UFL Playoff weekend has come and passed with two really exciting football games that have determined who will be in the 2026 United Bowl.
First, it was the DC Defenders pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the season as they took down the UFL's best team in the regular season, the Orlando Storm, 28-22. Defenders quarterback Jason Bean fought through a shoulder injury in the second half to help lead his team to their third league title appearance in four years.
As for the second contest, the Louisville Kings, in their first year of existence, found a way to win on the road against the St. Louis Battlehawks 29-20. It was two four-point field goals by Tanner Brown that made all the difference in the world as he converted from 60 and 63 yards in the win.
Now that the United Bowl is set between the Defenders and the Kings, how are fans feeling about a championship game they were not expecting? If they were flies on the walls of the UFL headquarters in Arlington, Texas, a few cheers would come out from that building.
Why the UFL Has to be Happy About a Defenders-Kings United Bowl in 2026
Let's start with the obvious: the Defenders are essentially hosting a home game. Over the last two years, the UFL thought they would get the Battlehawks to be in the same position with the league hosting the title game in St. Louis, but similar to what happened on Sunday, that did not happen. The Defenders came through, which is great news for the UFL, as ticket sales in DC should be much better with the home crowd there.
Even with that, though, if the UFL wanted an opponent for the Defenders in terms of ticket sales, the Kings are the perfect team. Louisville travels as well as any other fan base in the league, so they are going to help pack Audi Field and boost UFL ticket sales.
Next thing to cover: the storyline. Bean had that infamous slide at the one-yard line in the Kings' first win against the Houston Gamblers earlier in the season, with him being traded to the Defenders a few days after that. Chandler Rogers took over at QB for Louisville and has led them to the title game.
For Bean, he was reduced to the bench for the Defenders after being marketed as a starting quarterback. Then Jordan Ta'amu suffered a season-ending injury, and after a few games with Spencer Sanders, Bean got his shot to prove himself. Bean made the most of it, as now he got his DC team to the United Bowl.
What makes this Bean storyline so special is, of course, the element of the revenge game for him as he looks to prove to the Kings that they were wrong for trading him. Also, he proved his toughness on the field after it was questioned all season, as he ironically (not in a funny way, of course) got hurt on a slide and battled back from a shoulder injury by throwing a touchdown on the next drive. There are no more questions about Bean's toughness.
Lastly, in reality, these might be the two best teams in the UFL. Fans are treated to two of the three best defenses in the league as well as two of the best rushing attacks in the UFL. Yes, the Defenders lost four in a row to end the regular season, but many thought they were the best until Ta'amu got hurt. If it weren't for the QB situation, maybe things would be different.
UFL co-owner Mike Repole has to be happy that the games were competitive and went to the end. Also, from a business and entertainment perspective, the league secretly secured the United Bowl they had hoped for all along.