INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia reacts at the end of his … [+] bantamweight title fight against Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia, not pictured, during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
EA UFC 5 has a new update coming on Thursday, January 30.
The latest update will deliver rising flyweight Asu Almabayev and some new Alter Egos. For those who aren’t aware, the Alter Egos are secondary versions of current and past fighters.
Some capture fighters from a historic performance or a certain era of their career, and there is a group that consists of fantasy iterations of top stars.
We don’t know which fighters will be included, but I can think of five relatively recent and some historic performances worthy of an Alter Ego.
Here are five fighters who should have an Alter Ego added to the game.
UFC 311 – Merab Dvalishvili
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia poses for a portrait after his … [+] victory during the UFC 311 event at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC)
The victory and performance are fresh, but Dvalishvili’s win over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in Inglewood, California, is one of the greatest performances in UFC men’s bantamweight history.
Dvalishvili overcame an opponent who is legit and championship-caliber, and he had to come from behind to get it done. The champion secured seven takedowns, though 23 of them were stuffed, and he showed the kind of gas tank that most can only dream of having as part of their toolbox.
The champion has won 13 fights in a row. It’s time for a five-star version of Dvalishvili.
UFC 162 – Chris Weidman
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 06: (R-L) Chris Weidman punches Anderson Silva in their UFC middleweight … [+] championship fight during the UFC 162 event inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 6, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The All-American recently separated from the UFC. He thought he might be retiring, but the Global Fight League came calling, and Weidman answered.
In any case, he is a future Hall of Famer who realizes his time in the UFC is over. Weidman is one of three men to have successfully defended the middleweight title three times or more (Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya are the others).
He has an Alter Ego in the game, but it’s from UFC 187—Weidman’s first-round TKO win over Vitor Belfort. It turned out to be Weidman’s last successful title defense. Weidman’s most iconic win is his first victory over Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013.
Weidman slept a clowning Silva to dethrone a legend. That performance needs to be an Alter Ego.
UFC Fight Night Sweden 2017 – Alexander Gustafsson
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – MAY 28: (R-L) Alexander Gustafsson punches Glover Teixeira in their light … [+] heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Ericsson Globe Arena on May 28, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Like Weidman, Gustafsson has signed on with the GFL. Also like Weidman, Gustafsson has an Alter Ego in the game already. However, Gustafsson’s AE comes from a fight he lost—his classic battle with Jon Jones in 2013 at UFC 165.
Gustafsson was great in that fight, but he lost. Perhaps a better version of Gustafsson to add came from his TKO win over Glover Teixeira in his home country of Sweden in 2017.
With the lights shining bright in a home game, Gustafsson put on a boxing display, culminating in a series of filthy uppercuts that knocked out the rugged Brazilian. Gustafsson even proposed to his girlfriend Moa in the Octagon following the win.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – MAY 28: Alexander Gustafsson proposes to his girlfriend Moa Antonia Johansson … [+] after his knockout victory over Glover Teixeira in their light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Ericsson Globe Arena on May 28, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
That version of Gustafsson would make for a cool Alter Ego.
UFC 269 – Julianna Peña
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11: Julianna Pena reacts after defeating Amanda Nunes of Brazil by … [+] submission in their UFC bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 269 on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The reigning women’s bantamweight champion doesn’t have an Alter Ego in the game. Shouldn’t that change? Probably, but then again, neither does the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter on Earth, Islam Makhachev. But that’s another story.
Peña is now in her second reign as champion, and she defeated a legend to win the title the first time. At UFC 269, Peña dropped and choked out the great Amanda Nunes to become the UFC women’s bantamweight champion.
That win is Alter Ego-worthy.
UFC 216 – Demetrious Johnson
LAS VEGAS, NV – OCTOBER 07: Demetrious Johnson secures an arm bar submission against Ray Borg in … [+] their UFC flyweight championship bout during the UFC 216 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The greatest flyweight in history does not have an Alter Ego in EA UFC 5. DJ has had several great performances in his career. However, the one that sticks out to me is his submission win over Ray Borg at UFC 216 in 2017.
The Mouse Trap submission is still the greatest non-KO finish I’ve ever seen. If it’s at all possible for EA to hook Mighty Mouse up with an Alter Ego, this is the performance to highlight.
As for EA UFC 6, I would be shocked if we made it to International Fight Week without the game being officially announced, or at the very least, received some news on it. Stay tuned.
