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Rematches have played a major role throughout the history of the UFC and combat sports in general. They add to the drama and storyline of a rivalry between fighters and have produced some iconic moments that’ll be etched in MMA folklore for many years to come.
Some of the most memorable rematches in UFC history include Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir 2, Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn 2, Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2, Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2, Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou 2 and Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 2, to name a few.
With another year of MMA action to look forward to, we thought we'd rank the most intriguing sequels potentially on the horizon. That said, here are five rematches we need to see in the UFC in 2023.
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#5. Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira 2 – UFC lightweight division
This entry might seem a tad left-field, but it still makes sense for both fighters involved.
Max Holloway, who was considered the best featherweight on the planet just three years ago, has seen his legacy get somewhat overshadowed by UFC pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski's success in recent times. Holloway's three championship losses to the Australian all but ensures that 'Blessed' is unlikely to get another shot at the title while Volkanovski remains the champion.
As such, a move up to the lightweight division appears to be the only logical move for Holloway. His prior accomplishments warrant a high-profile opponent at 155 pounds, and Charles Oliveira fits the bill. The duo notably locked horns in the main event of a Fight Night in Canada in 2015, with Holloway emerging victorious.
The bout ended in anti-climactic fashion as Charles Oliveira sustained a neck injury in the very first round of the bout, prompting the referee to step in. Now, over seven years removed from their fight, a rematch between the two makes a ton of sense.
Oliveira is ranked No.1 in the lightweight division. The all-action Brazilian will need a win or two to return to title contention at 155 pounds, considering the one-sided nature of his loss to current champion Islam Makhachev.
With Max Halloway quite far off featherweight gold, a return to lightweight against an opponent he already has a win over could make things very interesting. At 31, Holloway is amidst his athletic prime, and if he is to taste UFC gold once again, the 155-pound strap appears to be the only target in sight.
A win over a former lightweight champion will see Holloway put himself in an ideal position to contest the belt. From Oliveira's point of view, a shot at redemption might be hard to pass up.
#4. Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 – UFC welterweight division
Jorge Masvidal has endured a horrific run of form off late. 'Gamebred' hasn't won a fight since his scorching 3-0 run in 2019 that saw him claim the 'Fighter of the Year' award, comprising KO/TKO wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz.
Masvidal then came up short in back-to-back title fights against Kamaru Usman and was subsequently outclassed by bitter rival Colby Covington last year. As a result, the BMF titleholder has dropped down to the No.11 spot in the welterweight rankings.
Masvidal's star power can vault him into massive fights down the line, but he needs a win first. While there are no easy fights in the UFC, a rematch against Stephen Thompson seemingly benefits all parties involved.
Jorge Masvidal and Stephen Thompson squared off for the first time back in 2017. On that occasion, 'Wonderboy' picked apart 'Gamebred' en route to a unanimous decision victory. However, this was before Masvidal's "resurrection" and a rematch between the two veterans would certainly attract a ton of attention.
Moreover, it's a fantastic stylistic matchup that is all but guaranteed to produce fireworks. With both welterweight contenders looking to work their way back into the title mix, this one's a no-brainer from the matchmakers' perspective.
#3. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Taila Santos 2 – UFC women's flyweight championship bout
Valentina Shevchenko is the most dominant champion in the UFC right now. No other current titleholder can hold a candle to what Shevchenko has done in her division thus far and she looks set to reign over the weight class for a long time to come.
Given the aura that surrounds the flyweight queen, very few gave Brazilian challenger Taila Santos a chance heading into their title clash at UFC 275 in Singapore last year.
Taila Santos gave the champion the toughest fight of her career at 125 pounds. Valentina Shevchenko struggled against her Brazilian foe's grappling prowess in the early rounds, with the challenger coming very close to locking up submissions on multiple occasions.
Shevchenko came on strong late in the fight and ultimately earned a split-decision win. However, large sections of the MMA community opined that Santos deserved to win on the night. A rematch between the flyweight duo is clearly the toughest matchup for 'Bullet' in the flyweight division.
Santos is set to take on Erin Blanchfield next, and if she beats the surging contender, another shot at the title is warranted. While strawweight queen Zhang Weili and No.1-ranked flyweight Manon Fiorot also appear to be in the mix, a Shevchenko-Santos sequel needs to happen.
If their rematch is anywhere as close as their initial meeting, expect Santos' stock to reach new heights. For Shevchenko, it will be an opportunity to make a statement and silence those who doubt her dominance.
#2. Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 – UFC bantamweight division
Sean O'Malley eked out an incredibly narrow split decision win over former champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 to make a massive leap up the rankings. Despite being a sizable betting underdog heading into the bout, 'Sugar' stood toe-to-toe with Yan and proved that be belongs among the elite at 135 pounds.
2023 looks set to be a massive year for O'Malley, who will more than likely contest the 135-pound strap at some point.
With current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling linked to a fight against former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo, O'Malley is expected to fight the winner. Given the grappling prowess of both Sterling and Cejudo, 'Sugar' will likely enter her maiden title fight as an underdog.
If he emerges victorious and claims the title, there is only one fight to make – a rematch with Marlon Vera. The bantamweight duo initially squared off back in 2020, when Vera claimed a first-round TKO victory after O'Malley suffered a rare and unfortunate injury.
O'Malley has never acknowledged the result as a loss, and with their fight ending under dubious circumstances, there's unresolved tension between them. Additionally, both fighters have stated that they're open to a rematch down the line.
Of course, a lot has to happen for this fight to come to fruition, with Vera currently slated to take on Cory Sandhagen in February and 'Sugar' waiting for a title shot. Nevertheless, whether 'Chito' and O'Malley lock horns with the strap on the line or not, it's an explosive matchup between the division's most lethal knockout artists.
#1. Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira 2 – UFC middleweight championship bout
The boogeyman of Israel Adesanya's career, Alex Pereira, blew the roof off Madison Square Garden in New York in November last year. Adesanya was looking to defend his middleweight strap for a sixth time heading into his bout with kickboxing rival Pereira, but suffered a devastating TKO loss to the hard-hitting Brazilian.
Across all combat sports, Adesanya is now 0-3 against Pereira, who holds two wins over 'The Last Stylebender' in kickboxing. Considering Adesanya's dominance prior to his defeat to Pereira, and the fact that he has already beaten most top-ranked contenders, a rematch is all but certain.
The middleweight division is in an interesting place, with two world-class strikers atop the pecking order. Interestingly, Adesanya's superior striking saw him beat the likes of Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa and Derek Brunson, but the Nigerian-born Kiwi will need to mix it up against Pereira.
'Poatan' is an experienced kickboxer just like Adesanya, but possesses significantly more power. The Brazilian's stellar collection of knockouts makes him Adesanya's toughest matchup and it remains to be seen whether he can exact his revenge.
Can Adesanya finally put away his boogeyman, or is this the dawn of a new era at middleweight? Time will tell...
