Week 5 of the 2026 UFL season started off with a bang, as the DC Defenders (4-1) went on the road and crushed the Birmingham Stallions (1-4) by double digits at Protective Stadium in Alabama on FOX UFL Friday.  It was the first game for both teams after the league announced a pair of massive trades involving four organizations last weekend. On Saturday, the St. Louis Battlehawks (3-2) stunned the previously undefeated Orlando Storm (4-1) at Inter&Co Stadium in Florida. Things wrapped Sunday with a doubleheader. First, the Houston Gamblers (2-3) narrowly outlasted the Columbus Aviators (1-4) at home at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston. Nearby, the Louisville Kings (2-3) went on the road and demolished the Dallas Renegades (3-2) by 20-plus points at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. Here are the results from Week 5: DC Defenders 45, Birmingham Stallions 28 Key players: Defenders QB Jordan Ta’amu (15-for-22 for 275 yards, four touchdowns), WR Ty Scott (3-for-4 for 84 yards, two touchdowns), WR Erik Ezukanma (2-for-2 for 77 yards), RB Xazavian Valladay (eight carries for 50 yards, two touchdowns); Stallions QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (28-for-43 for 313 yards, two touchdowns), WR Justyn Ross (9-for-11 for 107 yards), WR Deon Cain (5-for-10 for 57 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Defenders hit pay dirt on the opening drive of the game, taking just six plays to find the end zone after a monster 60-plus-yard kickoff return set DC up for success early. The Stallions, on the other hand, didn’t get off to a smooth start. Newly minted Birmingham quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was picked off in the red zone on the team’s first drive, but he bounced back on the Stallions’ second possession to get them on the board, 7-6. DC extended its lead with a rushing score midway through the second quarter, and a costly fumble by Birmingham gave the ball right back to the Defenders. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu capitalized on the newfound possession, throwing up a dazzling 45-yard touchdown to make it a 15-point game, 21-6. Thompson-Robinson was able to use his legs to get the Stallions into the end zone before halftime, closing the gap slightly to 21-13. Things were looking up for the Stallions early in the second half. They came out on the break swinging,  cashing in for a touchdown to open the third quarter and pull within two points, 21-19. That momentum was short-lived though. Turnovers were Birmingham’s kryptonite. After the Defenders scored again to make it 28-19 midway through the frame, the Stallions threw a pick and had a turnover on downs. DC, on the other hand, rattled off a field goal and a touchdown to close out the third quarter. Birmingham opened the fourth quarter with another turnover on downs, and DC made the most of the opportunity — firing back with another touchdown to take a 20-plus-point lead, 45-19. The Stallions were able to score one more time before the end of the frame, but it was too little too late for the home team. Though the Defenders got the win, kicker Matt McCrane had an uncharacteristically poor showing, going 1-for-3 and missing from 36 yards and 62 yards. Up next: In Week 6, the Defenders are playing host to the Renegades on Saturday afternoon, and the Stallions are on the road to battle the Storm on Sunday night on FOX. St. Louis Battlehawks 25, Orlando Storm 17 Key players: Battlehawks QB Harrison Frost (20-for-31 for 185 yards, one touchdown), WR Steven McBride (4-for-5 for 53 yards), RB Jarveon Howard (12 carries for 59 yards), S Jordan Mosley (eight tackles, one pass defended); Storm QB Jack Plummer (22-for-44 for 143 yards, one touchdown), WR Elijhah Badger (4-for-7 for 37 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: The Battlehawks jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, going 62 yards in just eight plays on their opening drive to set the tone early. The Storm, on the other hand, turned the ball over on downs on their first drive. Orlando appeared to catch a break on St. Louis’ next drive after Battlehawks quarterback Harrison Frost was picked off near midfield, giving the Storm the ball back with just over four minutes left in the first quarter and all the momentum. However, Orlando turned the ball over on downs yet again. The Battlehawks opened the second quarter with another touchdown drive, jumping out to a 12-0 lead with ease. They followed that up with a field goal to make it a 15-0 game headed into halftime. Orlando punted twice and fumbled in the second quarter, failing to get on the board. The Storm started the second half with another turnover on downs, while the Battlehawks padded their lead with another touchdown drive. Things picked up for Orlando after that, though, with the Storm rattling off back-to-back scores to end the shutout and keep things competitive. The first came after a lengthy 82-yard, 10-play drive, and the second came after a clutch blocked punt that put the Storm back on the 1-yard line. St. Louis stumbled again later in the quarter, turning the ball over on downs late in the third. The Storm missed a field goal early in the fourth quater and were never able to find a rhythm despite pulling within eight after being down by as many as 25. Up next: In Week 6, the Battlehawks are on the road to face the Kings on Thursday night on FS1, and the Storm are playing host to the Stallions on Sunday night on FOX. Houston Gamblers 17, Columbus Aviators 13 Key players: Gamblers QB Nolan Henderson (13-for-25 for 146 yards), WR Lawrence Keys III (3-for-4 for 43 yards), WR Jontre Kirklin (3-fpr-6 for 32 yards), LB Marvin Moody (11 tackles, one tackle for loss), DE Malik Fisher (six tackles, 1.o sacks, one tackle for loss); Aviators QB Jalan McClendon (15-for-22 for 160 yards), WR Tay Martin (3-for-4 for 40 yards), TE Alize Mack (3-for-4 for 42 yards), LB Tony Fields (13 tackles), LB Fred Thompkins (eight tackles, two tackles for loss). Game recap: The Gamblers came out of the gate with a statement-making opening drive. Houston went 85 yards in 13 plays, eating up over seven minutes off the clock to take an early 7-0 lead. The Aviators, on the other hand, went three-and-out on their first drive of the game. Just like that, things were already into the second quarter, where the Gamblers cashed in for another touchdown to make it a 14-0 game. This is where the tide changed for Columbus, which rattled off back-to-back scores to make it a one-point game headed into halftime, 14-13. It would have been a tie game if not for a missed extra point on their second score. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm early in the second half. Both sides went three-and-out to open the third quarter and then followed that up with both teams turning the ball over on downs on their next possessions. The Aviators had one more turnover before the end of the third, while the Gamblers kicked a short field goal first thing in the fourth quarter to pad their lead, 17-13. Columbus went for a field goal as well on its next drive but missed from 29 yards out. The Gamblers punted on their next drive, giving the Aviators the ball back with just over six minutes to play. Instead of capitalizing here, Columbus fumbled just outside the red zone. Houston punted once again late in the frame, giving the road team the ball back with less than a minute remaining. The Aviators fumbled once again in the game’s final seconds, and things ended there. Up next: In Week 6, these two teams are back at it again, this time with the Aviators hosting Friday night on FOX. Louisville Kings 47, Dallas Renegades 25 Key players: Kings QB Chandler Rogers (13-for-18 for 150 yards), RB Ian Wheeler (13 carries for 62 yards, four touchdowns), WR Tarik Black (5-for-5 for 59 yards); Renegades QB Austin Reed (14-for-28 for 195 yards, one touchdown), RB Ellis Merriweather (18 carries for 55 yards, two touchdowns), TE Curtis Hodges (2-for-3 for 88 yards, one touchdown). Game recap: Both teams got off to slow starts. The Renegades turned the ball over on downs on back-to-back drives, while the Kings notched a field goal before turning the ball over on downs themselves to finish out the first quarter. It was a 3-0 game headed into the second quarter, and that’s when things went awry for Dallas. First, quarterback Austin Reed was picked off inside the red zone, and the interception was taken all the way to the house to put Louisville in front by 10. On the next play from scrimmage, Reed was picked off yet again, this time getting the Kings up on the Renegades’ 40-yard line. Louisville capitalized on the two consecutive turnovers, cashing in for a rushing score on the ensuing drive to put the road team up 16-0. Dallas finally got on the board with a touchdown of its own late in the frame, stretching out a 14-play drive to hopefully run out the clock. The Kings had the last word of the first half, however, punching in a short field goal in the final few seconds to make it a 19-7 game at the break. The Renegades opened the second half with a big touchdown drive that allowed them to pull within six, 19-13. The Kings, of course, had a few more tricks up their sleeves and wasted no time answering with a touchdown of their own. With that, Louisville led 26-13 late in the third quarter. Dallas ended the frame with Reed throwing his third interception of the game, which set up the Kings nicely to start the fourth quarter. Louisville made the most of the newfound possession, hitting pay dirt right away to make it a 20-point game, 33-13. Disaster struck for the Renegades when Reed was picked off for the fourth time and for the Kings’ second pick-six of the day. That ultimately sealed Dallas’ fate. Down 40-13, the Renegades scored again late in the fourth, but it was too little too late. The Kings fired back with another easy score to make it 47-19. Dallas added a touchdown for good measure before things ended. Up next: In Week 6, the Kings are playing host to the Battlehawks on Thursday night on FS1, and the Renegades are on the road to take on the Defenders on Saturday afternoon.