SUMMARY
- After going through an 11-month injury period, Carlos Diego Ferreira returned to the octagon with a power-packed performance in June 2023.
- The Bonfim brothers were in a crazy discussion as they headed into the UFC 283 pay-per-view in Rio de Janeiro in January.
2023 was one of the most successful years for contenders in the UFC, where MMA fans witnessed several title changes. Around eight contenders defeated their UFC champion rivals to lift the kinship of their divisions. This year, several other enthralling fights ended with KOs.
The year turned out to be even more special following the UFC’s 30th anniversary. Moreover, there are some lit mixed martial artists across the globe carrying forward the legacy of the sport. Throughout the year, many new records were broken, new champions were honored with their deserving performances, and memorable moments took place inside the octagon.
The most interesting fact about the UFC is that it is such a unique sport that they do not have a traditional schedule planned. Instead, they are conducting the fights all year and typically have 40-45 events per calendar year.
In 2023, the UFC typically conducted around 43 events, and more precisely, there were 17 events at UFC APEX and 14 PPV events on the calendar this year. Moreover, the major events were conducted in around 8 different countries, covering 4 continents and 21 cities.
This year, every UFC event was scheduled with different fight champions, starting with a preliminary card followed by a main card and concluding with the event’s final fight, also known as the main event. This year, the lightweight division had the most fights in 2023, with a count of 77. Moreover, around 520 fights were conducted, including catchweight bouts in the men’s and women’s categories.
Following the events in 2023, the total number of run times the UFC sport telecasted was around 93 hours, 59 minutes, and 21 seconds. Out of which the fans witnessed some of the greatest moments of six title changes. 19 undisputed title fights, an Interim UFC Heavyweight title fight at UFC 295. An Interim UFC Featherweight title fight at UFC 284, and women’s bantamweight and women’s featherweight titles.
As UFC is at the peak of its power, this year Conor McGregor featured as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. Moreover, the year ended with UFC 296, where Leon Edwards and Alexandre Pantoja rose off their challengers and retained their belts. The sport has so many high stakes and dramas, so let’s look back and discuss the most vicious KOs in 2023.
Top 5 vicious knockouts in 2023
In the first half of 2023, the UFC has shown the fans some enthralling knockouts inside the octagon. Depending on the KOs that were witnessed this year. Here are the ranked most exciting events, which are still rent-free in all UFC fans’ hearts.
5. Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Michael Johnson
After going through an 11-month injury period, Carlos Diego Ferreira returned to the octagon with a power-packed performance in June 2023. In the fight, he viciously put away Michael Johnson to notch his first win after a gap of 2020. Ferreira’s dominance in the fight caught the next level of excitement as his striking looked impressively polished and versatile.
Ferreira looked considerably bigger upon his return, and his striking was far more polished. Against fellow promotional veteran Michael Johnson, the 38-year-old’s hands have never looked better.
4. Ismael Bonfim def. Terrance McKinney
The Bonfim brothers were in a crazy discussion as they headed into the UFC 283 pay-per-view in Rio de Janeiro in January. The siblings both made their octagon debut at the pay-per-view and got away with a first-round finish.
Gabriel Bonfim submitted his opponent within a minute. While Ismael Bonfim made quick work of Terrance McKinney and enclosed his account in the UFC.
3. Josh Emmett def. Bryce Mitchell
Josh Emmett vs. Bryce Mitchell at UFC 296 was one of the most brutal KOs in the history of the UFC in 2023. The fight turned out to be extremely unpredictable until the finish came two minutes into the very first round and kicked off things for the main card. Registering the win, Emmett has shaken his last two losses.
One of the most brutal KO’s we’ve seen in a while. Knocked him into a full on seizure. Unreal power. pic.twitter.com/YeAy3uZuIL
— MartialMind 🇳🇬🇺🇲 (@MartialMind1) December 17, 2023
In the last three minutes of the round, Emmett struck a powerful punch that confirmed the defeat of Mitchell. Moreover, it could be seen that he was having a seizure after that KO.
2. Umar Nurmagomedov def. Raoni Barcelos
Umar Nurmagomedov has showcased the prolonged experience of his countrymen Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in his previous days. The bantamweight was undefeated in his career; however, he struggled to get willing opponents in the top 15 and at UFC Vegas 67.
Umar Nurmagomedov KO’ing Raoni Barcelos in slow motion pic.twitter.com/pT0XfkAOOc
— 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙤💫 (@sinoUFC) January 16, 2023
Umar Nurmagomedov locked horns with Raoni Barcelos at the Apex facility in January 2023. He sent a stern warning to the rest of the 135-lbs division, showing new techniques to his game as he delivered a very impressive knockout.
1. Israel Adesanya KOs Alex Pereira at UFC 287
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereria squared off inside the octagon for the second time. Following the past three consecutive defeats, which include their two matches from kickboxing, Izzy’s fans predicted the fourth fight would not be any different. However, he registered his victory with a vicious KO over Pereira in the second round of the UFC 287 main event.
ISRAEL ADESANYA KO’s ALEX PEREIRA IN THE SECOND ROUND TO REGAIN THE UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CROWN 👑
🎥 @UFC | #UFC287pic.twitter.com/FEv75n15aZ
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 9, 2023
After the power-packed performance from Adesanya, several fans rated this KO as one of the most prominent KOs of ‘Izzy’ in 2023. Following the most potential and high-powered knockout, Adesanya was awarded a ‘Knockout of the Year’ for 2023 by MMA fighting.
One of the big names in MMA, the former Middleweight Champion, Israel Adesanya, had a good year in the division. Undoubtedly, holding the maximum fanbase and having a noted figure in the entire UFC, Adesanya’s KOs this year were a treat to watch for his fans.
