up the rankings over the next few years.

Honorable Mentions: Alice Pereira, Tommy McMillen, Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, Josh Hokit, Marcio Barbosa, Michelle Montague

Submission of the Month: Tatiana Suarez dominates Loopy Godinez (UFC 327)

It’s kind of weird to think that last February, heaps of people were sure that Tatiana Suarez was going to unseat Zhang Weili as the strawweight champion and then 14 months later, she was in a pick’em fight with sixth-ranked Loopy Godinez, but that shows you just how much a couple uninspiring performances can shift perceptions in this sport.

Tatiana Suarez Locks In Second-Round RNC Finish Over Loopy Godinez | UFC 327

After getting thoroughly outworked by Zhang and winning a tepid decision over Amanda Lemos last September at Noche UFC, many believed Suarez was in a vulnerable position against Godinez, who came in off back-to-back wins over Julia Polastri and Jessica Andrade. Suarez, despite getting rocked early, showed that she’s still a level above Godinez and others of her ilk in Miami, getting back to her aggressive wrestling roots and collecting a second-round submission finish.

WATCH: Tatiana Suarez Post-Fight Interview | UFC 327

This was the best Suarez has looked in quite some time — maybe even as far back as the Carla Esparza fight, honestly — as she was moving well, transitioning quickly and beating the always spirited Mexican-Canadian in every entanglement. Whatever had changed for Suarez between September and April 11 in South Beach, it was significant, and it showed in her performance.

This version of Suarez remains a title threat, regardless of who resides on the throne, and after consecutive wins over Top 10 opponents, she might get another chance to prove that very soon.

Honorable Mentions: Tresean Gore vs Azamat Bekoev, Yakhyaev vs Brendson Ribeiro, Renato Moicano vs Chris Duncan, Vicente Luque vs Kelvin Gastelum, Mateusz Gamrot vs Esteban Ribovics, Robert Valentin vs Julien Leblanc, Jackson McVey vs Sedriques Dumas

Knockout of the Month: Carlos Ulberg floors Jiri Prochazka (UFC 327)

Carlos Ulberg Knocks Out Jiří Procházka, Wins LHW Title | UFC 327

The more time that passes since this finish, the more I keep inching it forward on my personal list of all-time favorite knockouts simply because I can’t stop marveling at the mental toughness it takes to deal with a debilitating injury like Carlos Ulberg suffered and still have the ability to find the shot that ends the fight and wins the title. As I said in The Bigger Picture following UFC 327, quickly brushing aside whatever negative thoughts had to rush to the front of Ulberg’s mind when he felt his ACL go in order to land on “I’ve got however much time is left in this round to put this dude away” is tremendous, and I think we’re only going to continue to appreciate it more with a little more distance from the fight itself.

From a technique and execution standpoint, Ulberg’s left hook has always been a thing of beauty, and it shimmered in Miami — compact, swift, and straight on target. When it landed, the fight was done.

MORE ULBERG: Carlos Ulberg On The Road To Recovery

Here’s to a speedy recovery for the champ, who has now won 10 straight to stand atop one of the most oddly compelling divisions in the promotion.

Honorable Mentions: Pereira vs Hailey Cowan, Alessandro Costa vs Stewart Nicoll, Ewing vs Rafael Estevam, Cub Swanson vs Nate Landwehr, Barbosa vs Dennis Buzukja, Ryan Spann vs Marcus Buchecha

Fight of the Month: Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes Get After It (UFC 327)

Josh Hokit punches Curtis Blaydes in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 327 event at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Aside from the various personas and performative speeches made by Josh Hokit, he is a truly fascinating heavyweight prospect and his fight with Curtis Blaydes earlier in the month should have made that clear to everyone else too. The only people that had previously bum-rushed Blaydes the way Hokit did were Francis Ngannou (twice), Sergei Pavlovich, and Tom Aspinall. That’s two champions and a menacing powerhouse that earned each of his first six UFC victories by first-round stoppage.

Although Hokit didn’t put Blaydes away and the perennial contender did work his way back into the fight, having many positive moments of his own, the fact that Hokit, in his third UFC appearance, ninth fight overall and after just 30 months as a pro was able to take the fight to Blaydes and clearly beat him shows that regardless of all the peripheral nonsense, this dude is a genuine person of interest in the heavyweight ranks.

He’s still raw and still has tons of room to grow, but the foundational elements are there for the 28-year-old American to be a legitimate contender for the next several years. Chances are someone is going to catch him and knock him down a peg or two, but even if that happens, what he showed in this fight and his six months in the UFC force you to acknowledge the talent.

Honorable Mentions: John Castaneda vs Mark Vologdin, Jai Herbert vs Mandel Nallo, Charles Jourdain vs Kyler Phillips, Davey Grant vs Adrian Luna Martinetti