In Part 1 of this list, we went through some of the best UFC fights that have already been announced for 2023. Here we will go through some fights to look forward to in 2023 that are expected but have yet to be announced and some fantasy matchups that we would love to see in 2023.
Make sure to read Part 1 of the list here.
6. Francis Ngannou (C) vs. Jon Jones for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, expected to take place UFC 285, March 4.
March is set to be a big month for the UFC with two PPVs expected to feature major title fights. UFC 285 is scheduled to take place from Las Vegas, Nevada with one of the most anticipated UFC fights set to headline the PPV.
Jon Jones is set to make his long awaited return to the UFC Octagon and face Francis Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The fight has been talked about since Jones announced his intention to move up to the Heavyweight division but has been delayed due to Jones needing more time to bulk up and Ngannou’s continued contractual issues with the UFC.
The storyline writes itself, Ngannou has the chance to cement himself among all-time greats, while Jones has the chance to solidify his GOAT status (with an asterisk, depending on your opinion). If the fight does go ahead, it will likely headline UFC 285, with the next fight on this list as the alternative.
7. Aljamain Sterling (C) vs. Henry Cejudo for the UFC Bantamweight Championship, expected to take place UFC 285, March 4.
The likely co-main event of UFC 285 will see the return of the former simultaneous UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo, who will take on current UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling for the title. While the fight has not been made official by the UFC, both men have indicated that it will be their next fight with it expected to take place in March.
Sterling will look to continue his impressive run as Bantamweight Champion and add Cejudo to his extensive resume. Cejudo, on the other hand, looks to add to his already extensive resume by becoming a 2-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.
8. Leon Edwards (C) vs. Kamaru Usman 3 for the UFC Welterweight Championship, UFC 286, March 19.
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One of the biggest fights of 2023 is set to take place at UFC 286 in London – the UFC Welterweight Championship rematch between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The fight could not be scripted any better. Usman deservingly gets his rematch after a dominant run as Welterweight Champ and Edwards gets to headline his home country PPV in a trilogy between two of the UFC’s all-time great Welterweights.
However, as always with the UFC, there is a potential spanner in the works; it has been reported that Usman may still be dealing with a hand injury leading to talks about Edwards facing Masvidal instead. While Edwards may like to settle his grudge with Masvidal, which began in London, I am sure most fans want to see the rematch with Usman. Here is to hoping the fight goes ahead.
9. Alex Pereira (C) vs. Israel Adesanya 2 for the UFC Middleweight Championship, expected to take place International Fight Week, July.
Another huge title rematch should take place around International Fight Week in July – the rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Pereira has a 3-0 record over Adesanya including two victories in Kickboxing and the 5th round Knockout to win the title at 281.
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Similarly to Usman, Adesanya was on an all-time run, with his only loss being to Jan Blachowicz at Light Heavyweight. Pereira made a meteoric rise to a title shot, mostly due to the two men’s history, and made the most of it with a 5th Round Knockout. In a similar manner to Leon Edwards’ 5th Round KO, Pereira was losing the fight going into the 5th and scored the Knockout he needed to win the belt.
This is currently the only fight to make for both men and it will be interesting to see whether Adesanya can rectify his losses and finally secure a victory against Pereira. Pereira’s power may just be Adesanya’s kryptonite.
10. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes or Weili Zhang
The final fight on our list of potential fights to look forward to in 2023 is a potential superfight between UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko and either the UFC Bantamweight Champion and GWOAT Amanda Nunes or UFC Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang.
These are the 3 best women’s fighter in the UFC, and in Shevchenko and Nunes, the two best women fighters of all time. Nunes holds two razor-close victories over Shevchenko at Bantamweight. But with Shevchenko naturally fighting at 125 pounds, the GWOAT debate should be settled at a middle ground of 130 pounds. The potential fight is the women’s equivalent of Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva meeting. That fight never happened, so let’s hope that Nunes and Shevchenko will fight in their primes at the peak of the sport.
Another superfight, albeit with slightly less fanfare, is a potential fight between Shevchenko and Zhang. Zhang, who is incredibly strong for a Strawweight, has talked about eventually moving up to Flyweight to seek double champ status. Zhang holds notable victories over the majority of Strawweight’s best fighters. 2023 may just be the right place and right time for Zhang to challenge Shevchenko and cement a spot alongside Nunes and Shevchenko as the best female fighters of all time.
All in all, there are some great fights coming in 2023 and it looks to be an exciting year for the UFC. Did I forget to mention Conor McGregor returning?