Changing of the guard: Every new UFC champion crowned in 2023
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
Alexandre Pantoja, flyweight
Vacant, Women's bantamweight
Sean O'Malley, bantamweight
Vacant, women's featherweight
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
Jon Jones, heavyweight
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
