2026 UFL Week 9: How To Watch, What To Know, Biggest Storylines

Week 9 of the UFL season kicks off Friday with a four-game slate spread across the weekend: one matchup Friday night, one game Saturday and a doubleheader Sunday. All 40 regular-season games — plus the playoffs on June 7 and the championship game on June 13 — will be televised across FOX, FS1, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network. Games will also be available to stream on FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports app and FOX One. Here are the full regular-season schedules for every team. Here’s everything to know about Week 9: Week 9 (May 22–24) DC Defenders (5-3) at Orlando Storm (6-2) Key players: Defenders RB Xazavian Valladay, RB Abram Smith; Storm QB Jack Plummer, WR Chris Rowland What to know: The DC Defenders are coming off their second-straight loss, falling 33-30 to the Louisville Kings. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu suffered a season-ending injury in that loss, which will be a massive obstacle for this team to overcome. What can help the Defenders is their one-two punch with running backs Xazavian Valladay and Abram Smith, who combined for 163 yards and two rushing touchdowns last weekend. If the Defenders can hold off the Storm’s high-powered offense, DC can get themselves back into the win column. Orlando is coming off a convincing 31-24 win over the Renegades to improve to 6-2 on the season and strengthen its playoff position entering Week 9. Quarterback Jack Plummer powered the offense last week, throwing for 238 yards and adding two rushing touchdowns. Coming off back-to-back home games, Orlando has a chance to stay in the win column with home-field advantage again this week, but its defense, headlined by defensive tackle Isaiah Mack and linebacker Darien Butler, will need to take advantage of DC’s backup quarterback and slow down a strong rushing attack. Birmingham Stallions (4-4) at Columbus Aviators (2-6) Key players: Stallions QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, LB Tae Crowder; Aviators QB Jalan McClendon, WR Tay Martin What to know: The Aviators have a shot at redemption after falling to the Stallions in Week 8. While quarterback Jalan McClendon struggled in last week’s loss, completing 20 of 31 passes for 150 yards with two interceptions, talented receivers Tay Martin and Antwane Wells give the offense the ability to regain momentum through the air. Reigniting the passing game will be key for the Aviators if they want to hold off Birmingham. As the Stallions hit the road, their playoff fate could hinge on a win over the Aviators. Coming off a Week 8 victory, the key this weekend will be starting fast and maintaining momentum. Despite the win last week, the Aviators held quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to just 126 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, while limiting the Stallions’ running backs to 62 total rushing yards and one score. To secure back-to-back wins, Birmingham will need a more balanced offensive performance while once again keeping the Aviators in a low-scoring game. Dallas Renegades (3-5) at Louisville Kings (4-4) Key players: Renegades QB Austin Reed, RB Ellis Merriweather; Kings QB Chandler Rogers, WR Isaiah Winstead What to know: The Renegades are coming off a home loss to the Storm and will hit the road again to face the Kings. Quarterback Austin Reed struggled through the air but still managed to complete 12 of 23 passes for 134 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was a back-and-forth battle throughout, but Dallas ultimately fell in the final minutes. While clinching a playoff spot remains a long shot, getting back in the win column would be a good start for the Renegades. The Kings clinched a narrow 33-30 win over Dallas in Week 8. Although Louisville’s offense was relatively quiet, the defense forced three turnovers and played a major role in the victory. Quarterback Chandler Rogers completed 11 of 20 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Tanner Brown went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, including a 60-yarder. St. Louis Battlehawks (5-3) at Houston Gamblers (3-5) Key players: Battlehawks QB Luis Perez, WR Steven McBride; Gamblers QB Hunter Dekkers, WR Lawrence Keys III What to know: St. Louis heads to Houston looking for revenge after suffering a 23-16 upset loss to the Gamblers in Week 8. Despite throwing for 308 yards, one touchdown and one interception, quarterback Luis Perez struggled to consistently move the offense. With the playoffs approaching, the Battlehawks remain in solid position, but a bounce-back win would go a long way toward solidifying their postseason hopes. The Gamblers are coming off a massive upset win on the road and now return home to host the Battlehawks. Houston’s offense impressed both on the ground and through the air. Although the Gamblers managed just one field goal in the second half, starting fast and sustaining that momentum for all four quarters could be the key to securing back-to-back wins. Single-game, season and group tickets are available now at www.theufl.com/tickets.