Two Fights That Every UFC Fan Wants to See in 2023
The past 12 months have been an exhilarating ride for UFC fans. Throughout 2023 alone, we have seen Jon Jones return to the summit of the sport, claiming the Heavyweight Championship in his first bout in the division and reclaiming his spot as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. We have also seen Britain’s Leon Edwards assert his dominance as the best welterweight on the planet with his second consecutive victory against former champion and pound-for-pound king Kamaru Usman.
At UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, we saw a homecoming for the ages for featherweight champion Alexander Volkanowski. He faced off against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the hopes of becoming the company’s fourth-ever simultaneous two-weight world champion. The king at 145 pounds proved that online casinos in Australia aren’t the only sources of entertainment as he impressed everyone en route to a razor-thin unanimous decision defeat to his Russian opponent, despite being a massive betting underdog.
But as the second half of 2023 approaches, there are still plenty of fights that fans the world over can’t wait to see. And here are two of them.
Colby Covington vs Khamzat Chimaev
Following Leon Edwards’ successful title defense in his rematch against Kamaru Usman in London back in March, Dana White alienated many within the MMA community when he announced that Colby Covington would be the next challenger for the gold. Chaos hasn’t fought in the Octagon since soundly defeating bitter rival Jorge Masvidal last March, and many thought that he should face off against another top contender in order to secure his title shot. The champion himself even stated that he didn’t feel that the Florida native deserved a shot.
Edwards stated that he would have preferred a bout against the Gamebred as the pair have history, with Masvidal famously hitting the Brit with the “three-piece and a soda” backstage at UFC London back in 2019. Following Masivdal’s fourth consecutive defeat, this time to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 last month, he announced his retirement from the sport, seemingly clearing the way for Edwards vs Covington at some point during the summer.
However, that isn’t the fight that fans want to see. The fans have been clamoring for Covington to face off against undefeated monster Khamzat Chimaev. There is plenty of bad blood between the pair, and they have been firing off insults at each other consistently throughout the last year.
The undefeated Chechen-born Swede has been doing everything he can to get Covington into the Octagon with him. However, after the 29-year-old missed weight for his bout with Nate Diaz last September by a whopping eight pounds, Chaos has stated numerous times that he has no interest in facing off against the unprofessional Chimaev. It remains to be seen how the saga will unfold, however, the smart play would be to have those two faces off in a number one contender battle, with the winner facing Edwards later in the year.
Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou
All right, we admit, this fight is going to be a lot harder for the matchmakers within the UFC to make. Considering the fact that former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has recently left the company in acrimonious circumstances and considering the fact that he has reportedly signed a contract with the PFL, this fight could be a none starter altogether. But come on, is there any fight in the UFC today that would do bigger numbers than Jon Jones defending his heavyweight gold against The Predator?
Jonny Bones is scheduled to defend his title against former heavyweight king Stipe Miocic at some point in 2023. But with the Cleveland native now being 40 years of age and without a fight under his belt since he was stopped by Ngannou two years ago, would anyone rather see that fight over Jones vs Ngannou? We think not.
And let’s face it, stranger things have happened. The UFC famously tempted Brock Lesnar out of retirement for a bout against Mark Hunt at UFC 200 despite the Beast Incarnate being under contract with WWE. The company also managed to make a blockbuster bout between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather in the summer of 2017, despite the Notorious one being contracted to the UFC.
If the money is right, we don’t see any reason why Ngannou wouldn’t accept a one-fight deal with his former company to face off against Jones. It’s a bout that fans have been dreaming of for years now, especially considering the fact that Jonny Bones was out of action for three years while he made his preparations for the heavyweight division. Never say never in the world of the UFC, and don’t be surprised to see this blockbuster bout get made at some point throughout the rest of the year, providing that both Dana White and Ngannou can put their egos to one side.
