Another year has come and gone and, with that, so have tons of fights in the UFC, PFL, and beyond.
Here are the five mixed martial artists who made the biggest impression in 2023.
5. Alexa Grasso
Alexa Grasso joined the UFC in 2016 as an undefeated prospect from Invicta FC, and there was a lot of hope that the Mexican fighter would be a contender or star. But she didn't find her footing right away, going 3-3 in her first six Octagon appearances.
Things changed in 2020 when Grasso moved up to the women's flyweight division, and, in 2023, she finally broke through, more than six years into her UFC career. On the heels of a four-fight winning streak, Grasso earned the opportunity to try to separate dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko from the 125-pound belt, and she made the most of it.
Entering the fourth round of their title bout at UFC 285 in March, Grasso was down two rounds to one. She needed either a finish or the last two rounds to beat Shevchenko. Grasso went with the first option. The 30-year-old capitalized on a missed spinning kick by Shevchenko, immediately grabbing hold of the champion and sinking in a rear-naked choke. Grasso snatched the title from "Bullet" and pulled off one of the most shocking upsets in recent UFC history.
Considering Shevchenko had successfully defended the title seven consecutive times, a rematch was a must - and Grasso once again walked away with the belt. At Noche UFC in September, Grasso and Shevchenko fought to a split draw after five entertaining and competitive rounds. Grasso's argument for Fighter of the Year would have been stronger had she defeated Shevchenko a second time, but a submission win and a draw against someone she wasn't supposed to beat in the first place isn't too shabby.
4. Leon Edwards
Life has been good to Leon Edwards lately.
In 2022, he scored the Knockout of the Year and Comeback of the Year in one of the most spectacular highlights in UFC history. This year, he cemented himself as the No. 1 welterweight on the planet.
Kamaru Usman was, once again, the significant favorite heading into their trilogy bout at UFC 286 in March. It made sense, given that Usman was up three rounds to one before Edwards' Hail Mary finish at UFC 278. Most thought that victory was a fluke and that Usman would get the belt back. But this time, Edwards left no doubt. He picked Usman apart on the feet and stuffed 11 of 15 takedown attempts to take home a clear-cut decision victory and retain the 170-pound belt.
Edwards continued to settle into his role as welterweight champion in the final UFC bout of the year, defeating former interim champ Colby Covington in a lopsided unanimous decision at UFC 296. It wasn't the most entertaining fight, but Edwards showed poise as he commanded the center of the Octagon and outstruck Covington for the majority of 25 minutes.
That matchup was emotionally charged, as Covington made a crass comment about Edwards' late father two days before the event at the prefight press conference. Edwards admitted Covington's low blow of a comment had upset him, but he didn't let it affect his performance. The champion made it look easy in what many thought was a difficult stylistic matchup, silencing critics yet again.
3. Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira made the list for the second year in a row after being declared theScore's Fighter of the Year in 2022.
Pereira's 2023 campaign started on a sour note. He found himself on the wrong end of one of the year's most devastating knockouts in April, losing the UFC middleweight title to rival Israel Adesanya. Usually a result like that would eliminate Pereira from Fighter of the Year consideration, but the way he bounced back was extraordinary.
The defeat encouraged Pereira to try his hand at 205 pounds, and he immediately found success. The Brazilian made his UFC light heavyweight debut against former champion Jan Blachowicz in July, and although it wasn't a thriller, Pereira got the job done via split decision. That set up a vacant title fight with Jiri Prochazka at Madison Square Garden - Pereira's second home - and Pereira stunned the Czech ex-champ at UFC 295 in November, knocking him out in the second round.
In just 11 pro bouts and seven UFC appearances, Pereira became the ninth two-division champion in UFC history and the first fighter to ever win titles at both light heavyweight and middleweight. To add to the allure, "Poatan" reached championships in two divisions faster than the eight fighters before him.
Not many fighters start the year as UFC champion, lose their title, and end the year as UFC champion in a different division. It's one of the most remarkable feats in MMA history, makes Pereira a surefire UFC Hall of Famer in record speed, and won't soon be replicated.
2. Sean Strickland
Entering 2023, Sean Strickland had just suffered his second straight defeat in a fight with Jared Cannonier. Nobody thought he would end the year with the UFC middleweight belt around his waist.
Strickland was so much of an afterthought in the title picture that he decided to step in on eight days' notice to face Nassourdine Imavov in the UFC's first main event of 2023. In the end, that might've been the best decision he could've made. Strickland got back on track with a unanimous decision win over Imavov and began one of the unlikeliest runs to a championship in UFC history.
In his second Octagon appearance of the year, Strickland faced UFC novice Abus Magomedov in another Fight Night main event in July and won via second-round TKO. These wins weren't exactly demanding of a title shot, but it didn't matter in the end.
Dricus Du Plessis was expected to challenge Adesanya for the title in September but was hurt. The UFC opted to give Strickland the title shot instead, creating what was supposed to be one of the easiest matchups for Adesanya.
It was anything but that.
Strickland dropped Adesanya in the first round of the UFC 293 main event and did not let up from there. "Tarzan" pressured Adesanya throughout the fight, somehow outstruck the former kickboxing star, and took the title in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.
1. Islam Makhachev
The Fighter of the Year race hasn't been this close in years. Still, one name stands above the rest.
Strickland's and Pereira's achievements were more shocking, but Islam Makhachev beating someone as talented as UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski - not once, but twice - is a remarkable feat that cannot be denied.
In a year full of surprise title reigns, Makhachev was one of two UFC champions, along with Edwards, who stayed consistent and successfully defended their belt more than once. In his first matchup with Volkanovski at UFC 284 in February, the lightweight king gutted out a unanimous decision win in one of the best and most high-level fights of the year. Makhachev, a Russian known for his grappling prowess, showed off improved striking as he bested the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.
Makhachev's next title defense was supposed to be a rematch with former champion Charles Oliveira, but Volkanovski - ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound at the time - stepped in at the last minute. Things went Makhachev's way again - in a much different fashion. At UFC 294 in October, Makhachev caught Volkanovski with a perfect head kick and put away the Australian in the first round.
The second victory over Volkanovski cemented Makhachev as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC's male divisions as he surpassed Volkanovski and heavyweight champ Jon Jones. Not only is the successor of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov fully entrenched as the best fighter at 155 pounds and in the world, but he's also the most accomplished fighter this year.
Honorable mentions: Alexandre Pantoja, Patchy Mix, Tom Aspinall
