It’s already April and much has gone on in the world of mixed martial arts in 2023. The sport saw, likely, the truest version of a pound-for-pound championship fight in February, between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev prevailed, but the fight was so good, we might see it a second time in the near future.
Mexican fighters have showcased championship performances by men’s flyweight champ Brandon Moreno, interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez and newly crowned women’s flyweight champ Alexa Grasso. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya slayed the biggest demon of his combat sports career by finally defeating Alex Pereira in their fourth meeting across two sports. And of course, don’t forget, Leon Edwards silenced his critics with a convincing second win over Kamaru Usman in London.
What else lies in store in 2023? Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim reflect on what they’ve seen so far and offer predictions on what may be to come.
Which fighter’s success has surprised the most thus far?
Raimondi: Probably Grasso. And not because it’s a surprise that she has been successful. It’s who she…
