Top 5 MMA fights of 2023

Fighters across the UFC, PFL, and beyond treated MMA fans to entertaining clashes throughout 2023, but a few stood out.

Here are theScore's top five fights of the year.

5. Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Geoff Neal

Event: UFC 285
Date: March 4

For the first time in his career, an opponent seriously challenged Shavkat Rakhmonov in a fight.

None of the undefeated Kazakh welterweight's four previous UFC bouts made it past the second round, but Geoff Neal was right there with Rakhmonov until the final minute.

The first round offered a lot of back-and-forth action. Rakhmonov hurt Neal with a head kick and landed the harder shots. But Neal made it competitive and did a great job remaining upright against the grappling phenom. Neal continued to land punches in the pocket in the second round as Rakhmonov excelled with knees and kicks to the body.

The third round was the wildest of them all. Neal hurt Rakhmonov early, giving him a window of opportunity in a fight he was likely down two rounds. But Rakhmonov came back as if nothing happened, stunning Neal and landing vicious elbows in the clinch. Rakhmonov then took Neal's back and sunk in a standing rear-naked choke - one of the most ice-cold submissions of the year - with just seconds left in the battle.

4. Justin Gaethje def. Rafael Fiziev

Event: UFC 286
Date: March 18

Justin Gaethje reminded the world he was still one of the sport's best lightweights with a Gaethje-esque performance against surging contender Rafael Fiziev in London.

However, Gaethje - one fight removed from a loss to Charles Oliveira at the time and the underdog against Fiziev - had to overcome a strong first round by his opponent to get the win.

Fiziev came out hot, landing big punches at a high clip and with terrifying speed. But as Fiziev slowed down a bit, Gaethje shined. The former interim champion landed punches in the clinch and damaged the area around Fiziev's eye. Fiziev hurt Gaethje early in the third, but Gaethje outstruck Fiziev down the stretch to earn a majority decision nod.

All in all, this was a classic striker versus striker matchup that met its lofty expectations.

3. Dan Hooker def. Jalin Turner

Event: UFC 290
Date: July 8

The narrative heading into the lightweight bout between Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner was that Hooker was the fading veteran and Turner was the up-and-comer who would prove on the big International Fight Week stage that he was a legitimate contender.

However, Hooker was too much of a test in the end.

Turner landed stinging punches that got Hooker's attention in the first round. Hooker got in some shots, too, connecting with kicks and an uppercut. They exchanged heavy blows in the final 15 seconds, a sign of the action to come.

The second round was arguably one of the best of the year, with the two lightweights having momentum at different points of the stanza. Turner hurt Hooker with a head kick early into the round, and it seemed like it was just a matter of time before he'd finish "The Hangman." But Hooker survived and came back to rock Turner late in the frame. Hooker managed to lock up a rear-naked choke on the ground as time expired, and the bell potentially saved Turner.

Hooker clearly won the third round, dropping Turner with a left hand and then spending the last few minutes in top control. The New Zealander eked out a split-decision win, and his blond hair was dyed red - that's how you know the fight was a banger.

2. Islam Makhachev def. Alexander Volkanovski

Event: UFC 284
Date: Feb. 11

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's unanimous decision win over featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski was the early front-runner for Fight of the Year. And 10 months later, it's held up as one of the very best tilts in 2023.

For the first time in UFC history, the No. 1 and No. 2 pound-for-pound fighters squared off against each other. Though Makhachev-Volkanovski 1 wasn't as crazy as other matchups on this list, it was an incredibly high-level and compelling fight with a few surprises.

Makhachev relied on his striking a lot more than usual in this bout, as Volkanovski had better takedown and grappling defense than some of the Russian's past opponents. But Makhachev did well on the feet, showing off an improved skill set in that area. The 32-year-old dropped Volkanovski to a knee with a left hand in Round 1.

All of that said, Volkanovski was still the toughest challenge for Makhachev in years. The Australian was undersized but made up for that disadvantage with crisp striking and heart. He was right there with Makhachev the entire way and was the first fighter to make him look human in a long time. Officially, Volkanovski topped Makhachev 70-57 in significant strikes. And he finished strong, knocking Makhachev down and landing ground-and-pound late in the fifth round to cap a back-and-forth match for the ages.

Makhachev was the rightful winner, as the mix of wrestling and striking ultimately proved too much for Volkanovski. But the lightweight champ and featherweight champ were very much 1a and 1b in the pound-for-pound conversation following gutsy performances on both sides.

1. Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Moreno

Event: UFC 290
Date: July 8

The third meeting between now-UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Moreno had a bit of everything: wild striking exchanges, elite grappling, shifts in momentum, and a belt changing hands.

Honestly, no fight came close to beating out Pantoja's split-decision win for Fight of the Year.

Though the Brazilian started strong against Moreno, it was no easy fight in the end - he had to dig deep to secure the victory and 125-pound title. Pantoja dropped Moreno in the first round, but Moreno bounced back in the second by landing jabs and heavy punches.

"I thought Moreno was done," Pantoja said after the fight. "But he ... made (the second round) a tough round for me."

Pantoja and Moreno exchanged punches in the wild and competitive third and fourth rounds, with both men showing off their toughness and durability. The flyweight stars were bruised and bloody but kept walking forward, eager to throw hands. Pantoja sealed the deal by controlling Moreno on the ground for most of Round 5, capping off arguably the most entertaining flyweight title bout in UFC history.

"Now it's my moment," said Pantoja, who found a second wind after appearing to tire out in the middle rounds. "I want to enjoy everything."

It was truly an unbelievable fight and easily the best all year.

Honorable mentions: Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa, Alexa Grasso draws with Valentina Shevchenko, Clay Collard def. Shane Burgos