Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the history of weigh-in misses in the UFC in 2023 and fights canceled due to weight management issues.
The old adage is that the fight before the fight in MMA is the one with the scale.
Weight-cutting struggles and eventual weight misses are a regular part of the sport. Throughout 2023, we updated this story each time there was an infraction on the UFC scale – or fights that were scrapped because of issues with a fighter’s weight.
Here’s the final list. Fighters listed are in chronological order of their scheduled bouts.
(List updated after UFC 296 weigh-ins in Las Vegas, Dec. 15, 2023.)
Check out which epic battle earned MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year award for 2023.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best fights from January to December 2023.
As voted on by our entire staff, here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year.
Here are the top four honorable mentions and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Submission of the Year” award for 2023.
With another action-packed year of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie takes a look at the best submissions from January to December. Here are the top five and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Year award for 2023.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice for Submission of the Year.
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As we near the halfway mark of 2023, Daniel Cormier listed his top three UFC fights of the year.
As we near the halfway mark of 2023, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] listed his top three UFC fights of the year.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Cormier said there have been “some tremendous battles” so far in 2023, but three particular ones stood out for the former UFC dual champion.
All three of Cormier’s picks earned Fight of the Night and took place at UFC 284, UFC 285 and UFC 286.
Scroll below to see Cormier’s selections.
Ali Abdelaziz doesn’t see the point in Islam Makhachev running things back with Alexander Volkanovski.
Dominance MMA chief Ali Abdelaziz doesn’t see the point in UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] running things back with [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) was pushed to the limit by featherweight champ Volkanovski this past February at UFC 284, but he ultimately did enough to win the fight on the judges’ scorecards.
Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) thought he won and called for a rematch afterward, but Makhachev’s manager, Abdelaziz, said their initial goal was fulfilled. So why fight Volkanovski again?
“This fight, Islam has nothing to gain,” Abdelaziz told The Schmo. “Even if he beat him, he’s a small guy. We only fought this guy because he has No. 1 ranking. And honestly, I wanted the rematch. When I thought about it, I was like, all these guys talking sh*t, they kind of ruined it his team.
“Islam has to defend his title against Beneil (Dariush), and he has to do work. And if Islam keeps on winning, at one point, he needs to go up to welterweight. I’m telling you, Beneil Dariush is Islam Makhachev’s toughest fight. I don’t care what everybody says. I know that, Islam knows that, Khabib knows that.”
Abdelaziz called Volkanovski a great guy but thinks his team made him look bad after making allegations that Makhachev used intravenous (IV) therapy to rehydrate after weigh-ins – an illegal practice, depending on the amount, since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was introduced as the UFC’s drug-testing partner in late 2015.
It was Dan Hooker, who was quickly submitted by Makhachev at UFC 267, who started those rumors, but no proof was presented.
“Don’t try to point fingers,” Abdelaziz said. “In reality, and I got this from the UFC – fight night, Alexander Volkanovski weighed two pounds heavier than Islam Makhachev. You talking about IVs? He weighed two pounds heavier than Islam. Islam didn’t get any IVs in Australia. Maybe somebody else did, but Islam did not.”
Volkanovski is expected to unify his belt with interim featherweight champ Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8. Meanwhile, Makhachev wants to make his next title defense at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov correctly predicted that Alexander Volkanovski would be a tough out for Islam Makhachev.
[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] correctly predicted that [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] was going to be a stern test for [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].
According to Javier Mendez, Nurmagomedov expressed concern about the matchup, which the American Kickboxing Academy coach initially dismissed. But as Nurmagomedov thought, Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) ended up taking lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) to the brink in their title fight, which headlined UFC 284 in February, but ultimately he fell short by unanimous decision.
“Khabib would call me up and Khabib would say, ‘Coach, I’m really worried about this fight. Volkanovski is really, really tough. I’m concerned for Islam on this one a little bit,'” Mendez said on the “Jibber with Jaber” podcast. “I’m like, ‘I’m not. We’re gonna win this fight. I don’t know how easy and how hard, but we’re gonna win this fight. So, I know you’re worried, Khabib, but I’m not worried.’ …
“Fast forward to the fight, it was everything Khabib said it was going to be. Super, super tough fight.”
Mendez praised Volkanovski for his strong fifth round, where he dropped Makhachev and ended the fight in top position. But Mendez thinks Makhachev won the other four rounds – despite them being close.
“For me, Alex won that fifth round,” Mendez said. “The last minute, minute-and-a-half of that fifth round. To me, I only gave him that round. But it was devastating. In some people’s eyes, that was, ‘Oh, he did so fantastic, he won the fight.’ The other rounds were closer, but Islam won. To me, Islam won 4-1. If you say 3-2, OK, 3-2.”
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One judge awarded Makhachev the first four rounds as Mendez scored it, whereas the other two judges scored it 3-2 for Makhachev. All three judges awarded Volkanovski Round 5.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
Bryce Mitchell is adamant that Alexander Volkanovski beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 but says “oil money” influenced the outcome.
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] is adamant [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] beat lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] at UFC 284.
Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC), the UFC featherweight champ, lost a close decision to Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) in their 155-pound title bout last month in Perth, Australia. Volkanovski took Makhachev to the brink and closed out the fifth round strong, but it wasn’t enough to win in the judges’ eyes. Mitchell is convinced Volkanovski won and even went as far as claiming foul play.
“That fight was rigged as f*ck, dude,” Mitchell said in an interview with Fanatics View. “(Makhachev) brings in all that money from the Middle East. When you’re bringing in that kind of oil money and all that Middle Eastern money, bro – all the richest people in the world are from the Middle East. I guess they just f*cking paid the judges.
“I know Alexander Volkanovski won a decision, I don’t think nothing; I know he won, and I know that sh*t was rigged. I’m not f*cking stupid. You can’t tell me that sh*t wasn’t rigged. I’m not buying it. You can pay them judges whatever the f*ck you want to pay them. I know Alexander Volkanovski won that fight.”
After suffering his first-career loss to Ilia Topuria this past December, Mitchell (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) will look to rebound when he faces rising contender Jonathan Pearce at UFC 288 on May 6.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
Dan Hooker explains the ramifications from USADA since he claimed Islam Makhachev used an IV at UFC 284 and doubles down on his accusation.
[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] believes he’s being punished for accusing UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] of cheating against his teammate, Alexander Volkanovski.
Hooker publicly accused Makhachev of using intravenous (IV) therapy to rehydrate after weighing in for his title defense against featherweight champ Volkanovski at UFC 284, an illegal practice since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was introduced as the UFC’s anti-doping partner in late 2015. Makhachev edged out Volkanovski in a hard-fought decision.
USADA bans IV infusions and/or injections, making an exception only for those who received an IV “in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures or clinical investigations.” Hooker said that, after making the hefty accusation, he’s had increased visits from USADA.
“I’ve had two or three knocks on my door at 6 a.m. by USADA, blood and piss over the last couple of weeks,” Hooker told The AllStar. “You think that’s a coincidence? That ain’t no coincidence, baby. On the same hand, you think I’m just gonna shut up and bite my tongue?
“Brother, I’ve almost had 50 knocks at my door, and that’s a stranger coming into your house, asking you to pull down your pants and stare at your d*ck. You think I’m gonna sit silent while other guys are skirting the rules when I got some stranger knocking on my door, asking me to pull my pants down? I ain’t playing this game.”
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Although both Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and his team denied Hooker’s allegations, and no evidence has suggested Makhachev broke any rules, Hooker insists that Makhachev cheated and that he has evidence.
Outside of getting extra visits from USADA, Hooker expects the UFC to start handing him tougher matchups moving forward.
“Do I think that the UFC is gonna punish me in some kind of way? Yeah, I’m sure they will,” Hooker said. “I’m sure they’ll give me tough matchups. Whoop-dee-doo. Ask the last 10 blokes I fought, they’re all tough matchups. So bring it on. You wanna give me tough matchups? Give me tough matchups. That’s what I’m here for. I’m not here for easy fights. I’m here for tough fights. … I’m not gonna blatantly see one of my teammates cheated out of a world title and not say anything.”
For Hooker, the bottom line is that he believes Makhachev’s alleged use of an IV factored into the outcome against Volkanovski.
“When it came down to it, that was an incredibly close contest,” Hooker said. “That could have been the difference in him having that moment. That could have been the difference in him being the greatest sporting accomplishment in Australian history, jumping on that cage with two belts on his shoulder. And for that guy to come down here to Australia and to steal that moment from Alex, I couldn’t bite my tongue, and I couldn’t sit on my hands. That pissed me off that he still has that title, because he’s a cheat. He cheated Alex out of that title, and he knows it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
After picking against him twice, Michael Chandler now can say he was wrong about UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] continues to be proven wrong by UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].
Chandler picked against Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) when he defended his lightweight title against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, but Makhachev wound up winning a close decision. Chandler also falsely said that Charles Oliveira would have the upper hand over Makhachev in their UFC 280 title fight.
With Makhachev winning both of those matchups, Chandler is giving him credit for living up to his hype.
“This is what always happens: You guys call, ask me to talk about Islam, and then all of a sudden the headline is, oh, ‘Chandler thinks he can beat Islam’ when I’m, ‘No. No.’ But this is what always happens,” Chandler said backstage at UFC 285. “I have a ton of respect for Islam. Islam running through Charles (Oliveira) and then beating Volkanovski – I picked Volkanovski to win. Once again, I have been proven wrong. Once again, my foot is in my mouth. So I think Islam is blossoming into, at the right time, the champion that he is and will be and who we thought he could be. We weren’t quite sure.
“I think we put the cart before the horse when it came to Islam. I stand behind (saying I can beat him). But now at this point, at this juncture, I think he has proven himself to be the guy. Ultimately, I think all of us think we can beat anybody on any given night. I think you put me in an octagon anywhere around the world against Islam, I think my chances are pretty darn good. But ultimately, he’s proven himself thus far. He’s our champion for a reason. I’m going to go out there, smash Conor, get my hand raised, and then maybe fight (Makhachev) later on.”
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Makhachev felt wronged for remaining the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter. But Chandler agrees with Volkanovski retaining his No. 1 spot considering that he was moving up a division for the fight.
“I don’t know about (Makhachev being No. 1 pound-for-pound),” Chandler said. “I don’t think you beat a guy a weight class below you and then go above him. A win is a win unless it’s a different weight class. So Volkanovski in my mind – the guy who has cleared out his division only to go up a weight class to take a chance to possibly capture the double champ status – shouldn’t lose his No. 1 pound-for-pound spot by losing to a guy who’s 10, 15 pounds heavier than him.”
Paddy Pimblett had a different scorecard for Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski than most.
SAN DIEGO – [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] had a different scorecard for [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] than most.
Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) retained his lightweight title by edging out featherweight champ Volkanovski at UFC 284 earlier in February. Volkanovski gave Makhachev the toughest test of his career but ultimately fell short in a fight he thought he won.
Volkanovski (25-2 MMA, 12-1 UFC) was able to drop Makhachev in Round 5 and closed out the fight raining ground and pound in top position. But because Makhachev was compromised late, Pimblett thought Volkanovski won that round big, scoring the fight as a draw.
“I thought it was a draw,” Pimblett told MMA Junkie. “I thought the last round was a 10-8 for Volk, and he’d won one other round. But Islam won three rounds with control and stuff. He didn’t do much when he had the control, but if someone’s on your back, you’re losing. Even if you’re talking to them and punching them. I personally thought it was a draw, because that last round Makhachev was hanging on for dear life.”
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While Pimblett predicated that Volkanovski would seriously challenge Makhachev, he did score three rounds in favor of the champion. He credits Makhachev for not taking too much damage after he was dropped.
“If Volkanovski would have postured up and started striking where he got his head caught – that’s where Makhachev’s smart,” Pimblett said. “Makachev went into guard, pulled him in and knew he couldn’t really take much damage. So hats off to Makhachev, because it’s a smart performance, and he did win three rounds to two.”
Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’s coming off a controversial decision win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282 in December, is set to undergo ankle surgery in the first week of March. He hopes to return by the end of the year and is open to running things back with Gordon.
