Last year brought so many unexpected results in UFC. Who could have foreseen pound-for-pound king and welterweight champion Kamaru Usman being upset with less than a minute left in his title defense against Leon Edwards? Or Alex Pereira rallying in the final round to stop Israel Adesanya to take the middleweight title?
While the sport can feel predictable at times, 2022 served as a stark reminder of just how unpredictable it really is. With that in mind, our crew at CBS Sports took a shot at picking some bold predictions for the new year below.
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Three different fighters will hold men's flyweight title
For a division that has featured nothing but parity at the elite level in the aftermath of title reigns from Demetrius Johnson and Henry Cejudo, this might not come as an extreme surprise. There's a feeling that anything can happen at any time within this exciting division, which kicks off 2023 with a fourth title bout between Deiveson Figuereido and Brandon Moreno. Should Moreno recapture his title, there's no guarantee he keeps it to close out the year, not with hungry contenders like Alexandre Pantoja, Kai Kara-France, Brandon Royval and Matheus Nicolau knocking on that door. Every flyweight in the top five has given off the feeling like they could be champion next. Buckle your seatbelts for the new year. -- Brian Campbell
Alex Pereira ends 2023 as middleweight champion
Despite being a ferociously dangerous striker, it's still easy to see Alex Pereira as one of the UFC's most vulnerable champions. He is, after all, just over two years into truly competing as a mixed martial artist (setting aside a few fights from 2015 to 2016). That lack of experience means Pereira has some obvious holes in his game when it comes to grappling. Still, Pereira is such a good striker and so good at breaking opponents down that taking his crown is going to be difficult for anyone at 185 pounds. Yes, Israel Adesanya was winning rounds in their championship fight, but the finish came about because Pereira had systematically broken down the then-champion. Look for Pereira to put up two successful title defenses in 2023 as challengers fail to solve the problem presented by the most dangerous man in the division. -- Brent Brookhouse
Valentina Shevchenko drops the women's flyweight title
2023 will be the year that Shevchenko's five-year dynasty crumbles, at least temporarily. Shevchenko has ruled over the UFC women's flyweight division with an iron first, cruising to one-sided decisions and viciously stopping foes. Catastrophe nearly struck for Shevchenko at UFC 275 as she narrowly escaped with her title against Talia Santos. An accidental headbutt broke Santos' orbital bone and may have aided Shevchenko in winning the later stages of a competitive fight. Santos is only the first of several promising women's flyweights on the rise. Manon Fiorot is primed for a title shot, Alexa Grasso is putting all the pieces together and Erin Blanchfield means serious business. We've seen long-standing champions like Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman and Amanda Nunes falter over the last 13 months. Shevchenko's reign is legendary and she remains the division's best overall fighter. Still, the accelerated growth of the contenders behind her is closing the skill gap and Shevchenko could be toppled by year's end. -- Shakiel Mahjouri
