10 MMA fights we want to see in 2023

As the UFC, Bellator, and other top MMA promotions get ready for their 2023 campaigns, it's time to lay out some of our wishes for the new year.

Here are 10 realistic matchups we hope come to fruition sometime in the next 12 months.

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones

Before diving in, let's revisit the 2022 edition of this column for just a moment. A heavyweight title bout between Ngannou and Jones was the No. 1 fight on the list, and this is what we said about it: "This is the fight everyone wanted in 2020, and then it was the fight everyone thought was bound to happen in 2021. Yet it's 2022, and Jones is still on the sidelines."

Well, another year has gone by, and, somehow, it's still status quo for "Bones" Jones. The former light heavyweight champion hasn't stepped into the Octagon since February 2020, and it remains unclear when - or if - he'll actually fight again.

However, Ngannou, arguably the scariest puncher in MMA history, defending his heavyweight crown against Jones, an all-time great who's eyeing a second title, is still by far our most desired matchup for 2023. It's absolutely perfect, and it'll be a damn shame if Ngannou and Jones don't finally battle it out this year.

Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2

When Vera defeated O'Malley in August 2020, both were still up-and-comers. But after impressive 2022 campaigns, they are now two of the top bantamweights in the UFC. This would be a highly anticipated rematch with much bigger stakes than last time.

Vera is scheduled to face Cory Sandhagen in a UFC Fight Night main event in February, while O'Malley - the No. 1-ranked contender - is one of two options for Aljamain Sterling's next title defense, the other being former champ Henry Cejudo. Although O'Malley-Vera 2 likely won't be next, there's no better timing for it than this year. And if both bantamweights keep winning, it might even be for a belt.

Alex Pereira vs. Robert Whittaker

This would be such a compelling matchup. Even though Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya to capture the UFC middleweight title, and Adesanya has beaten Whittaker twice, it feels like Whittaker has the clearest path to victory against Pereira out of anyone at 185 pounds.

Though Whittaker mostly sticks to his striking in the Octagon, the former champion is a surprisingly talented wrestler. And for anyone other than maybe Adesanya, you have to get former GLORY Kickboxing titleholder Pereira to the ground to beat him. Pereira will likely have to face Adesanya in a rematch before anything, but if he's able to set back "The Last Stylebender" yet again, a title defense against Whittaker would be a welcome matchup and a stylistic treat.

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen

Holloway's stock is the lowest it's been in a long time. Of course, he's still a great fighter and ranked No. 14 on the men's pound-for-pound list. But he's the clear No. 2 at featherweight now behind champion Alexander Volkanovski, who swept Holloway on the scorecards in a July trilogy bout after scoring competitive wins in their first two fights. With three losses to the champ, it's hard to see Holloway winning the title again - or even being in a position to do so - as long as Volkanovski is around.

Allen, meanwhile, deserves a big fight like this. He's won 12 in a row and hasn't lost since 2014. He's clearly one of the most talented fighters in the division. But with long periods of time off between fights, more decisions than finishes in recent years, and a bit of bad luck, the Englishman hasn't been pushed much by the UFC. Give him a big step up against Holloway, and let's find out if Allen is ready for a shot at gold.

Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Frankly, any welterweight title fight involving Chimaev would be perfect. The opponent - whether it's Edwards, Kamaru Usman, or someone else - doesn't matter as much. But Edwards is the champion right now, so we'll go with him.

Chimaev lost his air of invincibility in 2022, as Gilbert Burns took him three hard rounds at UFC 273 in April. But Chimaev still came out on top by unanimous decision, and it was an impressive performance in its own right, even if the striking tallies weren't nearly as lopsided as in Chimaev's other Octagon appearances.

There's no doubt after Chimaev beat Burns - and then returned to his dominant ways against Kevin Holland - that he's a top contender and coming for that strap. The one thing that could stand in the way of that is himself: Chimaev missed weight by a whopping 7.5 pounds for a scheduled Nate Diaz fight in September, resulting in the UFC booking him against Holland at the last minute instead. Even if Chimaev won't be at welterweight forever, we still want to see him get a shot at UFC gold - because, skill for skill, he's as good as anyone.

Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

The long-sought trilogy fight between Nunes and Shevchenko could probably be on this list year after year. It might never be No. 1, but it's the two best female fighters in the world - who have very few challenges awaiting them in their own division - facing off. Who wouldn't want to see that?

Nunes might face Julianna Pena for a third time next, while Shevchenko has Manon Fiorot or the winner of Taila Santos versus Erin Blanchfield in her crosshairs. But if Nunes is able to remain the women's bantamweight champion, and if Shevchenko can keep the women's flyweight belt around her waist by mid-2023, let's finally get this superfight between all-time greats on the schedule.

Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush

Dariush needs a step up in competition, an opponent who - with a win - would leave the UFC no choice but to give the No. 4-ranked lightweight contender a title shot. Oliveira fits the bill.

This fight, which pits two of the best grapplers in the division against each other in what is a fascinating stylistic matchup, was actually supposed to happen in 2020. Oliveira pulled out and went on a run to the title, leaving the Dariush matchup behind. But now, with Oliveira losing to Islam Makhachev last October and needing another win before rejoining the title mix, the UFC should highly consider rebooking Oliveira-Dariush.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev

This is a banger of a fight, isn't it? Fiziev is one of the most promising up-and-comers at lightweight, but at No. 6, he's probably more of a contender at this point. He still needs that marquee win to cement his case as a title challenger, though, and a matchup with Gaethje would give him the chance to secure it.

Gaethje, meanwhile, is coming off a title-fight loss to Oliveira last May. As much as we would like to see Gaethje fight Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler over and over again, it's time for the new blood at 155 pounds to start getting opportunities against the most notable names in the division. That starts with Gaethje-Fiziev, which is guaranteed to produce fireworks.

Ciryl Gane vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Pavlovich was the breakthrough star in the heavyweight division in 2022, moving all the way up to No. 3 with knockout wins over Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis, and Shamil Abdurakhimov. A fight with Gane, the former interim champion who's also coming off a win over Tuivasa, would be a great test to see if Pavlovich is ready to face Ngannou.

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. AJ McKee

The biggest must-see fight in Bellator this year is lightweight champion Nurmagomedov against former featherweight champ McKee, who's now at 155 pounds. Nurmagomedov is the new boogeyman of the division after dominating Patricky Freire. But McKee is the homegrown talent who ran through almost everyone at 145 pounds. McKee looked great in his Bellator lightweight debut last year, and he's the biggest name who could be paired up with Nurmagomedov. Book it.