Buckle your seatbelts, folks, Dana White is going live on Instagram again. Every time the UFC CEO takes to his IG live, anticipation skyrockets. Things are no different this time around, with the final UFC PPV of the year, and possibly ever, remaining a question mark.

His live sessions throughout the year gave some blockbuster announcements. Welterweight kingpin Jack Della Maddalena is set to face Islam Makhachev to defend his crown at Madison Square Garden on November 22, a showdown already generating a storm of excitement. On the same card, Carlos Prates will square off against former champion Leon Edwards, while Arman Tsarukyan takes on Dan Hooker in Qatar, stirring the title contention waters even further. As the year draws to a close, the UFC 323 card remains the only fight lineup officially announced. How much longer will it stay that way?

What fight could Dana White announce next?

Last week at UFC Rio, Michael Aswell Jr. unexpectedly leaked Dana White’s carefully guarded plans. In his post-fight interview, the American fighter confirmed that his teammate and reigning flyweight contender Alexandre Pantoja would defend his title against 24-year-old Joshua Van. Aswell  Jr.was also asked whether he would fight on the same UFC 323 card. While fans had already speculated about Pantoja’s next opponent, Aswell’s live-mic revelation unraveled the mystery surrounding Dana White’s official announcement.

Now, Dana White teeters on the edge of revealing the next wave of fights, and it seems almost certain that Pantoja vs. Van will headline the announcement. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett dropped hints of his return weeks back, suggesting that Dana White could feature the fan-favorite—though his opponent remains anyone’s guess. On top of that, other eagerly anticipated bouts include lightweight kingpin Ilia Topuria, who only fought once in the 2025 calendar year. Rumors even swirl that Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje could headline the next announcement.

While women’s bantamweight bouts may not capture the same spotlight in a male-dominated arena, Kayla Harrison—the promotion’s only American champion—fought just once this year and could appear on the UFC 323 card. Additionally, a potential Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nassourdine Imavov title bout remains possible.

However, as rising middleweight star Reinier De Ridder’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, confirmed, “ Khamzat said he is gonna fight next year,” leaving the door open for a host of exciting scenarios.

Fans suggest other matchups as Dana White prepares for Instagram Live

Fans crave the golden era when Dana White and the UFC unveiled fights with cinematic intensity—the kind of pulse-pounding trailers that made the Conor McGregor vs. José Aldo promo legendary. These days, however, fight fans settle for Dana White’s Instagram Live sessions. The UFC boss often turns the platform into his personal stage and could easily use it to tease not just fight cards but also side ventures like Power Slap. Still, no one knows what surprise he’ll drop next.

On X, fans are already firing up speculation. “Powerslap,” one fan wrote, setting off buzz about White’s next move. Another fan took a playful jab at his lo-fi reveal style, saying, “Dana casually announcing the BIGGEST fight of the year 480p on IG live.” Not everyone, though, joined in the teasing. Some shifted focus toward predicting which fights might headline the next UFC spectacle.

One fan claimed, “Arman pulled out and now it will be Hooker vs Paddy as the co-main in Qatar.” A clear jibe at how Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev at the eleventh hour. Though he cited an injury, Dana White later clarified that weight-cut issues forced him out and urged the Armenian contender to “go back to the drawing board” before returning to title contention.

Fans kept the predictions rolling. Another suggested “Aljamain Sterling vs. Yair Rodriguez” and “Strickland vs. Fluffy,” referring to Sean Strickland and Anthony Hernandez. Meanwhile, chatter about “Volk vs. Movsar” gained momentum after an MMA page on X reported that Alexander Volkanovski would face Movsar Evloev next.

Hours earlier, Australian MMA insider Benny P dismissed those claims, explaining that Volkanovski headlining the Sydney event was “almost guaranteed.” Even so, fans refused to let go of their theories. One summed up the growing excitement perfectly: “Volk–Movsar, Pantoja–Van co-main.”

Now, with just a few hours remaining before Dana White’s big announcement, anticipation is at a fever pitch. What are your expectations from the UFC boss this time? Drop your predictions below.