Best of MMA in 2023: Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski wins Fight of the Year honors

Fight of the Year honors are as important as they are undesirable. To engage in a memorable fight is to create a spark of magic. The magic that turns a casual viewer into a diehard fan. Unfortunately, such honors demand a painful toll from its recipients.

The last 12 months have treated fans to a wide array of fantastic fights. High-level chess, action fights that lived up to the hype and unexpected brawls painted the year in red. UFC champions, rising contenders and afterthoughts on the preliminary card all engaged in action that had fans jumping out of your seats. From Islam Makhachev’s masterclass to Irene Aldana’s shocking rebound, mixed martial arts fighters showed up and showed out in 2023.

Our panel of CBS Sports experts sat down to sort through the carnage to declare which fights stood head and shoulders above the rest. Let’s take a closer look. 

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Winner: Islam Makhachev def. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 284

The first meeting between lightweight champion Makhachev and featherweight champion Volkanovski presented the competitive excellence expected of the sport’s top two pound-for-pound fighters. Makhachev and Volkanovski engaged in a tug-of-war for five rounds. The first three rounds were fought down the middle. Take Round 2, for example, where both men landed an identical number of significant and total strikes. Or Round 3, the only one that split the judges’ opinions. The pendulum swung further in each direction down the final stretch. Makhachev’s dominant top control earned him Round 4. Volkanovski’s knockdown and striking volume emphatically won him Round 5. Ultimately, Makhachev was unanimously agreed upon as the more effective fighter in the crucial swing rounds.

Makhachev vs. Volkanovski was unusual in that everyone came out looking better. Makhachev decisively won the meeting, while Volkanovski fought valiantly and knocked down the bigger champion. Many claimed Volkanovski deserved to be the No. 1 P4P fighter despite the loss. Watching Makhachev vs. Volkanovski in real time meant watching the absolute best that combat sports has to offer. It’s a fight that comes around once or twice in a lifetime. The fact that it lived up to immeasurable expectations is just as rare.

Honorable mentions

Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Geoff Neal, UFC 285

Rahkhmonov vs. Neal was a masterclass in violence: the perfect combination of technique, power and durability. Rakhmonov is a tour de force at welterweight but the general public was not yet aware of it. Neal entered as a thunderous striker on the brink of a breakout. Placing this fight on the main card of Jon Jones’ long-awaited heavyweight debut was a brilliant call. Rakhmonov was the leading man on the night, repeatedly hurting Neal and outstriking him across all three rounds. Yet Neal was defiant. Bending but never breaking to pain or pressure, Neal endured more than most could stomach and struck back with ferocious power that humbled Rakhmonov more than once. Rakhmonov finally accepted that Neal would not go out and applied a rear-naked choke to his wounded prey. Rakhmonov secured the submission with 47 seconds left in the fight, extending his undefeated record and 100% finishing rate.

Irene Aldana def. Karol Rosa, UFC 296

Christmas came early for fans when the bell rang for this one. There was zero buzz for this fight. After all, Aldana was coming off a lifeless loss against Amanda Nunes and Rosa had gone to a decision in her previous eight UFC fights. What the fans got was a surprising slugfest, a rock’ em sock ’em stocking stuffer just in time for the holidays. The fight was contested in two halves. Rosa spent roughly the first seven minutes disassembling Aldana’s lead leg with stiff leg kicks. Aldana’s leg turned a swollen, red and blue mess but stubbornness dulled her pain sensors. Aldana persevered and pieced up Rosa with crisp jabs and combination boxing in the fight’s second half. Both women sported facial lacerations, Aldana’s legs were grossly uneven in size and Rosa’s eyes were swollen completely shut by the end of Round 3. A fight that few cared for nearly snatched Fight of the Year down the stretch. A testament to the durability and determination of these two warriors. If you have any loved ones considering fighting for a living, consider gifting them common sense this holiday season by showing them this photo of Aldana and Rosa in the hospital.

Others receiving votes: Dan Hooker def. Jalin Turner (UFC 290), Luke Riley def. Alexander Lööf (Cage Warriors 160)