Fight grades: Say A to one of the best UFC cards of the year

It's no secret that the UFC has been in a slump since the start of 2026 and in dire need of a fight card that could remind fans why it is the best mixed martial arts promotion in the world.

UFC 327 cleared that bar with a fight card filled with drama, comebacks, a retirement and an unlikely frontrunner for fight of the year. There was one lousy fight on the card (Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker), but it will be largely forgotten, thanks to Carlos Ulberg's dramatic knock out of Jiří Procházka to capture the light heavyweight championship after Ulberg badly hurt his leg.

The memorable card also saw Cub Swanson bid the sport an emphatic farewell, Aaron Pico finally realize his potential and Josh Hokit back up all his talk with an all-time great slugfest against Curtis Blaydes.

After each UFC numbered event, ESPN assesses the quality of each fight and the overall fight card, giving letter grades based on skill displayed, competitiveness and what is at stake.

Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit

Result: Hokit defeats Blaydes by unanimous decision
Grade: A+

Hokit and Blaydes engaged in an absolute barnburner that will go down as one of the wildest heavyweight slugfests in MMA history. For all of Hokit's antics outside the Octagon, the guts and grit he demonstrated against Blaydes were undeniable. These two beat each other senseless for 15 minutes, with Blaydes' face destroyed from Hokit's combination punches in the first few minutes. Blaydes refused to fold and came roaring back to hurt Hokit on multiple occasions. How this fight managed to go the distance will be one of the great mysteries in UFC history. The fighters combined for 351 significant strikes landed over three rounds, besting the heavyweight record set by Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic in a five-round championship fight in 2019. This fight was absolutely ridiculous, incredibly entertaining and everyone should go out of their way to watch it.

Light heavyweight championship: Jiří Procházka vs. Carlos Ulberg

Result: Ulberg defeats Procházka by first-round KO
Grade: A

The light heavyweight title fight was on the verge of being a letdown when Ulberg injured his leg early in the fight. Procházka recognized the wounded warrior in front of him and began chopping at his compromised foe with calf kicks. Then hubris got the best of Procházka as he took his eye off the ball and, in a dramatic turn of events, was met with a perfectly timed left hook from a hobbled Ulberg that sent Procházka crashing to the canvas. Ulberg, bad leg and all, swarmed in and pulled off the unlikely first-round finish to become the new light heavyweight champion. The twist that nobody saw coming was made even more dramatic because it was highly unlikely that Ulberg would have been able to continue into the second round.

Featherweight: Cub Swanson vs. Nate Landwehr

Result: Swanson defeats Landwehr by first-round TKO
Grade: A

There is no better way to end a 22-year professional MMA career than what Swanson did to Landwehr. Swanson, 42, would not be denied and walked right through Landwehr. Swanson has a history of entertaining performances, but few could anticipate how he would barrel through a battle-tested Landwehr, who always comes to fight. This was Swanson's night, and watching him blow out Landwehr in the first round for his final UFC fight was a memorable moment that should not be missed.

Light heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa

Result: Costa defeats Murzakkanov by third-round KO
Grade: A-

It's really hard to follow what Hokit and Blaydes did, but Costa and Murzakkanov delivered what would have been a fight of the night on just about any other UFC card. Costa and Murzakkanov unloaded haymakers on each other from the start, waiting to see which one would crack under the pressure. For a minute, it looked as if Murzakkanov would keep his unbeaten streak intact, but a knee to the face at the end of Round 2 set up the finish. With Murzakkanov finally showing vulnerability, Costa went for style points and blasted the Russian with a pair of head kicks that finished the job. It's a fight that is definitely worth watching.

Featherweight: Patricio Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico

Result: Pico defeats Pitbull by unanimous decision
Grade: A-

Watch Pico in this fight against Pitbull to witness a fighter at the highest level of flow state. For years, Pico had high expectations, but never managed to put it all together against elite competition. Against Pitbull, Pico was at his finest. His striking, wrestling and overall patience were outstanding, especially in Round 2, where he completely dominated the former two-division Bellator MMA champion. Pitbull had no answers for Pico's exceptional display of offense. If Pico continues to fight this way, he may realize the lofty expectations placed on him years ago.

Strawweight: Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godínez

Result: Suarez defeats Godinez by second-round submission
Grade: B+

Godinez scared Suarez with a straight right hand and a huge takedown early, but Suarez composed herself, weathered the storm and went to work. It was impressive to watch Suarez. Another fighter may have folded under the early adversity, but Suarez relied on her wrestling background to grind down and finish Godinez for the first time in her career with a wicked rear-naked choke. This was a reminder of why so many pegged Suarez as a future world champion.

Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque

Result: Luque defeats Gastelum by first-round submission
Grade: B

The stakes were high, as both fighters desperately needed a win and fought like it. This fight was over in a flash, but it was entertaining for as long as it lasted. Gastelum was doing just fine in the striking department until Luque clipped him with a left uppercut that sent him to the canvas. Luque pounced on Gastelum, took his time and sank in a D'Arce choke to get the submission victory.

Lightweight: Chris Padilla vs. MarQuel Mederos

Result: Padilla defeats Mederos by majority decision
Grade: B

The result -- an inexplicable change from a majority decision win for Padilla to a majority draw due to a scoring error -- was a disaster, but the fight itself was entertaining. Padilla kept a high pace, and the two fighters routinely battered each other in close quarters. The pace never let up, even after numerous eye pokes. Padilla landed 165 strikes to Mederos's 98 and appeared to do enough to win the fight, but Mederos did well with counter elbows in close quarters. Don't let the silly scoring ruin what was a really fun fight.

Welterweight: Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown

Result: Holland defeats Brown by unanimous decision
Grade: B-

Holland and Brown were heading toward a potential A grade after a high-paced first round in which both sent and received punishment. Brown escaped a tight Holland D'Arce choke in Round 2 that sapped his energy and changed the dynamic of the fight. Holland ended up cruising to victory in a fight that had two completely different halves.

Lightweight: Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics

Result: Gamrot defeats Ribovics by second-round submission
Grade: C+

If you enjoy one-sided, high-level grappling performances, this was your fight. Ribovics had absolutely no answers for Gamrot's takedowns and ground control. For some, the utter lack of competitiveness would make it a bore. However, Gamrot didn't settle for keeping Ribovics's back on the canvas. In Round 2, he went on the hunt for a finish and expertly maneuvered his way into a triangle choke that Ribovics couldn't escape.

Welterweight: Charles Radtke vs. Francisco Prado

Result: Radtke defeats Prado by unanimous decision
Grade: C

Aside from surviving a hard left hook from Prado in the opening round and a desperate attempt at a guillotine choke in the final frame, this was a dominant outing from Radtke. He smothered, sliced and controlled his opponent. Radtke wasn't interested in making this a fun fight and did what he had to do to earn the win.

Light heavyweight: Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker

Result: Reyes defeats Walker by split decision
Grade: F

Not only did this fight fail to live up to expectations, it also ended up being a miserable full-time affair between two normally exciting fighters. What was expected to be a violent battle between light heavyweights played out more like a sparring session, as each fighter took turns swinging and missing. Reyes managed to escape with the victory, but everyone who watched this fight lost. The only silver lining is that this felt more like an aberration than the norm, and we can expect both to get back to exciting fans in the future.

UFC 327 grade: A

If you take the Reyes vs. Walker fight as a mulligan, UFC 327 delivered in spades with one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent memory, an all-time great heavyweight slugfest, the pitch-perfect swansong for a retiring fighter and several impressive finishes. Considering the sluggish start to the year for the UFC, the promotion desperately needed a fight card to deliver. UFC 327 has set the bar extraordinarily high for every fight card that follows.