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With just two UFC events remaining in 2022, it’s hard not to start looking forward to 2023 in the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
2023 is the UFC’s 30th year in existence. With that said, it stands to reason that it’ll be a big one – so what fights could the promotion book to ensure that it’s as successful as possible?
With a number of top level stars looking to find success in the octagon in 2023, there are a number of potentially huge fights on the horizon. So will Dana White and company manage to deliver?
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Here are five huge fights that the UFC needs to make in 2023.
#5. UFC middleweight title: Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2
Probably the most obvious fight on this list is the rematch between new UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira and the man he took the title from, Israel Adesanya. Thankfully, it also should be the fight that’s the easiest to book from the promotion’s standpoint.
Essentially, Adesanya was on the verge of making the sixth successful defense of his title before a sudden flurry from Pereira in the fifth round ended the fight, making ‘Poatan’ the new champion.
Sure, the Brazilian now holds three wins over ‘The Last Stylebender’ if you count his victories in the kickboxing ring, but put simply, Adesanya deserves nothing less than an immediate rematch.
Firstly, prior to his defeat, he was the most dominant middleweight champion the UFC had seen since Anderson Silva. Secondly, ‘The Last Stylebender’ could easily have beaten Pereira had he been able to avoid that final flurry.
Thirdly, he’s also one of the biggest stars that the promotion can call upon right now. The idea of him attempting to regain his title is bound to be a big seller on pay-per-view.
When you add in that neither Pereira nor Adesanya seem to be difficult to negotiate with, it’s likely that we should see this fight in the early part of 2023.
#4. UFC bantamweight title: Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling had a massively successful 2022, defending his title on two occasions by beating a pair of former titleholders in Petr Yan and T.J. Dillashaw.
Despite this, ‘Funk Master’ remains somewhat underappreciated by the fans. Could 2023 be the year that he changes that? Absolutely, and the possibility of that will only increase if he can overcome a third former titleholder in Henry Cejudo.
Sure, Sterling has suggested that the better fight for him right now would be against Sean O’Malley, but the truth is that ‘Triple C’ is still a bigger name than ‘Sugar'. More importantly, it’s only fair to give him a shot at regaining the title he never lost in the octagon.
For those who’ve forgotten, Cejudo stepped away in 2020 after defending his title against Dominick Cruz. Throughout his self-imposed hiatus, a return has always seemed possible.
2022 saw him re-enter into USADA’s testing pool, and given that he’s already exchanged barbs with Sterling, it looks like a fight between the two is likely for next year.
Who will win? It’s honestly hard to say, but fireworks are almost certain to go off when they meet in the octagon, and so this is definitely one of the biggest potential fights of 2023.
#3. UFC welterweight title: Leon Edwards or Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev
One of the biggest upsets of 2022 occurred in August, when Leon Edwards managed to knock out Kamaru Usman in the fifth round of their UFC welterweight title bout. The win made Edwards just the second fighter from the UK to hold gold in the octagon.
Given the nature of Edwards’ win, it only makes sense that his first defense comes against Usman in a rematch. After all, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was winning the bout comfortably prior to the fight-ending head kick. He also had five title defenses to his name.
However, while Edwards vs. Usman 3 is going to be big, everyone knows that the biggest fight the UFC could make at 170 pounds would see the winner of that bout facing Khamzat Chimaev.
It’s hard to recall a prospect with quite so much hype around him in the history of the promotion. After picking up wins over Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland in 2022, ‘Borz’ remains unbeaten.
Sure, he might need to defeat one more big name before taking his shot at the gold – Colby Covington, perhaps – but only a fool would doubt him at this stage.
With any hope, then, things go to plan and at some stage in 2023, whether the champion is Edwards or Usman at that point, we’ll see Chimaev challenging for welterweight gold. Despite the Chechan-born Swede still being a relatively new star, it’s hard to imagine many bigger fights for the year.
#2. UFC heavyweight title: Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones
One UFC champion we haven’t seen much of in 2022 is current heavyweight kingpin Francis Ngannou. ‘The Predator’ made his first successful defense back in January by beating Ciryl Gane, but since then, a contract dispute with the promotion, as well as a knee injury, has kept him sidelined.
Ngannou is actually out of contract in the early weeks of 2023, but with any luck, Dana White and company will be able to find a way to keep him around. If they do, then the biggest fight for him on the horizon is clear.
Former light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones has been on the shelf for even longer than Ngannou, as he hasn’t fought since his win over Dominick Reyes way back in February 2020. However, he’s been teasing a return and a debut in the heavyweight division for years now.
Could 2023 be the year that ‘Bones’ finally makes a run at a second title? Hopefully. After all, with no clear-cut top contender for Ngannou, the path is definitely clear for the UFC to make this superfight.
Assuming the promotion can come to terms with Ngannou, we could see this bout in the first half of 2023. It’s hard to imagine a bigger heavyweight title fight right now.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal
While it almost certainly won’t be for a UFC title, the biggest fight of 2023 is very likely to feature Conor McGregor in his long-awaited return.
‘The Notorious’ remains the promotion’s biggest star, and since he hasn’t fought since his 2021 defeat at the hands of Dustin Poirier, the clamor to see him back in action in 2023 is likely to be bigger than ever.
The big question, of course, is around his potential opponent. That will probably depend on whether he returns as a lightweight or a welterweight. Assuming he comes back as the latter, then Jorge Masvidal is surely the perfect foil for him.
Not only is ‘Gamebred’ a big star in his own right, having headlined numerous successful pay-per-views since 2019, but his abrasive personality could create a rivalry with McGregor that would rival the Irishman’s feud with Nate Diaz.
More importantly, though, ‘The Notorious’ will be desperate for a win, something he hasn’t tasted since January 2020’s victory over Donald Cerrone.
Given that Masvidal hasn’t won a fight for an even longer period, then – since November 2019 – he should be considered a beatable foe, and will thus be more attractive for McGregor.
Overall, it’s hard to even comprehend the hype that could come with a McGregor vs. Masvidal clash, and so the UFC should definitely try to put it together in 2023.
