'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAICAwEAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECBBEAAwUSBhQhAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBhEAAgAFBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQREwYSISIxQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AyRye9xHnCW/OY6YH1NARXdfXp3Hqi5qqsUR+5MzflESRMkbl4kNF2bXYKGalDG6F3jGP07JSoy5C52gW7sPefhihq2wU0soksFnN+inziP/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
2022 gave MMA fans many memorable moments - Leon Edwards' comeback victory against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, Michael Chandler's brutal head-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, and Israel Adesanya's shocking TKO loss against his nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 281.
Trending
Now, it's time to look forward to the excitement 2023 is going to bring to MMA enthusiasts around the world. And for that occasion, we have made a list of potential matchups that we hope will become a reality in the coming year.
Some honorable mentions include a lightweight scrap between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria, a featherweight showdown between Arnold Allen and Max Holloway, and a middleweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Robert Whittaker.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Below are the five matchups we want to see in 2023:
#5 UFC bantamweight title - Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3
This is a fight that MMA fans have been waiting for quite some time. Both Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko have been dominating the competition in their respective divisions.
'Bullet' is on a nine-fight win streak in the promotion and has seven flyweight title defenses to her name.
Nunes, on the other hand, recently avenged her loss to Julianna Pena and regained her bantamweight title at UFC 277.
Although 'The Lioness' had won her previous two encounters against Shevchenko, they were not emphatic by any stretch of the imagination. This is arguably the biggest fight the UFC can make in the women's division at the moment.
#4 UFC welterweight bout - Khamzat Chimaev vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
This welterweight scrap feels like the personification of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Both these 170-pound behemoths are running through their opponents in the promotion.
Khamzat Chimaev is currently 12-0 with wins over Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns, and Li Jingliang.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is also undefeated, with a 16-0 record. His last win was against MMA veteran Neil Magny via submission in the second round.
Both fighters have the potential to capture welterweight gold in the future. That is why this is a must-see matchup between two highly skilled individuals that should materialize in 2023.
#3 UFC bantamweight bout - Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2
Ever since their first encounter ended on a controversial note, MMA fans have been chomping at the bit to see a rematch between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera.
Both athletes have grown leaps and bounds since their fight and have faced high-level competition.
Since his win over O'Malley, 'Chito' has defeated the likes of Frankie Edgar, Rob Font, and Dominick Cruz.
O'Malley, in his last outing, defeated former champion Petr Yan.
This is arguably the biggest matchup in the 135-pound division and should ideally become a reality in 2023.
#2 UFC welterweight bout - Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
2023 could possibly bring with it the return of the biggest star in the sport - Conor McGregor.
The Irishman has been teasing a comeback for quite some time now, and Mcgregor appears to have healed from the leg injury sustained at UFC 264.
What better opponent for a comeback than Michael Chandler, a fighter who is guaranteed to bring fireworks each and every time he enters the octagon?
Both fighters have expressed interest in fighting each other. After his win over Tony Ferguson, 'Iron' called out Mcgregor at 170 pounds. 'The Notorious' was also open to the idea of fighting Chandler at welterweight. So, if the two athletes do share the octagon in 2023, there is a high chance of the fight being a 'Fight of the Year' contender.
#1 UFC heavyweight title - Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones
If there's one constant that is bound to be seen across all the 2023 prediction lists, it is this superfight between former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and current heavyweight king Francis Ngannou.
'Bones' has been out of action since February 2020, when he defeated Dominick Reyes to defend his title. Jones later relinquished the belt and decided to move up to heavyweight.
Jones has since put on a lot of muscle and appears ready to finally make the move to heavyweight. But with his devastating knockout power, Ngannou arguably poses the biggest threat to Jones in his entire MMA career.
That is why it is such an exciting matchup, and if it does materialize, the fight could go on to become the biggest event of 2023.
