This year has been a turbulent one in mixed martial arts. The sport’s premier stars have remained excellent inside the Octagon, but their efforts were sometimes overshadowed by ugly behavior outside of the cage.
UFC’s bloated event calendar makes it hard to recount everything that took place over the last six months. It’s difficult to distinguish one event from the next, but that makes it all the more reason to celebrate those who stand out. 2023 welcomed the full-circle retribution of multiple world champions and the curtain call of an all-time great. The year also saw some serious promoter malpractice.
Let’s take a look at the highs and lows of UFC so far this year and how it may impact the remaining six months.
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High: Israel Adesanya’s bounce back
Adesanya’s stoppage of Pereira at UFC 287 in April was an exercise in perseverance and unwavering self-belief. Pereira was a plague to Adesanya’s career, a boogeyman that haunted him for seven years. Pereira had beaten Adesanya three times – twice in kickboxing and once in MMA. Adesanya had generally proven to be the better fighter minute-to-minute, but Pereira’s immeasurable power proved to be a difference-maker. Pereira remains the only person in combat sports to ever KO Adesnaya, a feat achieved once in each sport.
“The Last Stylebender” lulled Pereira into a false sense of security in their rematch, uncorking counters that separated Pereira from consciousness. The stoppage was memorable, but not nearly as impactful as the post-fight celebration. Adesanya drew back an imaginary bow and slung arrows at Pereira as he lay on the ground. The hunted had become the hunter. It was as cathartic as a moment as you’ll see in the fight game. Love him or hate him, it was nearly impossible to not root for Adesanya at that moment as he also delivered an epic post-fight speech.
“I hope all of you can feel how f-ing happy I am just once in your life,” Adesanya said. “But guess what? You will never feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something in your own life. When they knock you down, when they try and shit on you, when they talk shit about you and they try and put their foot on your neck, if you stay down, you will never get that resolve. Fortify your mind and feel this level of happiness one time in your life. I’m blessed to be able to feel this shit again and again…”
Low: Dana White’s Power Slap Problems
The year kicked off to a shockingly low start as news broke that the UFC president and his wife, Anna White, engaged in a physical altercation at a nightclub in Mexico on New Year’s Eve. Video emerged of Anna White striking her husband and the UFC president retaliating with multiple blows of his own.
White repeatedly said there was “no excuse” for his actions, but it appeared no formal punishment was handed out by the UFC, its parent company Endeavor, broadcast partner ESPN, or ESPN’s parent company, The Walt Disney Company.
Speaking of slapping, White’s Power Slap league was scheduled to launch one week after news broke of the incident between the UFC boss and his wife. Despite the clearly awful optics, TBS decided to press forward with the Power Slap premiere following a one-week delay.
Power Slap continues to be a nuisance to much of combat sports. UFC’s YouTube channel, social media feed, and media inboxes are regularly flooded with Power Slap promotions. White boasts that Power Slap is producing more social media traffic than all major sports. Microscopic television ratings imply that Power Slap is more Internet meme than must-watch TV.
High: Jon Jones returns
Jones’ remaining upside was in question after a pair of very narrow decision wins in his final run as light heavyweight champion. Many questioned how much meat there was on a “Bones” return after years of problematic behavior outside of the cage and a 37-month layoff. Jones erased three-years worth of doubt in a manner of minutes at UFC 285.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion made his heavyweight debut on March 4 in a vacant UFC heavyweight title fight against former interim champion Ciryl Gane. Jones rag-dolled Gane to the mat and submitted him in a touch over two minutes. The performance was almost comically one-sided and only added to Jones’ case for being the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history.
What’s next for Jones is as simple as it is complicated. A dream fight against former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic missed its rumored deadline for International Fight Week at UFC 290 on July 8. White has confirmed the promotion is targeting Jones vs. Miocic for UFC’s return to New York City in November.
Speaking of dream fights, the current landscape of Jones as heavyweight champion is in some ways a consolation prize. The fight on everyone’s lips continues to be Jones vs. Francis Ngannou. Unfortunately, the announcement of Jones vs. Gane dovetailed news of Ngannou’s departure from UFC.
Low: Francis Ngannou walks out of UFC
Murmurs of Jones vs. Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title naturally prompted the question, “Where is Francis Ngannou?” The well-documented business disputes between Ngannou and UFC had finally hit their breaking point. It was made public on Jan. 14 that Ngannou had vacated the UFC title and parted ways with the company. UFC waved its matching rights, allowing Ngannou the freedom to explore other options. Ngannou ultimately signed an unprecedented agreement with the Professional Fighters League and continues to publicly advocate for fighters’ rights.
Ngannou should be applauded for standing by his morales and breaking free of UFC’s notorious rigid contract. Very rarely does a fighter have the leverage and conviction to slide out from under the UFC’s thumb. Unfortunately, the impasse between the parties robs fans of a highly-desired fight between Ngannou and Jones. The negotiation breakdown also implores White to dismiss, disregard and downplay Ngannou, arguably the greatest physical marvel in MMA history.
What started as a monumental public image boost for the PFL also appears to be waning. Ngannou’s PFL debut won’t take place until next year. Plus, a large number of PFL fighters were flagged for banned substances. Most recently, the promotion landed in hot water with fans for altering the playoffs and suspending former lightweight champions Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio after pairing the two dear friends in an abysmal fight. It’s not a great look for a promotion leaning into fighter advocacy. The initial enthusiasm for Ngannou’s PFL signing has tapered. It’s imperative that the eventual execution is flawless.
High: Amanda Nunes retires on top
Nunes achieved a feat on June 10 that may never again be accomplished: she retired as a simultaneous two-division UFC champion. Nunes laid down her UFC women’s featherweight and bantamweight titles after defending the latter against Irene Aldana in Vancouver at UFC 289. The decision came as a surprise as fans were still expecting trilogies with Julianna Pena and Valentina Shevchenko.
Only two fighters to date have retired as UFC champions without eventually coming back: Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nunes is arguably the greatest female fighter in MMA history and joins a pantheon of greats regardless of gender. Nunes’ run of dominance saw her defeat fellow legends Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, Miesha Tate and Valentina Shevchenko (twice), plus a gauntlet of contenders across two weight classes. Nunes is truly one-of-a-kind.
Low: Event quality shrinking
It’s a shame that Nunes capped off her career at what is considered one of the weakest UFC pay-per-views in recent memory. The card was tailor-made for the Canadian crowd, but it did not appear to translate to a global audience. There wasn’t much juice on Nunes vs. Aldana and the only thing that saved it from being a glorified Fight Night was Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush battling for a lightweight title contender spot. Bland fight cards are the status quo of UFC in 2023. The in-cage action may deliver, but the commitment to building stars and telling interesting stories is an afterthought.
There is a UFC card nearly every week, a byproduct of the promotion’s event commitment to ESPN. The recurring paycheck from ESPN gives UFC a guaranteed bottom line and makes the promotion much less dependent on star power to generate income. The UFC as a brand is much stronger than any individual fighter. It’s why the UFC is the most financially successful combat sports promotion in history.
UFC’s success abroad speaks to the cultural identity of UFC as a sporting event. The company is drawing huge gates despite filling main cards with fighters that the casual fan could not pick out of a crowd. The UFC and its business partners are benefitting greatly, but the product just isn’t as interesting for the consumer as it used to be.
