X
Skip to content
left arrowBack right arrow FIGHT CLUB right arrow Fighters of The Year

FIGHT CLUB | Dec 28

Fighters of The Year

The Elite of the Best, Who Is the UFC’s Best Fighter of 2023?

Fighters of The Year
Sean O’Malley gets ready to face Aljamain Sterling | Paul Rutherford/Getty Images/AFP

“I’m Not Surprised Motherf*ckers” 🦁 -Nate Diaz

I’d say it was bittersweet, but the reality is that it was nothing but “Suga.”

The year 2023 witnessed yet another triumphant twelve months within the confines of the UFC Octagon. The promotion celebrated its 30th anniversary, demonstrating how, even after three decades, it remains the dominant force in the global arena of mixed martial arts, continuously revolutionizing the sport. Several records were shattered, fresh champions were crowned, indelible memories were forged, and of course, I made a sh*t ton of cash betting because I’m that damn good.

Inflated wagering egos aside, and with the UFC schedule on pause until January 14, it’s time to reflect on 2023. It’s been f*cking epic, to say the least, but who’s been the best fighters of the year?

MMA media publications each have their takes on the matter; MMA Fighting, for example, selected Sean Strickland, but the opinions of others mean nothing to me. As we approach the year’s conclusion and anticipate the thrilling events of 2024, let us commemorate 2023 by selecting our fighters of the year. There isn’t a sole winner because, frankly, it’s ludicrous to choose one man from a pool of savages.

 

Jon Jones Is a Mean S.O.B

Jon Jones became the eighth fighter in history to secure championship belts in two different weight divisions by winning the heavyweight belt at UFC 285.

Do I care that he competed once? No, the above achievement in itself was a phenomenal moment. Suppose an injury didn’t prevent him from headlining UFC 296 versus Stipe Miocic, and he dominated that title defense. In that case, we know every MMA news publication would have him sitting atop their Fighter of the Year lists.

Not forgetting, with his beatdown of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, Jones also became the third fighter in history to secure championship belts in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, after Daniel Cormier and Randy Couture.

 

O’Malley Silenced Everyone

Aljamain Sterling established a new record for the most consecutive wins in the bantamweight division at UFC 288, achieving a remarkable streak of 9 victories in a row.

Despite this incredible achievement, and unfortunately for the Sean O’Malley hate club, the streak ended abruptly at UFC 292.

“Suga” knocked Sterling into another weight division and became the second fighter to win a championship after being recruited through Dana White’s Contender Series, stealing the bantamweight crown and ending the streak that nobody believed he could.

I’d say it was bittersweet, but the reality is that it was nothing but “Suga.”

 

Don’t F*ck With Alex Pereira

Sean Strickland may have shocked the world and defeated Israel Adesanya, but let’s not forget who blemished the record of Izzy first: it was “Poatan” in 2022!

And sure, he was brutally knocked out by Izzy in the 2023 rematch, but this didn’t prevent one of the greatest kickboxers in this generation of pro-MMA from obtaining legendary status.

Let’s look at the facts following his middleweight and light heavyweight championship success, shall we…

Alex Pereira has earned the honor of becoming the ninth fighter in UFC history to secure championship belts in two different weight divisions during the UFC 295 event.

Pereira leads the record for the smallest number of UFC fights, seven in total, to achieve the status of a two-division champion.

When all is said and done on Pereira’s career, there won’t be many, if any, fighters who’ll accomplish so much success in such a short time frame.

 

Islam Makhachev is THAT GUY!

Listen, I understand why everyone is kissing the ass of Sean Strickland, but please tell me how a decision victory over Adesanya – in a title bout he didn’t earn – is more impressive than winning back-to-back Super Fights? I’ll wait…

Islam Makhachev equaled the lightweight division’s record for the longest winning streak at UFC 294, achieving a remarkable 12 consecutive victories. He defeated the reigning featherweight champion and greatest 145 lb competitor of this generation twice! He also positioned himself as a KO of The Year 2023 contender via a brutal head-kick win over Volk, handing the Australian his second straight defeat and first-ever stoppage loss.

UFC Knockout of the Year 2023

Besides the most noteworthy individual performances of 2023, we must celebrate the knockouts because no matter how much we combat sports fans love the technicality within MMA; nothing can match the adrenaline of witnessing a brutal knockout.

 

Selecting one lone fight to top such a list is difficult. Gun to my head, however, I’d probably have to pick Junior Tafa’s round-one knockout over Parker Porter. It wasn’t the flashiest, but there’s something special about one-punch KO’s; they’re rare, and unlike a barrage of strikes that result in a TKO, they display the true power a fighter possesses.


Or, how about Junior’s brother, Justin, who delivered an almost identical walk-off knockout of the same opponent in the same year?


Damn, son, it’s been a rough twelve months for Porter.

 

Honorable Mentions

I could easily dish out 10,000 words on MMA rumors and the best fighters of 2023; this year in MMA has been that damn good. However, I don’t have the time or the patience. So, for those fighters who deserve credit for their octagon services in 2023, they’ll make it onto our honorable mentions list below:

Sean Strickland

Tom Aspinall

Alexandre Volkanovski

Alexa Grasso

Dricus Du Plessis

Shavkat Rakhmonov

Khamzat Chimaev

Alexandre Pantoja

Bo Nickal

Ilia Topuria

Muhammad Mokaev

Tatiana Suarez

Tatsuro Taira

Ian Garry

_

🚀 Breaking news, bold views. Join our Telegram broadcast!

Related Articles

Mike Tyson Will Rake In a Massive Purse for Jake Paul Fight Mike Tyson Will Rake In a Massive Purse for Jake Paul Fight
Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal Rematch Will Take Place in a Boxing Ring Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal Rematch Will Take Place in a Boxing Ring
UFC 299 – A Battle of Titans UFC 299 – A Battle of Titans

Comments (0)