The year 2023 was the 31st year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
UFC in 2023
UFC merged with WWE to form TKO Group In April 2023, Endeavor Group Holdings announced that UFC would merge with the wrestling promotion WWE to form TKO Group Holdings, a new Public company majority-owned by Endeavor, with Vince McMahon serving as an executive chairman of the new entity and White remaining as UFC president. The merger was completed on September 12, 2023.
Class action: anti-trust lawsuit
On August 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware decided to grant class action status to more than 1,200 former UFC fighters who competed between December 2010 and June 2017 who are suing upward of for 1.6 billions in wages that the lawsuit claims Zuffa had abused its power to suppress UFC fighters' wages, setting the stage on 8, April, 2024 trial.
Betting scandal
In early February 2023 UFC introduced rules that banned athletes, coaches, and their close family from betting on UFC events. after the call for a sports betting fraud investigation was made on a fight involving Darrick Minner a student of James Krause, who is a UFC coach and avid bettor, and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos. The UFC was informed by sources that suspicious betting patterns had been observed on the fight.
USADA anti-doping partnership (2015–2024)
The UFC's partnership with USADA coming to an end in 2023, the UFC announced a new partnership with Drug Free Sport International, the same company that oversees the anti-doping programs of the NCAA, MLB, NFL, and NBA. This partnership is set to begin in 2024, after their current contract with USADA expired on December 31, 2023. The UFC announced that former FBI agent George Piro would serve as the independent administrator of the UFC's anti-doping program.
2023 by the numbers
The numbers below records the events, fights, techniques and fighters held or performed for the year of 2023 in UFC. EventsNumbersPPVContinentsCountriesCitiesFight Night Bonuses43144821189 Total $9.45 millionLongest EventShortest EventHighest Income Live GateLowest Income Live GateHighest AttendanceLowest AttendanceUFC 286 2:57:58UFC on ABC 4 1:31:36UFC 295 $12,432,563UFC Fight Night 221 $452,669.71UFC 290 19,204UFC Fight Night 221 (exclud. APEX events) 2,361Title FightsUndisputed Title FightsTitle ChangesChampions Remained in Their DivisionsNumber of ChampionsNumber of Interim ChampionsNumber of Title Defenses1964 FW – Alexander VolkanovskiLW – Islam MakhachevWW – Leon EdwardsWSW – Zhang Weili162 FW – Yair RodríguezHW – Tom Aspinall10FightersNumber of FightersUFC DebutantsReleases / RetiredFighters Suspended(At the end of Dec 31, 2023) 60612510220Champion feats Jamahal Hill became the first UFC champion to come from Dana White's Contender Series. Israel Adesanya became the first two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Aljamain Sterling became the first UFC Bantamweight Champion to record three consecutive title defensesFighter feats Jéssica Andrade's 231 significant strikes at UFC 283 set a new record for the most in a women's flyweight bout. Jamahal Hill's 232 significant strikes at UFC 283 set a new record for the most in a light heavyweight bout. Merab Dvalishvili's 49 takedown attempts at UFC Fight Night 221 set a new record for the most in a UFC bout. Sergei Pavlovich's six-fight first-round knockout streak is the longest in UFC history. The bout between Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori at UFC on ESPN 47 featured a combined 394 significant strikes, the most in a middleweight bout. Jared Cannonier's 241 significant strikes at UFC on ESPN 47 set a new record for the most in a middleweight bout. Neil Magny earned his 14th decision victory, setting a new record for the most in UFC history. Denise Gomes's 20‑second knockout at UFC 290 set a new record for the fastest in women’s strawweight history. Brad Katona became the first two-time winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality-television series. Zhang Weili's 296 total strikes at UFC 292 set a new record for most in a UFC women's bout. Jailton Almeida's 21:10 minutes of ground control time at UFC Fight Night 231 set a new record for the most in a heavyweight bout. Loopy Godínez became the first woman to win four UFC bouts in a calendar year. Jéssica Andrade's four knockdowns at UFC 295 set a new record for most in a UFC women's bout. The bout between Irene Aldana and Karol Rosa at UFC 296 featured a combined 349 significant strikes, the most in a women's bantamweight bout.
2023 UFC Honors awards
Starting in 2019, the UFC created year-end awards with "UFC Honors President's Choice Awards" for categories "Performance of the Year" and "Fight of the Year" being chosen by UFC CEO Dana White. The other "UFC Honors Fan Choice Awards" are for categories "Knockout of the Year", "Submission of the Year", "Event of the Year", "Comeback of the Year" and, from 2020, "Debut of the Year" in which fans are able to vote for the winner on social media.
Winners receive a trophy commemorating their achievement along with a set of tires from sponsor Toyo Tires.
2023 UFC Honors AwardsPerformance of the YearFight of the YearKnockout of the YearSubmission of the YearDebut of the YearEvent of the YearComeback of the YearWinnerSean O'Malley defeats Aljamain Sterling UFC 292Islam Makhachev defeats Alexander Volkanovski 1 UFC 284Israel Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira 2 UFC 287Jon Jones defeats Ciryl Gane UFC 285Bo Nickal defeats Jamie Pickett UFC 285UFC 285: Jones vs. GaneEdson Barboza defeats Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. BarbozaNomineeAlexa Grasso defeats Valentina Shevchenko 1 UFC 285Jamahal Hill defeats Glover Teixeira UFC 283Justin Gaethje defeats Dustin Poirier 2 UFC 291Davey Grant defeats Raphael Assunção UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. DvalishviliGabriel Bonfim defeats Mounir Lazzez UFC 283UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2C.J. Vergara defeats Daniel da Silva UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. SandhagenNomineeJon Jones defeats Ciryl Gane UFC 285Shavkat Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal UFC 285Sean O'Malley defeats Aljamain Sterling UFC 292Da'Mon Blackshear defeats Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. dos AnjosIsmael Bonfim defeats Terrance McKinney UFC 283UFC 290: Volkanovski vs. RodríguezElves Brener defeats Guram Kutateladze UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. MagomedovNomineeIsrael Adesanya defeats Alex Pereira 2 UFC 287Justin Gaethje defeats Rafael Fiziev UFC 286Islam Makhachev defeats Alexander Volkanovski 2 UFC 294Alexander Volkov defeats Tai Tuivasa UFC 293Ikram Aliskerov defeats Phil Hawes UFC 288UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2Michał Oleksiejczuk defeats Chidi Njokuani UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean ZombieNomineeSean Strickland defeats Israel Adesanya UFC 293Alexandre Pantoja defeats Brandon Moreno 2 UFC 290Ref
2023 UFC.com awards
2023 UFC.COM AwardsNoBest FighterThe UpsetsThe SubmissionsThe NewcomersThe KnockoutsThe Fights1Islam MakhachevAlexa Grasso defeats Valentina Shevchenko 1 UFC 285Alexa Grasso defeats Valentina Shevchenko 1 UFC 285Diego LopesJosh Emmett defeats Bryce Mitchell UFC 296Islam Makhachev defeats Alexander Volkanovski 1 UFC 2842Alexa GrassoSean Strickland defeats Israel Adesanya UFC 293Da’Mon Blackshear defeats Jose Johnson UFC on ESPN: Luque vs. dos AnjosBo NickalIsrael Adesanya defeat Alex Pereira 2 UFC 287Alexandre Pantoja defeats Brandon Moreno 2 UFC 2903Leon EdwardsBobby Green defeats Grant Dawson UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. GreenShavkat Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal UFC 285Ikram AliskerovJustin Gaethje defeats Dustin Poirier UFC 291Irene Aldana defeats Karol Rosa UFC 2964Sean StricklandBobby Green defeats Tony Ferguson UFC 291Jon Jones defeats Ciryl Gane UFC 285Elves BrenerIslam Makhachev defeats Alexander Volkanovski 2 UFC 294Shavkat Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal UFC 2855Alexandre PantojaAlexa Grasso draws with Valentina Shevchenko 2 UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2Ariane Lipski defeats Casey O'Neill UFC 296Steve ErcegCharles Oliveira defeats Beneil Dariush UFC 289Jamahal Hill defeats Glover Teixeira UFC 2836Tom AspinallLeon Edwards defeats Kamaru Usman 3 UFC 286Erin Blanchfield defeats Jéssica Andrade UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. BlanchfieldLuana SantosTom Aspinall defeats Sergei Pavlovich UFC 295Dan Hooker defeats Jalin Turner UFC 2907Benoît Saint DenisAriane Lipski defeats Casey O'Neill UFC 296Yair Rodríguez defeats Josh Emmett UFC 284Nazim SadykhovRobbie Lawler defeats Niko Price UFC 290Justin Gaethje defeats Rafael Fiziev UFC 2868Justin GaethjeTom Aspinall defeats Sergei Pavlovich UFC 295Diego Lopes defeats Gavin Tucker UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. FontThe Bonfim Brothers Ismael Bonfirm & Gabriel BonfirmEdson Barboza defeats Billy Quarantillo UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. AllenEdson Barboza defeats Sodiq Yusuff UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. Barboza9Alex PereiraDricus du Plessis defeats Robert Whittaker UFC 290Rinat Fakhretdinov defeats Kevin Lee UFC on ESPN: Strickland vs. MagomedovJeka SaragihIsmael Bonfim defeats Terrance McKinney UFC 283Alexa Grasso defeats Valentina Shevchenko 1 UFC 28510Jon JonesShavkat Rakhmonov defeats Geoff Neal UFC 285Gillian Robertson defeats Piera Rodriguez UFC on ESPN: Holloway vs. AllenRinya NakamuraCarlos Diego Ferreira defeats Michael Johnson UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. HillAlexa Grasso draws with Valentina Shevchenko 2 UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2Ref
Releases and retirements These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions: