Ranking the 10 best MMA fights still to come in 2023

Major MMA promotions are down to their last handful of events in 2023, but there are still some big fights set to unfold before the calendar flips to a new year.

Which ones are must-watch material? Below, we rank the 10 best matchups over the next eight weeks based on potential for excitement, competitiveness, and importance.

10. Tony Ferguson vs. Paddy Pimblett

Event: UFC 296, main card
Date: Dec. 16
Division: Lightweight

Ferguson-Pimblett has no business being as big of a fight as it is. Ferguson, a former UFC interim lightweight champion, is riding a six-fight losing streak, and Pimblett - although 4-0 in the UFC - hasn't shown many signs he has what it takes to be a top contender. That said, this is solid matchmaking for both men. For the first time in a while, Ferguson is facing a very beatable opponent. And Pimblett has a chance to add a win over an all-time lightweight to his resume.

9. Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Event: UFC Austin, main card
Date: Dec. 2
Division: Bantamweight

Former flyweight champion Figueiredo is finally leaving his division behind and attempting to start a new chapter at bantamweight. This fight against Font is a good litmus test of his capacity for success against bigger men at 135 pounds. Font is no easy test. He's been a top bantamweight for years and has crafty striking. If Figueiredo can beat him, then he may be able to make a real run in the division. This should be a very competitive - and fun - fight.

8. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson

Event: UFC 296, main card
Date: Dec. 16
Division: Welterweight

On paper, this is probably the least competitive fight on the list. Rakhmonov is around a 5-1 betting favorite. Stylistically, he's a nightmare matchup for "Wonderboy." But this is still a solid contender bout - No. 5 against No. 6 - and it's worth a mention. Rakhmonov is on a tear and could easily be a future 170-pound champion. A win over Thompson is the next step he needs to get there. Meanwhile, Thompson has a chance to pull off the upset and march toward one final title shot himself.

7. Vicente Luque vs. Ian Machado Garry

Event: UFC 296, main card
Date: Dec. 16
Division: Welterweight

Garry is also an up-and-comer at 170 pounds, and he's Ireland's best hope at another UFC champion. Nicknamed "The Future," Garry is a lot less proven than Rakhmonov, but a stoppage win over a perennial contender like Luque could convince MMA fans that he is indeed one of the best welterweights in the world. Stakes aside, Luque-Garry will be a fun action fight between two high-level strikers. Can't complain about that.

6. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval 2

Event: UFC 296, co-main event
Date: Dec. 16
Division: Flyweight title fight

Pantoja is making his first title defense after beating Brandon Moreno in July in one of the best fights of the year. This rematch against Royval signifies a new era in the division: It's the first UFC flyweight title fight since January 2019 that doesn't include either Moreno or Figueiredo. Pantoja beat Royval by submission in 2021, but now they get to meet with gold on the line. Royval deserves to be here, having won by first-round finish in back-to-back appearances. High-level flyweight bouts are often awesome, so this is one to watch for sure.

5. Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Event: UFC Austin, main event
Date: Dec. 2
Division: Lightweight

Tsarukyan finally gets what he's deserved for the longest time: An opportunity to crack into the top five at lightweight. The Armenian-Russian fighter is one of the best up-and-coming talents at 155 pounds, but he's struggled to secure matchups against top opposition. Dariush, the No. 4-ranked contender, was willing to give him a shot. After all, Dariush is coming off a stoppage loss to Charles Oliveira - he likely didn't have much say when it came to matchmaking for his next fight. Stylistically, Dariush-Tsarukyan is intriguing: It may be a grappling fan's delight.

4. Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington

Event: UFC 296, main event
Date: Dec. 16
Division: Welterweight title fight

A major pay-per-view main event would usually be No. 1 or No. 2 on a list like this. But Edwards-Covington doesn't quite make the cut. Yes, these are two of the best welterweights on the planet fighting for the strap. But Covington hasn't stepped into the Octagon since March 2022 when he beat Jorge Masvidal. There's an argument as to whether Covington truly deserves a title shot, especially with Belal Muhammad and his 10-fight unbeaten streak waiting in the wings. Plus, stylistically, there's no guarantee the tilt with Edwards will be one to remember. But this is obviously still a big fight, so it comes in at No. 4.

3. Sergio Pettis vs. Patchy Mix

Event: Bellator 301 co-main event
Date: Nov. 17
Division: Bantamweight title fight

Pettis-Mix is the best fight Bellator has to offer right now. Pettis, the promotion's bantamweight champion, is returning from a torn ACL to defend his title in a unification bout. Mix won the interim belt - and the Bantamweight Grand Prix championship - with a Knockout of the Year candidate in April. Mix is 18-1 as a pro and is coming into his own as a top bantamweight. Both he and Pettis are good on the feet. Mix, who's huge for the division at 5-foot-11, also has a sneaky submission game. The winner of this fight will be widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world.

2. Sergei Pavlovich vs. Tom Aspinall

Event: UFC 295, co-main event
Date: Nov. 11
Division: Interim heavyweight title fight

Pavlovich-Aspinall wasn't on the UFC's schedule until Jon Jones recently suffered an injury and pulled out of his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic, but it quickly became one of the most anticipated fights. Pavlovich and Aspinall are the future of the division, and there's a reasonable chance the winner will end up becoming undisputed champion in 2024. Not only are the stakes high, but there's almost no chance this fight is boring. Pavlovich hits like a truck and is aggressive. Aspinall moves like a welterweight, has solid power, and is one of the biggest submission threats in the division. This might be a first-round finish in the making.

1. Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira

Event: UFC 295, main event
Date: Nov. 11
Division: Vacant light heavyweight title fight

Between now and New Year's Eve, it doesn't get any better than Prochazka-Pereira for undisputed gold at 205 pounds. For starters, the storylines are endless: Prochazka relinquished the light heavyweight title in 2022 after suffering a severe shoulder injury. Jamahal Hill won the vacant belt but also had to give it up due to injury. Now, Prochazka is here to take back what he believes is his.

Meanwhile, Pereira is trying to become one of the few two-division champions in UFC history - at lightning-quick speed. He won the middleweight title in November 2022, lost it in April, and then successfully made his light heavyweight debut with a win over Jan Blachowicz in July. Pereira is also hoping to avenge friend and training partner Glover Teixeira. Prochazka beat the former light heavyweight champion for the title in a June 2022 instant classic.

Stylistically, Prochazka-Pereira could go down as a Fight of the Year candidate. Prochazka is one of the funkiest strikers in the UFC. Pereira is one of the best strikers in the UFC, period. This might be an all-time striking battle - with, again, so much on the line.