UFC boss Kevin Chang believes Macau will be the organisation’s “launch pad to Asia” in 2026, and sees a hunger for the sport not yet served by those already dominant in the region.

The promotion returns to the Galaxy Arena this weekend, with an event co-headlined by China stars Song Yadong and Zhang Mingyang on a main card featuring five more of their compatriots.

There will have been two days of action by then, with season five of Road to UFC opening up what Chang, UFC’s senior vice-president and head of Asia, called one of the “busiest weeks of our entire calendar globally”.

Fighters and fans from across the region have descended on the gambling hub for the fifth time since the inaugural event in 2012, and as with 2024, all 16,000 tickets for Saturday’s spectacle have long since sold out.

Evidence that a partnership which will extend through 2029 “is well beyond the starting-off point” is clear to see, although as with any battle for dominance in the octagon, there is a heavyweight opponent waiting in the wings.

The ONE Championship, which bills itself as the largest combat sports promotion in the East, has a strong position among those not merely focused on mixed martial arts, and has begun extending itself into the West.