As is becoming a habit with the recent lists, we start with another tie for 10th place:
10 (tie). Bo Nickal’s UFC debut
It doesn't matter whom he fights; many are very excited simply to see Nickal officially start his Ultimate Fighting Championship career, one they hope will go down as legendary. Nickal is not the youngest prospect, as he turns 27 this month—the same age as A.J. McKee, an established top star who has fought over 20 times professionally. But the hype is plenty justified, as Nickal is not only an incredible three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, but a natural at fighting. His BJJ looked fantastic in his two outings on Dana White's Contender Series, locking in two highly technical submissions, and he is already developing potent, dangerous striking, showing off a gorgeous overhand left that scored a brutal knockout in his MMA debut and dropped a foe on the Contender Series. He may already be an excellent, well-rounded fighter for all we know, and everyone is intrigued to see what he can become as he improves further. Excitement is high even around his first step into the big Octagon.
10 (tie). Conor McGregor vs. Anyone
Some were hyped for McGregor to face Michael Chandler; others for Tony Ferguson. Regardless of which opponent you want to see the Irishman face—a merely past-his-prime legend, or a completely washed-up one—there is still plenty of excitement around seeing the biggest star in MMA history return to the Octagon. That excitement is tempered by the reality of McGregor losing in decisive, devastating fashion to Dustin Poirier twice in 2021, taking all of 2022 off, and turning 35 in 2023 amid a litany of distractions and scandals outside of the cage, which is why he wasn’t higher on this list. Despite all that, his return to the UFC will be a big deal, the main event of a huge pay-per-view card.
9. A.J. McKee vs. Usman Nurmagomedov
I had this proposed fight ninth on my own list, though I acknowledge there is a decent chance it won't be a crowd-pleaser. Nurmagomedov is a grinding grappler and McKee will be looking to separate to strike. We may see the same type of close, technical fight as McKee vs. Rizin Fighting Federation champion Roberto Satoshi de Souza on New Year's, which was likely excellent preparation for the American. And yet, from the standpoint of a high-level martial arts battle between two amazing fighters, few bouts are better. As I've noted before, McKee is the most disgustingly talented fighter I've ever seen in MMA, with Jon Jones being the only one who comes close. He is a true phenom in every sense of the word. Nurmagomedov is “only” an undefeated, dominant lightweight world champion at just 24, and arguably better than his legendary cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov was at that age. While neither gets the respect they deserve because the canvas they fight on bears a Bellator MMA instead of UFC logo, they might both be among the 10 best fighters in the entire sport now and are still improving. Nurmagomedov has never come close to being defeated. McKee has one razor-thin decision loss to Patricio Freire, merely the greatest Bellator champion ever and one of the 20 or 25 greatest MMA fighters ever, in their rematch after finishing the Brazilian in less than two minutes the first time. So regardless of whether a potential McKee-Nurmagomedov meeting is exciting or not, I just want to see some of the highest level of martial arts greatness imaginable, which this would absolutely be.
8. Larissa Pacheco vs. Kayla Harrison 4
This fight's inclusion confuses me. Sure, Harrison and Pacheco are by far the two best female lightweight fighters in the world, though the division is anorexically thin, and they might well both be top 20 female fighters pound-for-pound. However, having watched every single second of their first three encounters, which works out to 65 minutes, or over an hour of in-cage action, it was hardly riveting. Moreover, we all know how the fight will go, if not the ultimate victor. Even after years of competing in MMA and 16 pro fights, Harrison's striking is very weak and limited, so she will be looking to grapple at all times. Early on, she will have no problems taking Pacheco down, though her offense from the top will be blunted, as Pacheco defends well, and Professional Fighters League bans elbows to downed opponents. Once Harrison tires in later rounds, Pacheco will have more success striking at range and inside the clinch, possibly even taking the back or top position if Harrison tries to force matters. It will be a close, grinding fight decided on the cards. Sure, it's a genuine rivalry, an intriguing stylistic contrast, and I will be watching a possible fourth encounter live, which will likely push the pair's in-cage acquaintance to 90 minutes, or a feature-length film. But aren't there are at least 10 more interesting fights we can see in 2023?
7. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 (or 4)
The first fight between the two was a fantastic duel, a fitting end to UFC 281, Sherdog's 2022 “Event of the Year.” Early on, we saw the two engage in world-class kickboxing, with Adesanya hurting Pereira badly at the end of Round 1 but the Brazilian having increasing success later on. Both men also utilized grappling, and despite a shocking takedown for Pereira, the more experienced Adesanya was better in this regard, building up a lead of three rounds to one heading into the final stanza. Needing a knockout in the fifth round, Pereira uncorked a vicious combination to stop Adesanya and become the new UFC middleweight king. Sherdog contributors would love to see a rematch, and why shouldn't they? It will be fascinating to see if Pereira, still so new to MMA, will improve his grappling further, and whether Adesanya, one of the smartest fighters in the sport, will make adjustments to his strategy to garner the victory. The only certainties are we will see more amazing striking coupled with brilliant gameplans from both champions.
6. Francis Ngannou vs. Sergei Pavlovich
This was all the way at No. 3 for me, and it should be immediately obvious why. It's a clash between the two most devastating heavyweight strikers of the past decade, and possibly of all time. Ngannou has become legendary for separating opponents from consciousness in mere seconds with his ferocious, terrifying blend of speed and power in both hands, taking 102 seconds to uppercut Alistair Overeem into oblivion, 92 seconds to bludgeon Andrei Arlovski, 71 seconds to batter Junior dos Santos senseless, 45 seconds to wallop Curtis Blaydes in their rematch, 26 seconds to send Cain Velasquez back into retirement and 20 seconds to leave the iron-chinned Jairzinho Rozenstruik splayed out, looking up with lifeless eyes. Most MMA fans, myself included, thought this ability was unique to him, but along came Pavlovich to prove this wasn't the case. He needed 131 seconds to brutalize Maurice Green, 66 seconds to shellack Marcelo Golm, 55 seconds to put Derrick Lewis to sleep and then 54 seconds to deliver one of the most vicious, one-sided beatings one will ever see against Tai Tuivasa. Showdowns between great heavyweight sluggers have been the most anticipated and celebrated in boxing and MMA for a reason, and it doesn't get much better than Ngannou and Pavlovich. Honesty compels me to note that there is a small chance this could be anticlimactic, as Ngannou had a legendarily boring fight against Lewis back in 2018, and Pavlovich's encounter with Mikhail Mokhnatkin in 2017 is lesser known but possibly even duller, since it lasted five rounds instead of three. Hopefully, such tentative performances are in the rear-view mirror for both of these great heavyweights, and this fight gets booked and delivers upon its promise.
5. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3
There is plenty of excitement for a rubber match between these two legendary champions. I was one of the few that predicted an Edwards triumph in their 2022 clash for the title, but for the first four rounds and four minutes, the great Usman had proven me wrong, using a genius mix of striking, clinching and wrestling to attain a 3-1 lead and keep himself out of danger. But Usman's desire to put on a memorable show for the fans proved to be his undoing, as he stood at range in the final minute. Edwards, a superlative fighter in his own right, showed his amazing heart and resourcefulness in seizing his last opportunity with a masterpiece of a head kick, knocking the unbeatable Usman out cold. Can he do it again, or will Usman stay disciplined and grind him down? Will Usman's creeping age—he turns 36 in May—hinder him against an Edwards that is only getting better? As with McKee-Nurmagomedov, this pits two of the most skilled martial artists in the world against one another. This one, however, is a deciding rubber match in their rivalry rather than a first meeting.
4. Aljamain Sterling’s Next Title Defense
Sterling is one of my absolute favorite fighters ever, and doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves, so it was a nice surprise to see him at fourth. Not as high as I had him, as a possible Sterling-Petr Yan 3 was No. 1 for me, which makes perfect sense when one considers how much I love Yan, too. Others preferred seeing Sterling face his next scheduled opponent in the returning legend Henry Cejudo, whom Sherdog listed as the ninth greatest mixed martial artist ever. That too is an amazing fight. In either scenario, we're not only going to watch the highest level of fighting skill, like McKee-Nurmagomedov and Edwards-Usman 3, but a guaranteed thrilling battle, with a high likelihood of going down as one of the best fights ever, not just in the realm of striking or grappling, but in both. How do you possibly top that?
3. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Anyone
Chimaev has captured the imagination and awe of the MMA world, and this is reflected in his placement. Whether the contributor wanted to see him face Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, or even a fellow undefeated young phenom in Shavkat Rakhmanov, his next outing will be a huge marquee event. Certainly, I can't argue with such a perspective, as Chimaev is a great fighter and all his outings thus far have been exciting. For me the best one was when he faced another top welterweight in Gilbert Burns in 2022, resulting in a close decision triumph, and certainly, Covington, Usman or Rakhmanov would test him even more. Chimaev, good as he is, isn't yet as skilled and proven as many fighters earlier on this list, but he has a mystique and star quality that they lack.
2. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
The first confirmed megafight of 2023 lands in the second position, and why shouldn't it? Volkanovski is frequently cited as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the entire sport, and he's going up a weight class to try to add a UFC lightweight title to his hardware, which would make him only the fifth champ-champ in promotional history. And to do so he will have to defeat another Top 10 pound-for-pound champion, the seemingly unbeatable Makhachev. Volkanovski is 25-1, with the lone loss coming very early in his career in 2013, at welterweight of all things, and Makhachev is 23-1, with his sole blemish occurring all the way back in 2015. Not only will one of them taste defeat for the first time in many years, but both are in their absolute primes, with Volkanovski recently turning 34 and Makhachev 31, their birthdays just two days apart. Both men are known for exceptional cardio, so this may end up being 25 minutes of uncompromising, brilliant combat seamlessly transitioning between striking and grappling, a dream come true for fight fans everywhere. Moreover, this showdown may well settle the question of who the overall best fighter in the world is. And yet, there is one fight that was even more anticipated, and really, one fighter.
1. Jon Jones’s Heavyweight Debut
The light heavyweight GOAT’s long-rumored return was the most popular choice among the Sherdog contributors polled. The two most common names to come up as prospective opponents were Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. While I didn't include either fight on my own list, the appeal is starkly obvious. Jones was voted the No. 1 all-time greatest pound-for-pound fighter by Sherdog, giving him an aura that literally no other martial artist has. And he has been away from the sport for almost three years now, with anticipation for his return only growing. Moving up to heavyweight and challenging either current champion Ngannou, the hardest puncher in the sport's history, or the supremely skilled Ciryl Gane, who is in many ways a heavyweight version of Jones himself, would both be among the most important fights in MMA history, not to mention the biggest-selling pay-per-view of 2023. Moreover, the plot lines are endless. Can Ngannou knock out the iron-chinned Jones, who has rarely even been hurt in his career? Will Jones add a heavyweight title to his storied career, as previous nemesis Daniel Cormier did? Will he still be sharp at 35 years old, with three years since his last outing? How will Jones even look at heavyweight, both visually and in terms of his speed and power? Will Gane or Ngannou be able to handle Jones' clinch striking, grappling, and oblique kicks? Will Jones finally lose decisively for the first time in his career? Will Gane and Ngannou add to their own greatness through a victory? And despite all that, I didn't include either fight. Why? Frankly, I think Jones has been declining steadily for a while and was very clearly past his prime against his last two opponents, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes, both of whom I believed beat him. In fact, the vast majority of MMA fans thought Reyes won, too. And it's not as if Reyes was just that great of a foe, as he has lost his three outings since, all decisive knockouts, the most recent in 80 seconds to Ryan Spann. Jones was only 32 against Reyes and will be at least 35 for any fight in 2023, with his training and dedication in the interim highly suspect. Basically, the mystique around Jones is a memory of the great champion he was five years ago. That's long gone, and the current version is nowhere close to that, all of which will be painfully exposed against either Gane or Ngannou. Moreover, this might well be a boring encounter, with Jones being aware of his weaknesses and choosing to very cautiously point-fight at range. But despite all that, if this fight does indeed happen in 2023, I will be watching it transfixed, in rapt attention, just like everyone else.