UFC title fights throughout 2023 were filled with dramatic moments, exciting finishes and huge upsets.
Titles changed hands often over the past 12 months, creating a brand new landscape for the majority of the divisions heading into the new year.
Take a look at the names and numbers of the new champions (in order of lightest to heaviest weight class) who enter 2024 with UFC gold around their waist:
Inside the numbers
- UFC titles changed hands 11 times (including 2 interim champions) during 2023, tying for second most in the history of the promotion. The record in a single calendar year is 12, which occurred in 2016. Titles also changed hands 11 times in 2017.
- Six out of 12 weight classes across men’s and women’s divisions crowned a new champion. The UFC record is eight, which occurred in 2016 and 2017.
- Two title vacancies are going into 2024: women’s bantamweight and women’s featherweight.
- Two fighters became two-time champions in 2023, matching 2004. The record is four, which occurred in 2022.
- One fighter became a champion in a second division.
- One fighter lost their title in one weight class and became champion in a different division in the same year, a first in UFC history.
- Three fighters attempted to defend their newly acquired title: Alexa Grasso retained the women’s flyweight title in a split draw vs. Valentina Shevchenko, Brandon Moreno dropped the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja, and Israel Adesanya dropped the middleweight title to Sean Strickland.
Alexa Grasso, women's flyweight
After building a four-fight winning streak, Alexa Grasso earned a shot at the UFC women’s flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko. As a massive underdog to the number of +575 at the betting window, few gave Mexico’s Grasso a chance at knocking Shevchenko from her throne. At 4:34 of Round 4, history was made. Grasso came through as a massive underdog by tapping Shevchenko with a rear naked choke, crowning Mexico’s first-ever women’s UFC champion.
Six months later at Noche UFC, a closely-fought rematch resulting in a split draw took place. Grasso retained in the draw, and carries the flyweight title into 2024. For her accomplishments, Grasso was named MMA Junkie’s 2023 Female Fighter of the Year.
Alexandre Pantoja, flyweight
After winning three straight including two stoppages over top-ranked flyweights, Alexandre Pantoja’s first appearance in 2023 was for his long-awaited title shot. At UFC 290, Pantoja faced Brandon Moreno in one of the best fights of the year. The judges were split, but Pantoja earned the nod, crowning the seventh UFC flyweight champion.
In December, Pantoja recorded the first defense of his title by winning a unanimous decision against Brandon Royval at UFC 296.
Vacant, Women's bantamweight
At UFC 289, Amanda Nunes made her first and final appearance of the year – and her career. “The Lioness” recorded the first defense of her second bantamweight title reign by defeating Irene Aldana in a one-sided unanimous decision at UFC 289 in June. After the bout, she announced her retirement, leaving the division’s title vacant going into 2024.
Sean O'Malley, bantamweight
Sean O'Malley made one appearance in 2023, and it was significant. At UFC 292 in August, O’Malley stepped into the cage to face Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title. At 0:51 of Round 2, Sterling was sat down from a right hand, and O’Malley followed up with punches until the referee stopped the action. In his 11th appearance under the UFC banner (including one no contest), O’Malley became the 10th champion of the promotion’s 135-pound division. He enters 2024 set for a rematch against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.
Vacant, women's featherweight
While Amanda Nunes technically held the women’s featherweight title to start 2023, it was not defended. The last time the title was on the line was at UFC 259 in March 2021, where Nunes recorded a first-round submission of Megan Anderson. Nunes’ retirement in June left the title vacant, and with it, all but shuttering the division as well. The promotion has not formally announced the closing of the women’s 145-pound weight class, but for now, it appears to have no plans to crown a new champion.
Sean Strickland, middleweight
Sean Strickland wasn’t in the title picture at the start of 2023. In fact, he started the year looking to halt a two-fight skid as a short-notice replacement at light heavyweight against Nassourdine Imavov. Strickland won by unanimous decision, which led to his second appearance of the year against Abus Magomedov in July. This one was at middleweight, and Strickland won by second-round TKO. Two months later, an opportunity for the title popped up when Israel Adesanya’s expected challenger became unavailable. In his 20th fight with the promotion, Strickland took full advantage of a career-changing opportunity and soundly defeated Adesanya in a unanimous decision at UFC 293.
For his accomplishments, Strickland was named MMA Junkie’s 2023 Male Fighter of the Year.
Strickland will look to defend his title for the first time in January against Dricus Du Plessis.
Alex Pereira, light heavyweight
Alex Pereira’s year started off rough, brutally losing the middleweight title against his longtime rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April. Three months later, Pereira switched to the light heavyweight division, and picked up a split decision win over former champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. After Jamahal Hill vacated the title, Pereira found himself in another title fight, but in a heavier division against Jiri Prochazka. At UFC 295, Pereira made a bit of UFC history by stopping the former champ with strikes in the second round.
Pereira became the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title in one division, and go on to win a title in a different division in the same calendar year.
Jon Jones, heavyweight
After a three-year absence, MMA Junkie’s No. 2 greatest fighter of all time, Jon Jones returned to the cage to challenge for the heavyweight title that Francis Ngannou left vacant when he exited the promotion early in 2023. Jones faced former interim champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March. The fight was a quick one, as Jones only needed 2:04 to submit Gane with a guillotine choke.
Jones was scheduled to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 295, but a torn pectoral muscle caused the fight to be delayed. The promotion intends to keep the matchup together in 2024, despite crowning an interim champion.
Tom Aspinall, heavyweight – interim
Tom Aspinall returned from serious injury to claim a piece of the UFC heavyweight title. His year began with a first-round stoppage of Marcin Tybura in July. When champion Jon Jones was forced out of UFC 295 due to injury, the promotion created an interim title bout at the same event, pitting Aspinall against Sergei Pavlovich. The battle between two hard-hitting knockout artists ended quickly, as Aspinall put Pavlovich down and out just 69 seconds into the fight to become the interim champion.
The promotion intends to keep a fight between champion Jones and former champion Stipe Miocic together, despite Aspinall holding the interim title. UFC CEO Dana White said he is open to Aspinall defending the interim strap.
And still
These fighters entered the year as champion, and maintained their position heading into 2024.
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Zhang Weili – Women’s strawweight
- Zhang fought once in 2023, defeating Amanda Lemos by unanimous decision to record the first defense of her second title reign.
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Alexander Volkanovski – Featherweight
- Volkanovski fought three times in 2023, but only once at featherweight. He lost against Islam Makhachev in a bid for the lightweight title at in February, unified the featherweight title by defeating interim champ Yair Rodriguez in July, and then lost again to Makhachev in October in another shot at the 155-pound title.
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Islam Makhachev – Lightweight
- Makhachev fought twice in 2023, both times against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. He was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira, but an injury prompted a rematch with Volkanovski on short notice.
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Leon Edwards – Welterweight
- Edwards picked up two title defenses in 2023: A majority decision win in a rematch against Kamaru Usman and a unanimous decision win over Colby Covington.
