Best of MMA in 2023: Islam Makhachev earns Fighter of the Year nod after two wins over Alexander Volkanovski

Mixed martial arts is a unique expression of the human spirit. Months of preparation comes to a head in one short execution of technique, planning, action, reaction, durability and a little luck. Many fighters answered when the stakes were highest this year.

Alex Pereira stuck the landing on a shaky start to 2023 and continued to make history. Islam Makhachev met and exceeded the lofty expectations set for him by his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Leon Edwards defended gold on home soil and closed his trilogy with one of the greatest welterweights this sport has seen. Outside of the UFC, Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix reminded everyone that the best fighters aren’t exclusive to the sport’s premier promotion.

Our panel of CBS Sports experts sat down to have their vote for which fighter enjoyed the most memorable year. Let’s take a look at the final results. 

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Winner: Islam Makhachev 2-0 (def. Alexander Volkanovski twice)

History will look back on 2023 as a defining year in Makhachev’s career. Chatter about Makhachev being the “next Khabib” is over. The question is now if Makhachev can be even greater than his predecessor. His work this year was a promising step towards eclipsing Nurmagomedov’s nearly untouchable legacy. Name another fight in the general public’s conversation for Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, and KO of the Year in 2023.

How often will fans witness the two best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet fight twice? Makhachev and Volkanovski — the UFC’s reigning lightweight and featherweight champions, respectively — collided at UFC 284 in February and UFC 294 in October. Makhachev emerged the victor on both occasions. Makhachev’s first victory was a decisive yet competitive fight against Volkanovski, CBS Sports’ 2023 Fight of the Year. There is a case for giving Makhachev a small demerit in the rematch. After all, Volkanovski moved up in weight on 10 days’ notice at UFC 294. But Makhachev’s thorough victory mostly balances the scales. Makhachev knocked out Volkanovski with a first-round head kick, handing the featherweight champion his first KO loss in 10 years.

This was a year that validated the hype around Makhachev. The conversation now shifts to just how great he can be. Overcoming challengers like Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje or Arman Tsarukyan next year likely cements Makhachev as the greatest lightweight champion in UFC history; meanwhile, a potential move to challenge the UFC welterweight champion puts him in rarefied air.

Honorable mentions

Alex Pereira 2-1 (def. by Israel Adesanya, def. Jan Blachowicz & Jiri Prochazka)

It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish. Pereira’s run as UFC middleweight champion was cut short by longtime rival Adesanya just five months after Pereira beat him for the title. Pereira forewent extending his seven-year feud with Adesanya in pursuit of new challenges. What followed was a meteoric light heavyweight run that nearly earned Pereira his second consecutive CBS Sports’ Fighter of the Year award. Pereira debuted at 205 pounds against former champ Jan Blachowicz before knocking out fellow former titleholder Prochazka to win the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 295. In one emphatic swoop, Pereira captured his second UFC title in as many years with the company, avenged his mentor Glover Teixeira’s loss to Prochazka and became the only two-division champ in both UFC and Glory Kickboxing. Pereira was on the receiving end of CBS Sports’ 2023 KO of the Year, yet still emerged as one of the year’s best fighters. Name a better comeback story in the last 12 months.

Patchy Mix 2-0 (def. Raufeon Stots, Sergio Pettis)

You might have to look outside of the UFC to find MMA’s best bantamweight. Mix entered the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix as a tournament dark horse and tore through it before later becoming the undisputed champion. Mix’s performances in 2023 were impressive by every measure. His crushing knee stoppage of Raufeon Stots nearly earned him this year’s KO of the Year honors. Arguably more impressive was his thorough seven-minute demolition of Sergio Pettis, the latter of whom was coming off a decisive bantamweight title defense against all-time Bellator great Patricio Pitbull. Mix is in rare form and far evolved from the man who fell short in a 2020 title bid to Juan Archuleta. Good luck finding him a serious challenger.

Others receiving votes: Leon Edwards