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2023 is now upon us, and while the first UFC show of the year isn’t for a couple of weeks, it’s worth getting excited about already.
While 2023 is just days old, the UFC has already booked a number of absolutely brilliant-sounding fights for the upcoming months.
With these fights spread across January, February, March, and April, there’s plenty to look forward to – assuming that injuries don’t rear their ugly head, of course.
Here are five blockbuster UFC fights already booked for 2023.
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#5. UFC bantamweight division: Adrian Yanez vs. Rob Font
With Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley now firmly cemented as title contenders at 135lbs, the bantamweight division’s hottest prospect is now Adrian Yanez.
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The Texas native is still unbeaten in the octagon after winning his first five bouts, but it’s not just winning that’s garnered him so much hype. Yanez is a phenomenally exciting fighter with brutal knockout power. Incredibly, he’s won a $50k bonus every time he’s fought in the UFC.
What he hasn’t done yet is beat an elite-level foe. This April, though, he’ll get that chance when he faces off against Rob Font.
Font is currently on a two-fight losing streak, but those losses came against Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera, two elite bantamweights. Prior to that, he’d won four in a row, and remains ranked at No.6 in the division.
With 14 bouts in the octagon under his belt, it’s unfair to see him as anything but a genuine contender. So can Yanez beat him? It’s honestly hard to say given Font’s masterful use of his substantial length and reach.
Either way, though, if you go by Yanez’s previous bouts, one can expect a barnburner. Assuming this bout doesn’t fall apart before April, it’s easily one of the best fights signed for 2023 right now.
#4. UFC bantamweight division: Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
February’s second UFC Fight Night event is set to be headlined by a major clash in the bantamweight division between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. In fact, there’s an outside chance that the winner could end up fighting for the 135lbs title later in 2023.
If Vera can pull off the win, then that chance will multiply, particularly if Aljamain Sterling – who whitewashed Sandhagen in 2020 – is still the champion.
‘Chito’ has been on a fantastic run as of late, winning four of his last five bouts, but it’s who he’s beaten that’s most impressive. Not only was he responsible for handing Sean O’Malley the only loss of his career, but his last fight saw him stop former champion Dominick Cruz in brutal fashion.
Essentially, Vera is a ruthless finisher with seemingly very few weaknesses right now.
Sandhagen won’t be an easy out by any means, though. ‘The Sandman’, like Vera, is a dangerous fighter in all areas with deadly finishing skills. Like 'Chito', it’s hard to pinpoint a weakness in his game.
If you go by the most recent fights that these two have put on, this one could well turn out to be an instant classic. Based on their phenomenal offensive skills, it could also come down to which fighter is more durable. This is a fight not to miss – and not to blink when watching it, too.
#3. UFC light-heavyweight title: Glover Teixeira vs. Jamahal Hill
When Jan Blachowicz’s fight with Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant UFC light-heavyweight title went to a draw in late December, the easiest route to clearing the situation up would’ve been to sign a rematch.
Instead, though, unimpressed with the quality of the fight, Dana White simply booked a different title fight entirely. The bout, which pits former champ Glover Teixeira against hot prospect Jamahal Hill, will headline the UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2023.
Will it prove to be a better fight than Ankalaev vs. Blachowicz? It definitely feels likely. After all, Teixeira has rarely been in a dull fight throughout his decade-long octagon career. The Brazilian has finished 13 of his 16 wins in the promotion and is dangerous wherever the fight goes.
Hill, meanwhile, lived up to his ‘Sweet Dreams’ nickname in 2022, turning out the lights on Thiago Santos and most notably Johnny Walker, scoring a knockout of the year candidate on the latter.
Even if the winner doesn’t go on to have a lengthy reign with the title, this fight should be a great one to watch. It’s highly likely that it won’t go the distance, meaning it should start the year’s title bouts with a bang.
#2. UFC interim featherweight title: Yair Rodriguez vs. Josh Emmett
The last five years have seen the UFC’s featherweight division dominated by two fighters – Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. However, February 2023 will finally see a different fighter claim gold at 145lbs, albeit in the form of an interim title.
With Volkanovski moving up to 155lbs to challenge for the lightweight crown, Yair Rodriguez and Josh Emmett will face off for gold, and whoever wins will become a first-time champion in the UFC.
Whether this is the best-possible interim title bout is a fair question to ask, but if nothing else, it should be wildly exciting to watch.
Emmett’s fights haven’t always stolen the show during his octagon career, but there’s no disputing his effectiveness. He’s won his last five bouts dating back to 2019, and his punches often act as coffin nails, with three of his UFC wins coming via KO.
‘El Pantera’, meanwhile, has literally never been in a dull fight. The Mexican is reckless to a fault and throws low-percentage shots as regularly as other fighters throw jabs and low kicks. Win or lose, he always produces fireworks.
Basically, then, the chances of this one ending in a dull decision seem very slim, meaning whoever comes out on top, the featherweight division will begin 2023 with a real bang.
#1. UFC lightweight title: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Regardless of who is involved, there’s always something special about seeing a champion vs. champion fight in the UFC.
Therefore it stands to reason that the best bout on tap in the first part of 2023 is the clash between lightweight champ Islam Makhachev and featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski. The fight is set to headline UFC 284 in February, and it could well produce something really special.
Going back to 2016, neither man has suffered a defeat in the octagon. Volkanovski, in fact, is unbeaten in the promotion overall at 12-0. Most importantly, though, nobody has really come close to solving the problem that both bring.
The interesting thing here is whose style will come out on top. Makhachev’s wrestling, grappling skills and top game in particular have taken him past the likes of Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker, but will he find it that easy to take down Volkanovski?
‘Alexander the Great’ has only ever been taken down on a handful of occasions and has a takedown defense rate of 73%. More to the point, he’s an incredible striker who is capable of picking apart anyone on the feet, and he’s beaten more educated kickboxers than Makhachev in the form of Max Holloway and Jose Aldo.
Overall, then, this is probably the best champ vs. champ fight that Dana White and company have put together in years, and it’s definitely the can’t miss fight of the first part of 2023.
