Best UFC fights of 2023: 10 exciting fights that amazed the fans

The year 2023 of the UFC does not feel complete without a recap of the best fights. There are a lot of bone-chilling fights that the fans got to witness inside the octagon in 2023. Irrespective of gender, the fighters delivered jaw-dropping performances inside the octagon.

Every year, the performance of the UFC fighters is exponentially increasing. This sets the stage for a battle of blood and guts as the techniques cancel each other. Here are the best ten fights in the UFC that got the fans excited and craving for more in 2023.

Honorable Mentions

Many exciting fights could not feature in the top 10 list. Dan Hooker‘s victory over Jalin Turner at UFC 290 after taking a head kick flush on the side of the head just missed out. Justin Gaethje‘s striking evolution against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 also just missed out. The action-packed middleweight fight between Chris Curtis and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 287 came agonizingly close to entering the list.

Max Holloway vs Arnold Allen was an exciting fight, but Holloway was just one step ahead in the fight. Ilia Topuria’s masterclass performance against Josh Emmett and Jared Cannonier‘s five-round masterclass over Marvin Vettori was too one-sided. Check out the list.

10 – Nazim Sadykhov vs. Viacheslav Borshchev at UFC 295

Nazim Sadykhov and Viacheslav Borshchev fought in the preliminary card of UFC 295. The fight won the Fight of the Night bonus at the event. The action-packed, striking battle ended in a draw, keeping the fans on the edge of their seats.

The first round saw the credential kickboxer in Borshchev dismantling Sadykhov. However, Sadykhov caught the Russian fighter with a head kick and almost finished him. Surprisingly, Borshchev returned in the third round to make the fight a draw as Sadykhov won the second round 10-8.

9. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman at UFC 294

Khamzat Chimaev and Kamaru Usman fought in the co-main event of UFC 288. Paulo Costa was Chimaev’s original opponent. However, Usman stepped in on ten days’ notice. Moreover, Dana White even called the fight a number one contender fight for the middleweight title.

Khamzat Chimaev, in typical fashion, dominated Usman in round 1 with wrestling. However, Usman survived and came back strong in round 2. Nevertheless, Chimaev eked past in round 3 and won the fight via majority decision. It was the only fight in the event’s main card that went the full distance.

8 – Movsar Evloev vs. Diego Lopes at UFC 288

Diego Lopes replaced Bryce Mitchell on short notice to make his UFC debut against the undefeated Movsar Evloev. Lopes, the grappling coach of women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, even caught Evloev in a kneebar in the first round, but the Russian somehow escaped.

Evloev comfortably won the last two rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory. The technical brilliance of Evloev vs the heart and guts of Lopes made an exciting fight for the fans. The fight also won the Fight of the Night bonus at the event.

7 – Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Geoff Neal at UFC 285

Shavkat Rakhmonov faced Geoff Neal in a 175lbs catchweight bout at UFC 285 after Neal missed weight. After two action-packed rounds, Rakhmonov submitted Neal with a standing bulldog choke submission in the third round.

With the win, the undefeated Rakhmonov kept his 100% finish streak intact. Rakhmonov could not take Neal to the ground in the fight. Neal showcased outstanding takedown defense. This caused the two to trade shots. However, Rakhmonov hurt Neal and went for the finish with the choke in the third round. The fight also won the Fight of the Night bonus at the event.

6 – Guram Kutateladze vs. Elves Brener at UFC Vegas 76

Guram Kutateladze vs. Elves Brener fought at UFC Vegas 76. Kutateladze was a big favorite in the fight, and the first two rounds stayed true to the betting odds. Kutateladze bloodied Brener, but the Brazilian did not quit. Brener hurt the Georgian fighter with a left hand in the third round and finished the bout.

The fight won the Fight of the Night bonus. Brener trains at Chute Boxe Academy with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Brener went on to finish Kaynan Kruschewsky in his next bout. Nevertheless, the fight against Kutateladze made fans notice Brener, who demonstrated impeccable toughness to win the bout.

5 – Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko II at UFC Noche

Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko headlined UFC Noche in the rematch of the fight that saw Grasso submit Shevchenko to become the flyweight champion. Unlike the first fight, Shevchenko looked like a woman on a mission as she used her quick strikes to keep Grasso at bay. However, Grasso hit back and even dropped Shevchenko.

The fight ended in a split draw, and the women are poised to fight in a trilogy in 2024. Both women showed impressive hearts in the fight and entertained the pro-Mexican crowd. Even though the judge’s decision was criticized, Shevchenko and Grasso entertained the crowd throughout five rounds.

4 – Edson Barboza vs Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Vegas 81

Edson Barboza and Sodiq Yusuff headlined UFC Vegas 81. The fight was thought to create a changing of the guard moment. However, Barboza had other plans. Yusuff almost finished Barboza in round 1 and even looked to dominate the veteran fighter.

However, Barboza won all rounds from 2 to 5 and even hurt Yusuff in the fourth round with his signature spinning heel kick. The 37-year-old Barboza used all his veteran knowledge to win the fight. Moreover, the fight won the Fight of the Night bonus at the event. This was also the best comeback performance in 2023.

3 – Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev at UFC 284

Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev first met inside the octagon at UFC 284. At the time, the duo were the number one and two pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC, respectively. Islam Makhachev won the fight via unanimous decision, but it was not without controversy. Many thought Volkanovski won the fight. Nevertheless, it was a closely contested fight, and it even won the Fight of the Night bonus at the event.

Volkanovski showed impressive wrestling, whereas Makhachev showed impressive striking in the bout. The featherweight champion even hurt Makhachev in the final round of the bout. Nevertheless, the fight was worthy of being called the fight between the world’s best.

2 – Irene Aldana vs Karol Rosa at UFC 296

Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa fought in the preliminary card of UFC 296. The fight was the best card of the event. It was a sure shot to win the Fight of the Night bonus. The fight saw the two women show otherworldly toughness to entertain the crowds.

Rosa comfortably won the first round with her leg kicks that destroyed Aldana’s lead leg. However, Aldana came back strong in the second and third rounds with uppercuts and body shots to win by unanimous decision. Both women were bloodied after the fight and were the rightful winners of the Fight of the Night bonus.

1 – Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja II at UFC 290

Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja II co-headlined UFC 290. The flyweights put one for the ages in a performance that saw both fighters dig deep. The fight was a rematch of their initial encounter that saw Pantoja win by submission. However, this time, Moreno was different, and it was evident.

Nevertheless, Pantoja edged past Moreno with a split decision victory, with all judges having a 48-47 scorecard. Moreover, the fighters also got the Fight of the Night bonus for their performance. The fight topped the list of the best UFC fights of 2023 because it was a championship bout with no boring moments throughout all five rounds.

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