We have seen over a dozen championships change hands in 2022 and the year is not finished. This year within the major mixed martial arts (MMA) promotions has been a hectic one. Is there a chance that 2023 is just as chaotic? We can find the MMA betting odds for future fights as we are sure at least a few titles will change hands.
Let’s check the latest UFC odds, stats, and UFC lines. We’ve plenty of UFC betting odds for you to consider.
Champions To Be Felled in 2023
Shevchenko (UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion)
In the past 12 months, we have seen Amanda Nunes and Kamaru Usman drop their titles in historic upsets. This just proves that no matter how dominant a champion is, there will be one fight where they become mortal. Valentina Shevchenko could be the next demi-god to meet her match.
At this point, the seven-time defending champ has yet to book a fight. But whether it is a rematch against Taila Santos, a “super fight” with strawweight queen Zhang Weili or another hot contender, Shevchenko’s time could be coming to a close. When you see the odds, it’s worth betting online against her at wide lines.
Possible Next Fight: vs Zhang Weili (Sometime Mid-2023)
Pereira (UFC Middleweight Champion)
Israel Adesanya was another indomitable champion to fall. The former UFC middleweight king suffered a knockout loss to his longtime nemesis, Alex Pereira, in a fight he was winning. But even if this is the third straight fight Adesanya lost to Pereira, an immediate rematch makes plenty of sense.
Adesanya was beating Pereira in their last two fights. He even had him doing the chicken dance. It’s not a crazy proposition for Adesanya to beat Pereira in his fourth try as Juan Manuel Marquez did to Manny Pacquiao in boxing. And if it’s not Adesanya, any other contender with legitimate grappling skills can “upset” the newly-minted champion. Pereira’s time as the champ may be over before it even began.
- Possible Next Fight: vs Israel Adesanya IV (Around Mid-2023)
Top Contenders To Win Gold in 2023
Andrade (ONE, Bantamweight (145 lbs.))
Fabricio Andrade engaged John Lineker in one of the best brawls of 2022 albeit ended in a no-contest. It was a razor-thin edge for either fighter as they rocked each other in the 12 minutes they engaged. A rematch is now booked for early 2023 with the online gambling lines likely siding with Lineker, the ex-champion.
If that’s the case, it is worth betting on Andrade to finish the job and capture the belt. Even if he loses this fight, the exciting Brazilian should find himself fighting for the belt again. We see the 25-year-old wearing MMA gold before 2023 ends.
- Next Fight: vs John Lineker II (ONE on Prime Video 7, February 11)
Winner of Raufeon Stots-Sabatello (Bellator, Bantamweight)
Brewing in Bellator is a potential for an all-time great rivalry between interim champion Raufeon Stots and Danny Sabatello. Meeting in the semifinals of the Bantamweight Grand Prix, the winner will go on to fight Patchy Mix in the finals and then Sergio Pettis, the actual champion.
We may be getting ahead of ourselves here, but we see championship material in both Stots and Sabatello. Their ability to apply heavy pressure whether the fight goes gives them an edge. Expect to see the winner of their fight as a Bellator champion by the end of next year.
- Next Fight: Against Each Other (Bellator 289, December 9, 2022)
And Then There is a Bit of Both…
Figueiredo and Moreno (UFC Flyweight Champions)
Now this is a situation where both Figueiredo and Moreno will win titles, lose them, and win another. How so? Their fight this January will crown the undisputed flyweight champion. It will also likely be the last time they fight each other as it is a rubber match.
Should Figueiredo win, he may vacate the belt and move up to 135 pounds to challenge Aljamain Sterling. That is a fight he could win. And in Moreno’s case, if he loses to “Figgy” and the Brazilian moves up, he will be back in a title fight. It’s even possible for both to wear UFC gold by this time next year. If there is a prop for that, it could be the best UFC bet.
Next Fight: Against Each Other (UFC 283, January 21)
