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Fresh off a memorable return to Brazil, the UFC is set to put on massive pay-per-views in Australia and England over the next two months. With the world seemingly back to normal following the COVID-19 pandemic, the MMA leader will be eager to return to select countries, and perhaps more importantly, debut in others.
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The UFC largely operated on American soil in 2022, with the only exceptions being two Fight Nights in England, the annual pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi and the inaugural event in France. Over the next year or so, expect the world's leading MMA promotion to continue breaking into new markets.
On that note, here are five countries the UFC should visit in 2023.
#5. China
It's no secret that the UFC is always looking to elevate its profile in China. There's a massive financial upside to developing the sport in such a populous country and the organization already has a foothold in the market.
The popularity of MMA reached new heights in China back in 2019, when Zhang Weili defeated Jessica Andrade to claim the strawweight title in Shenzhen.
The UFC has clearly prioritized China as a key market, having already opened a Performance Institute in Shanghai. A return to the Asian nation is seemingly inevitable, and the state of Chinese MMA is as good as it's ever been.
Fan-favorite welterweight Li Jingliang, up-and-coming prospect Song Yadong and strawweight ace Yan Xiaonan are all ranked contenders in their respective divisions. Yadong and Xiaonan, in particular, aren't far away from a championship opportunity.
Most importantly, China has a champion in Zhang Weili. 'Magnum' defeated Carla Esparza in New York City last year to re-claim her strawweight title and has made it clear that she intends to defend her belt on home soil.
#4. Spain
The UFC's debut in France last year was a resounding success and the promotion will be itching to spread its roots in new untapped markets going forward. Spain has emerged as a bustling hotbed for MMA in recent years and the European nation isn't far away from hosting a UFC event.
Interestingly, the American organization even partnered with La Liga in a collaboration deal last year, which certainly bodes well for the future of Spanish MMA.
In mainland Europe, the promotion has already visited Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Denmark, with France being the most recent addition to this list. An inaugural event in Spain is long overdue, especially considering the talent in the region.
Lightweight contender Joel Alvarez and undefeated featherweight phenom Ilia Topuria are the most successful representatives for Spain in the world's leading MMA promotion. A fight card comprising the Spanish duo, along with a number of Hispanic fighters, would be a massive feat if it comes to fruition.
UFC Fight Night in Spain appears to be on the horizon, with Topuria revealing that the promotion is eyeing a Spanish debut in 2023.
#3. Ireland
Irish MMA is synonymous with one man, and one man only – Conor McGregor.
The sport's biggest superstar is set to return to action in 2023. While his comeback appears to be edging closer, how long 'The Notorious' will continue competing at the highest level remains to be seen. Before the Irishman leaves the sport for good, a return to Dublin needs to happen.
Last year, Conor McGregor revealed that he has two fights left on his contract. While his comeback fight will more than likely be on American soil, expected to go down this summer, the final bout on his current contract is sure to be a massive one.
Now a hugely successful multi-millionaire, it's hard to imagine McGregor re-signing with the promotion. If he intends to continue fighting beyond his last two UFC bouts, it'll likely be boxing and exhibition matchups for gigantic pay-days, akin to what Floyd Mayweather Jr. is doing these days.
With the clock ticking on McGregor's UFC career, a swansong in Dublin by the end of the year is very much on the cards.
#2. Nigeria – Inaugural UFC event in Africa
The first-ever UFC event on the continent of Africa has seemingly been in the works for quite some time now. Dana White hasn't been coy about his desire to put on a massive fight card in Africa and his recent comments are certainly encouraging.
Of course, when the idea was initially being floated around, the promotion had three African-born champions in Francis Ngannou, Israel Adesanya, and Kamaru Usman. With Ngannou no longer under contract, and Adesanya and Usman losing their belts, UFC Africa doesn't seem quite as big anymore.
Nevertheless, it still needs to happen. The African talent in the UFC right now is through the roof. Sodiq Yussuf, Dricus du Plessis, Manel Kape, Kennedy Nzechukwu, David Onama, and Abdul Razzak Al-Hassan, among others, should all be featured on this prospective fight card.
With regards to which African nation should host this historic event, Nigeria appears to be the frontrunner, especially if Nigerian-born stars Adesanya and Usman are atop the bill.
#1. Mexico
The promotion's last visit to Mexico was Fight Night way back in 2019 when the headlining bout between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens ended in an unfortunate eye poke just 15 seconds into the first round.
Prior to that, the only high-profile event in Mexico was the UFC 188 pay-per-view way back in 2015, when fan-favorite Cain Velasquez was shockingly submitted by Fabricio Werdum in the nation's capital. It's safe to say that Mexican fans have been starved of success on home soil, but the tide might be finally turning.
The next decade looks promising for Mexican MMA. Brandon Moreno, the newly-crowned flyweight champion, has emerged as one of the most popular fighters on the roster. The Tijuana native recently closed out his historic rivalry with Brazilian foe Deiveson Figueiredo in Rio de Janeiro, kickstarting a new championship reign.
Flamboyant featherweight Yair Rodriguez is set to contest the interim title in Australia against Josh Emmett, with the victor set to take on 145-pound kingpin Alexander Volkanovski later this year. Top-ranked contenders Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana are also very close to UFC gold, with the former already slated to take on flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in March.
Mexican MMA has never been in a healthier place. Moreover, the next event in the country is on the cusp of materializing, with Brandon Moreno recently teasing a per-per-view in Mexico in September for Cinco de Mayo.
