Biggest UFC Fights to Watch in 2023
In 2022, we witnessed several epic UFC fights at once, which we will remember, perhaps, for more than one year. In particular, this can be said about the fights of Jiri Prochazka against Glover Teixeira and Stephen Thompson with Kevin Holland. However, even more exciting fights could take place in 2023, which are sure to attract the attention of millions of UFC fans.
TOP 5 most spectacular MMA matches 2023
Several high-profile couples have already been announced. The most stellar among them – are Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev. Their championship fight will be part of the February tournament in Australia.
However, there is an excellent chance that in 2023, many superstars who have not competed in it for a long time will finally triumphantly return to the ring. As usual, the most high-profile matches come as a complete surprise, but keep your fingers crossed to see for sure the next five games. Keep track of the next events and those games at Bodog, to make sure you don’t miss any action.
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Since Dustin Poirier defeated Conor for the second time in a row, breaking his leg along the way, the Irish UFC champion has not entered the ring again. However, rumors that he plans to return to the octagon are becoming more and more frequent. So, it’s not worth thinking that he has already hung his gloves on a nail. And if McGregor successfully passes the USADA doping control, we are in for many spectacular fights with his participation.
The most optimal opponent for Conor is still the main MMA superstar, is Michael Chandler, the former Bellator champion. So, in his last fight at UFC 274, he defeated Tony Ferguson thanks to a simply incredible knockout. Michael is still one of the best lightweights in MMA, and his battle with McGregor is guaranteed to be the highlight of any UFC tournament.
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
Both fighters are some of the strongest welterweights in UFC history and have yet to lose. Moreover, if Chimaev has 12 victories, then Rakhmonov already has 16. Thanks to such incredible performance, the athletes are in the TOP-15 in their weight category, with a minimum margin from each other.
Both fighters prefer to end their fights with a confident victory – Chimaev has five knockouts and six submissions, while Rakhmonov has eight. Their meeting in the ring would undoubtedly arouse the keenest interest among numerous MMA fans. Therefore it remains to be hoped that it will remain not only in our dreams.
Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman
Leon Edwards created one of the most impressive moments in the history of MMA. With just one headbutt, he secured a knockout of Usman and the long-awaited welterweight title. The latter was a clear favorite, confidently moving towards another victory. But the fifth round changed everything irrevocably.
Without wanting to detract from the deserved victory Edwards, it can safely state that the best continuation of this fight can only be a rematch. Before this ill-fated battle for Kamaru, he had 19 wins and no defeats. And now they have an equal score: 1-1. It’s time to choose the best among them. There were rumors that the match between them could occur as early as March. But due to Usman’s injury, it was postponed. However, we hope that by the end of the year, the athlete will recover, and we will witness the long-awaited revenge.
Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones
UFC fans have been waiting for a long time to finally meet its most invincible fighters – Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. Currently, Ngannou is the reigning heavyweight champion and the most formidable puncher in the history of MMA. He is close to becoming one of the best, if not the best, a heavyweight in the sport.
On the other hand, Jones is a former light heavyweight champion. He is considered one of the best fighters in the history of MMA and decided to compete for the championship title in the new heavyweight for himself in the new season. Their meeting is guaranteed to shake up not only the most devoted fans of the UFC but also a much wider audience. After all, this scenario would be inferior to the famous Rocky movie story – an undefeated champion gaining weight to challenge the most ruthless fighter ever fought in the octagon.
Valentīna Ševčenko vs. Weili Zhang
In 2023, we will also see many exciting fights in the UFC women’s divisions. And many of them will be attended by two of the best girls in MMA – champions, Valentīna Ševčenko and Weili Zhang. So far, they compete in different weight categories. However, according to MMA rules, the Chinese woman can gain weight to challenge Shevchenko and receive another championship belt. Since the girls seem to have no equal in the ring, a duel between them would attract much attention and reveal the best representative of women’s MMA.
