MMA Fans Ready for the First Sunday of NFL Football
For MMA fans, fight night is usually the main event. But this weekend, there is another sporting tradition competing for their attention: Sunday football is back.
The 2026 NFL season officially got underway earlier this week, but Sunday, September 13, marks the first full Sunday slate of the new season. After months of waiting, football fans can finally settle into the familiar routine of waking up, grabbing some food, checking fantasy lineups and spending the afternoon watching NFL action.
And plenty of those football fans are also MMA fans.
For a community that spends much of the year following UFC, PFL, BKFC and other combat-sports events, the return of football provides another excuse to gather with friends, fire up the television and turn a Sunday into an all-day sporting event.
This year’s first Sunday features a packed schedule, with 14 games on the slate. The early window includes intriguing matchups such as the Chicago Bears visiting the Carolina Panthers, the Buffalo Bills traveling to Houston to face the Texans, the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The afternoon brings another wave of games, including the Green Bay Packers against the Minnesota Vikings, the Washington Commanders against the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins visiting the Las Vegas Raiders.
Then comes Sunday night.
The Dallas Cowboys will visit the New York Giants at 8:20 p.m. ET in the first Sunday Night Football game of the season. The NFC East rivalry is one of the NFL’s most recognizable, making it a fitting way to close out the first Sunday of the 2026 campaign.
For MMA fans, there is something particularly familiar about the atmosphere surrounding football Sundays.
The same fans who spend Saturday nights debating UFC matchups and arguing about judging decisions can spend Sunday arguing over quarterbacks, fantasy football and whether their favorite team has what it takes to make a playoff run.
And, just like MMA, football offers no shortage of trash talk.
A fight fan might spend one week debating whether a UFC contender deserves a title shot and the next arguing that his favorite NFL team is destined for the Super Bowl. In both sports, opinions are strong, rivalries are personal and everyone seems to have a prediction.
There is also the simple appeal of having a full day of sports.
With college football dominating Saturdays and the NFL taking over Sundays, September provides sports fans with a nearly endless supply of games to watch. For MMA fans, that means the weekend can become a marathon of sports rather than simply a single-event viewing experience.
And while MMA remains the priority whenever the UFC or another major promotion puts on a big card, there is something special about the return of football.
After the long offseason, Sunday football is finally back.
For MMA fans, that means another sport to follow, another reason to gather with friends and another excuse to spend the weekend watching live competition.
So grab the wings, fire up the television and get comfortable.
It’s football Sunday.
