UFL Week 7 Recap: Playoff race heats up

AFI | American Football | 05/12/2026

As the playoff race continues to tighten in the United Football League, every team remains mathematically alive. However, with Week Eight approaching, some squads are rising fast while others are beginning to fade.

St. Louis dominates Columbus

The St. Louis Battlehawks opened Week Seven in the Battledome, taking down the Columbus Aviators for their third straight victory. Quarterback Luis Perez led the charge with a stellar performance, guiding the team to a 24-point first half. The Battlehawks defense was equally impressive, recording three sacks and six tackles for loss while holding the Aviators to just 4-of-12 on third down and 1-of-4 on fourth down. Pita Taumoepenu stood out on defense, leading the front seven with three tackles for loss. With this win, St. Louis now sits in a three-way tie for the top spot in the UFL, while Columbus finds itself at the bottom of the standings.

Louisville shocks DC Defenders

In a stunning upset, the Louisville Kings handed the DC Defenders just their second loss of the season, scoring 27 unanswered points. After an unnecessary roughness penalty on Derick Roberson, quarterback Chandler Rogers flipped the momentum with a touchdown strike to Tarik Black, followed by another touchdown in the second half. The Kings defense was relentless, picking off Jordan Ta’amu twice and forcing a total of four turnovers. While DC still holds the top spot, Louisville surged into a three-way tie for the final playoff position with this massive win.

Birmingham edges Dallas in overtime

The Birmingham Stallions stole the spotlight Saturday night, taking down the Dallas Renegades in a thrilling overtime finish. Dorian Thompson-Robinson led a clutch fourth-quarter drive, tying the game with an 18-yard touchdown pass to veteran Jaydon Mickens. In overtime, Jayden Peevy blocked a potential game-winning field goal, allowing Mickens to haul in the game-winning conversion. With this victory, the Stallions have now won back-to-back games and moved into a tie for the final postseason spot, while Dallas has dropped four straight.

Houston falls short against Orlando

In the final game of Week Seven, the Houston Gamblers faced off against the Orlando Storm in another nail-biter. Despite racking up 415 total yards compared to Orlando’s 185, the Gamblers fell 24-23. A successful super challenge kept the game alive for Houston, but they couldn’t convert a historic four-point, 63-yard game-winning field goal attempt. The Storm snapped their losing skid behind two touchdowns from Elijhah Badger and remain tied for the top spot, while the Gamblers drop to the bottom of the league at 2-5.

Looking ahead to Week Eight

Week Eight opens Friday night at Fort Hood’s Phantom Warrior Stadium as part of the “Hats Off To Heroes” initiative, with Orlando facing Dallas in a crucial showdown. Saturday features a doubleheader as DC and Louisville meet again at noon, followed by St. Louis hosting Houston as the Battlehawks look to stay hot. The week wraps up in Birmingham, where the Stallions will host Columbus.