No matter how strong or weak a calendar year is for the UFC in terms of overall stacked cards and events, there's always one guarantee — there will always be great fights. 2023 is no different as MMA fans have been treated to some amazing battles. From technical chess matches to absolute brawls to fights with devastating knockout finishes, there's been some amazing fights this year and with many big fights still remaining in the calendar year. But for now, let's take a look at five of the biggest UFC fights of 2023 so far.
Note: This is a subjective list where the criteria of the best fights is not necessarily a barnburner or Fight of the Night that goes the distance.
5. Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje II
There may be a bit of recency bias, but it never hurts to start a list with Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje — two of the most entertaining and all-action brawlers in UFC history. Their rematch took place at UFC 291 last month for the BMF title and it delivered for as long as it went on. While it didn't last four rounds, there was still plenty of action as both fighters landed big shots on each other in a competitive first round that even saw Poirier rock Gaethje bad.
Poirier, however, decided to pace himself rather than go for the kill which proved to be his downfall as a minute into the second round, Gaethje landed an uncharacteristic head kick that turned his lights off and sent MMA fans crazy. It was a finish that many will remember for quite some time.
4. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya II
The highly-anticipated middleweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 delivered in more ways than one. It didn't go into the championship rounds like last time, but we still got to see two of the highest-level kickboxers deliver a technical striking masterclass with both fighters exchanging big punches and kicks. What makes these kinds of fights even better? A definitive finish.
Just like the first fight, Pereira seemed to have hurt Adesanya bad but as he was going for the kill, he put his defenses down. Adesanya, meanwhile, was playing a bit of possum and managed to counter the Brazilian with a big right hand that rocked him before delivering a combination that put him out cold. Adesanya became a two-time champion and finally got a win over his arch nemesis as he delivered a memorable post-fight celebration and speech. However, it was the tension of watching the contest live and the subsequent finish that will remain most memorable.
3. Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
If you want a pure violent brawl, look no further than the UFC 285 matchup between welterweights Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov. Rakhmonov was the rising, undefeated contender viewed as a future champion going up against a veteran in Neal. Surely, it would be easy work for Rakhmonov?
It was anything but, as fans got to witness an absolute slugfest with Neal having plenty of moments with his boxing. However, Rakhmonov displayed a godly chin while landing many shots of his own mainly with his kicking. Just as the fight entered the final minute, the Kazakh was able to lock in a standing rear naked choke to get the win. It was a brutal finish, but a perfect way to end that fight and further showcase how scary a fight Rakhmonov is to the other welterweights in the division.
2. Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev
Justin Gaethje battled Rafael Fiziev in the UFC 286 co-headliner in what was a contest between two of the best strikers in the lightweight division. However, given that Gaethje was coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira and the younger Fiziev was on a six-fight winning streak, many expected the fight to signal a changing of the guard.
It looked like it would go that way as Fiziev had a strong start in the first round. However, Gaethje made the necessary adjustments and eventually started connecting on Fiziev with much more frequency. The result was plenty of violence as while Fiziev was still in it, by the end of the fight, it was clear that Gaethje had won. That was even more evident by the crimson mask Fiziev was wearing in the end as he had taken more damage than we'd ever seen him take in the UFC.
1. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
When it's all said and done, this was not only arguably the most anticipated fight of the year so far, but the best fight period. Alexander Volkanovski moved up to fight the bigger Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 284 and it was an extremely technical and competitive affair between two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
We got to see Volkanovski battle adversity and deal with Makhachev's stellar ground game. We also got to see his crisp striking as the Aussie not only landed 70 significant strikes against Makhachev — more than the champion's last six opponents combined — but also managed to drop him in what was easily Makhachev's toughest fight in recent years.
The last visual of the fight was Makhachev getting ground and pounded by Volkanovski and although the champion did just enough to get the decision, Volkanovski's stock rose dramatically with many believing he should have won. A rematch is bound to happen, and it promises to be even better than the first meeting.
Follow Us
Subscribe