Yearly, we launch 10 outlandish predictions for the yr forward and have enjoyable predicting what would possibly occur on this loopy sport all of us love. Final yr’s full article could be discovered right here, nonetheless, on this piece, we’ll take a look at how shut (or distant) we had been in our predictions.
2023 Predictions
1. Ciryl Gane might be UFC heavyweight champion… After Francis Ngannou relinquishes the title and leaves the UFC
Sadly, this one didn’t fairly come to fruition, nonetheless, part of this prediction was right. Though Ciryl Gane didn’t realise UFC gold, he competed for the championship towards Jon Jones. What we did predict is that Francis Ngannou would relinquish the title and depart the UFC. This, we obtained right.
Nicely, he didn’t fairly relinquish the belt, he was stripped when his contract wasn’t renewed by Dana White and crew.
2. Casey O’Neill will realise a title shot however it will likely be an excessive amount of too quickly
This one didn’t fairly come to fruition both. Casey O’Neill didn’t realise a title shot as a result of she misplaced her first combat of the yr towards Jennifer Maia, nonetheless, would return in December, solely to lose once more to Ariane Lipski at UFC 296.
Let’s hope that 2024 is extra variety to O’Neill.
3. Kayla Harrison and Cris Cyborg will lastly meet
Once more, not fairly. With that being stated, we may reload this one for 2024. With the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, this combat seems to be more likely. Following her win over Aspen Ladd on the PFL Championship’s 2023, she referred to as out Cris Cyborg. This combat might be made in 2024, if Cyborg can get by way of Leah McCourt in her subsequent scheduled bout.
Kayla Harrison is assured what would occur if she will get her fingers on Cris Cyborg. 👀 pic.twitter.com/KxnJvVViQu
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 28, 2023
4. Rodtang will transition into MMA
The prediction that Rodtang would make his full MMA debut didn’t almost come to mild. He went 3-0 in underneath the ONE Championship banner. He competed in an epic tremendous combat with Superlek Kiatmuu9, nonetheless, it was a dropping effort.
The Iron Man is scheduled in early 2024 to face off with Takeru Segawa and at 26, he nonetheless has loads of time to make the transfer over to MMA. Will it occur? Solely time will inform.
5. Jake Paul Headlines a PFL Occasion within the UK
Jake Paul is but to truly make his MMA debut, nonetheless, we perceive that it will likely be in 2024. He’s focused on the world of crossover boxing, with a loss to Tommy Fury, a victory over Nate Diaz and an emphatic knockout over Andre August. There are many rumours circulating that Paul and Diaz will meet once more, nonetheless, this time it is going to within the octagon underneath the MMA ruleset.
Whether or not Diaz will signal for the PFL and face Paul is unsure because it stands and it might be onerous to image Diaz not within the UFC however competing in MMA, nonetheless, stranger issues have occurred…
Donn Davis: PFL has standing $15 million provide for Nate Diaz to combat Jake Paul https://t.co/xpPLTFR7rc
— MMA Preventing (@MMAFighting) November 26, 2023
6. Robert Whittaker will maintain middleweight gold in some unspecified time in the future this yr
2023 hasn’t been Robert Whittaker’s yr. He hasn’t been as energetic as he would have appreciated for positive. He solely competed as soon as and sadly for The Reaper, it was in a dropping effort. He fumbled an ideal alternative to get a shot at Israel Adesanya for the third time when Dricus du Plessis completed him at UFC 290.
The division appears to have barely moved on in current instances with Du Plessis and new champion, Sean Strickland scheduled for subsequent yr. The winner of this one will greater than possible meet the previous champion, Israel Adesanya in what, for Stickland could be a rematch and for Du Plessis a grudge match. Khamzat Chimaev is getting ready to a title shot.
Whittaker will conflict with Paulo Costa in 2024 and that’s the place his journey again to the title begins.
7. Henry Cejudo Returns and loses to Aljamain Sterling, who goes on to face Sean O’Malley for the belt
Now that is the place we made our cash. We predicted it and it occurred. The UFC 288 most important occasion in Might noticed the long-anticipated return of the previous two-weight world champion, Henry Cejudo after his retirement again in 2020. He confronted off towards Aljamain Sterling in the primary occasion, narrowly coming away with the loss by way of cut up resolution.
The winner on the night time, Sterling, would then tackle his subsequent challenger, as we predicted, Sean O’Malley. O’Malley would shock the world by knocking out Sterling within the second spherical of their bout at UFC 292, snapping his nine-fight successful run and permitting O’Malley to grasp his dream of turning into a UFC champion. We referred to as it and it occurred!
8. Islam Makhachev makes two defences of his 155lbs belt earlier than being matched with Arman Tsarukyan in early 2024
If you happen to solely learn the headline to this one, we but once more obtained this one right (of kinds). Islam Makhachev did certainly make two defences of his light-weight belt and might be matched with Arman Tsarukyan in 2024. We had predicted that Makhachev would face both Beneil Daruish or Dustin Poirier, nonetheless, it was a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski the place he made his second defence.
Islam Makhachev is about to conflict with Charles Oliveira in some unspecified time in the future in 2024 and there’s a superb probability that Tsarukyan may get the following shot after that.
9. Darren Until will go 3-0 in 2023
This couldn’t have gone extra improper as a prediction. We anticipated that The Gorilla, Darren Until would go on to make three appearances in 2023 and win all three. We obtained a little bit of our prediction right, that Until could be minimize from the UFC, nonetheless, he hasn’t competed in any organisation since his loss to Du Plessis in 2022. He’s with out a win in his final three fights and is 1-5 in his final six since realising a title shot in 2018.
There aren’t even any rumours that Darren Until will return to MMA in 2024 both, with the one hearsay surrounding his profession being that he’ll compete in Karate Fight early within the yr.
10. Dana White will take a step away from the UFC
This one didn’t come to fruition both. The truth is, he appears to be extra invested in defending the UFC’s honour and persevering with to be the frontman now greater than ever. He’s going full steam forward for UFC 300 and has began a development of releasing breaking information movies on-line with huge success. The cope with TKO and subsequently the WWE has strengthened White’s place and at 54, he doesn’t seem like slowing down in any respect.
