UFC 2023 schedule: Every major fight happening this year
Another year of UFC action is upon us as fans await Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon as well as some big title fights.
McGregor, who is still the face of the sport, has not competed since breaking his leg in July 2021 but will face Michael Chandler this autumn, although new stars have emerged elsewhere to keep crowds happy.
In one of the biggest fights of 2023, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defended his title against featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, narrowly winning a decision in February at his home stadium in Australia. Then in March, light heavyweight “GOAT” Jon Jones moved up to heavyweight after a three-year absence, defeating Ciryl Gane in the first round to win the title Francis Ngannou lost in January when he left the UFC.
Later in March, Britain’s Leon Edwards retained the welterweight belt with a decision win over Kamaru Usman in London, seven months after clinching the title from Nigerian Nightmare with a stunning headbutt. April then kicked off with Israel Adesanya finally beating his longtime rival Alex Pereira. The 33-year-old knocked out the Brazilian and regained the middleweight belt he lost to Pereira in November.
There are many more title fights ahead, beginning with the return of Henry Cejudo after a long absence to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight belt in May. Here are all the fights and events announced by the mixed martial arts promotion for the coming weeks and months (Subject to map changes):
Saturday, June 3 – UFC Fight Night – UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
UFC flyweight contender Kai Kara-France
(Getty Images)
main card
Kai Kara-France vs. Amir Albazi (Flyweight)
Alex Caceres vs. Daniel Pineda (Featherweight)
Jim Miller vs. Ludovit Klein (Lightweight)
Tim Elliott vs. Victor Altamirano (Flyweight)
Karine Silva vs. Ketlen Souza (Women’s Flyweight)
Jamie Mullarkey vs Guram Kutateladze (Lightweight)
front matter
Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Elizeu dos Santos (welterweight)
John Castaneda vs. Mateus Mendonca (Bantamweight)
Andrei Arlovski vs. Don’Tale Mayes (Heavyweight)
Daniel Santos vs. Johnny Munoz (Bantamweight)
Elise Reed vs. Jinh Yu Frey (Women’s Strawweight)
Da’mon Blackshear vs. Luan Lacerda (Bantamweight)
Philipe Lins vs. Maxim Grishin (Light Heavyweight)
Saturday, June 10 – UFC 289 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada
Amanda Nunes (right) and Julianna Pena wanted to complete their trilogy, but the latter broke her ribs
(Getty Images)
main card
Amanda Nunes (center) vs. Irene Aldana (Women’s Bantamweight Title)
Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush (Lightweight)
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis (middleweight)
Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr (Featherweight)
Khalil Rountree Jr vs. Chris Daukaus (Light Heavyweight)
front matter
Mike Malott vs Adam Fugitt (welterweight)
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Eryk Anders (middleweight)
Matt Schnell vs David Dvorak (Flyweight)
Hakeem Dawodu vs. Lucas Almeida (Featherweight)
Early preliminary rounds
Aiemann Zahabi vs. Aoriqileng (Bantamweight)
Kyle Nelson vs. Blake Pictures (Featherweight)
Diane Belbita vs. Maria Oliveira (Women’s Strawweight)
Miranda Maverick vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (Women’s Flyweight)
Saturday, June 17 – UFC Fight Night – UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier (middleweight)
Nicolas Dalby vs. Muslim Salikhov (welterweight)
Kyung Ho Kang vs. Cristian Quinonez (Bantamweight)
Saturday, June 24 – UFC Fight Night – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, USA
Ilia Topuria after knocking out Jai Herbert at UFC London (Kieran Cleeves/PA)
(PA cable)
Josh Emmett vs. Ilia Topuria (Featherweight)
Amanda Ribas vs. Maycee Barber (Women’s Flyweight)
Punahele Soriano vs. Sedriques Dumas (middleweight)
Gregory Rodrigues vs. Denis Tiuliulin (middleweight)
Brendan Allen vs. Bruno Silva (middleweight)
Neil Magny vs. Phil Rowe (welterweight)
Austen Lane vs. Justin Tafa (Heavyweight)
Davis Onama vs. Gabriel Santos (Featherweight)
Randy Brown vs Wellington Turman (welterweight)
Mateusz Rebecki vs. Loik Radzhabov (Lightweight)
Tabatha Ricci vs. Gillian Robertson (Women’s Strawweight)
Tatsuro Taira vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (Flyweight)
Saturday, July 1 – UFC Fight Night – UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov (middleweight)
Saturday, July 8 – UFC 290 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, USA
UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski
(Getty Images)
main card
Alexander Volkanovski (center) vs. Yair Rodriguez (IC) (Featherweight Title)
Brandon Moreno (center) vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title)
Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight)
Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price (welterweight)
Sean Brady vs Jack Della Maddalena (Welterweight)
front matter
Bo Nickal vs. Tresean Gore (middleweight)
Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield (Light Heavyweight)
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes (Women’s Strawweight)
Shannon Ross vs. Jesus Aguilar (Flyweight)
Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio (Light Heavyweight)
Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics (Lightweight)
Christian Rodriguez vs. Cameron Saaiman (Bantamweight)
Saturday, July 15 – UFC Fight Night – UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (Women’s Bantamweight)
Saturday 22nd July – UFC Fight Night – O2 Arena, London, UK
Tom Aspinall suffered an injury in July 2022 and is returning a year later almost to the day (Adam Davy/PA)
(PA cable)
Tom Aspinall vs Marcin Tybura (Heavyweight)
Molly McCann vs Julija Stoliarenko (Women’s Flyweight)
Nathaniel Wood vs. Andre Fili (Featherweight)
Jai Herbert vs. Fares Ziam (Lightweight)
Lerone Murphy vs. Josh Culibao (Featherweight)
Ketlen Vieira vs. Pannie Kianzad (Women’s Bantamweight)
Marc Diakiese vs. Joel Alvarez (Lightweight)
Davey Grant vs. Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
Chris Duncan vs. Yanal Ashmouz (Lightweight)
Danny Roberts vs. Jonny Parsons (Welterweight)
Saturday, July 29 – UFC 291 – Vivint Arena, Utah, USA
Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier
(Getty Images)
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje (Lightweight – vacant “BMF” title)
Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira (Light Heavyweight)
Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green (Lightweight)
Paulo Costa vs. Ikram Aliskerov (middleweight)
Stephen Thompson vs Michel Pereira (welterweight)
Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland (welterweight)
Derrick Lewis vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (Heavyweight)
Saturday, August 19 – UFC 292 – TD Garden, Boston, USA
Aljamain Sterling (C) vs. Sean O’Malley (Bantamweight Title)
Zhang Weili (center) vs. Amanda Lemos (women’s strawweight title)
Sunday, September 10 – UFC 293 – TBA, Sydney, Australia
TBA vs TBA
Saturday, October 21 – UFC 294 – Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
TBA vs TBA
