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2022 has undoubtedly been a great year for the UFC, but there's no doubt that it could've been better with the presence of some of the promotion's biggest stars.
Fans across the world have dearly missed the presence of these stars in the octagon in 2022, and everyone will be hoping to see them return in 2023.
Here are five UFC stars who could make an impact in 2023 despite not fighting in 2022.
#5. Stipe Miocic – former UFC heavyweight champion
It’s now been well over a year since we last saw former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in action. In fact, the last time he stepped into the octagon, he was severed from his consciousness by Francis Ngannou in the fight that saw him lose his title.
Miocic turned 40 this year, and given his accomplishments and status as the most decorated heavyweight in the promotion’s history, few would’ve blamed him for simply hanging up his gloves – but no such announcement has come from the former champion, meaning he’s likely to return at some point in 2023.
Can Miocic still make an impact if he does return? There’s no reason why he can’t. Despite his advanced age – and that bad knockout at the hands of Ngannou – he hasn’t taken that much damage over the years, and he’d probably still be favored to beat the majority of the other top heavyweights around right now.
He’s certainly not likely to earn a rematch with Ngannou any time soon, but due to the question marks around the contract status of ‘The Predator’, another title run isn’t really out of the realm of possibility if he can pick up a big win in his first fight back.
More to the point, if he returns to action in a long-rumoured clash with Jon Jones, it’s hard to imagine him not making a major impact in 2023.
#4. Nick Diaz – UFC welterweight contender
Okay, so based on his poor performance against Robbie Lawler in 2021, it’s probably fair to say that if Nick Diaz returns to action in 2023, as seems likely, he isn’t going to make an impact on the UFC’s welterweight title picture.
However, Diaz is one of those rare fighters who has almost transcended things like titles and rankings. He’s a star on the level of few others in the promotion, and so any time he steps into the octagon, millions of eyeballs will be on him instantly.
How could the UFC look to book Diaz? There are basically two options – either a bout with a fellow aging legend such as Jorge Masvidal, or a clash with an up-and-comer with the idea being for them to make their name by beating the Stockton-based veteran.
Either way, if the promotion can manage to entice Diaz back into action in 2023, even if he turns up in as bad shape as he did for the Lawler bout, it’ll still be one of the year’s most highly-anticipated fights – meaning he could still make an impact in the octagon somehow.
#3. Henry Cejudo – former UFC bantamweight champion
Given that current rumours suggest that he’ll be facing off with reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at some point in 2023 – though it’ll probably be midway through the year, rather than February – then one fighter who could make a big impact next year is Henry Cejudo.
The former flyweight and bantamweight kingpin hasn’t fought since his May 2020 victory over Dominick Cruz, but despite announcing his retirement after that bout, it looks like he’s definitely ready to return, having re-entered USADA’s drug testing pool this year.
On the face of it, the idea of a fighter being able to take on a real challenge for a UFC title after spending over three years on the shelf sounds ludicrous, but then ‘Triple C’ is not a regular fighter by any means.
The 2008 Olympic gold medallist has always set himself lofty goals, and by hook or crook, he’s always been able to achieve them. He somehow unseated the great Demetrious Johnson to claim the 125lbs title in 2018, and to follow that by moving up to 135lbs to win gold, there was a truly monumental achievement.
When you add in his abrasive, trash-talking personality, there’s no doubt that if a fight with Sterling is signed, ‘Triple C’ will make it one of the biggest events of 2023 – meaning that he’s almost certain to make a huge splash upon his long-awaited return.
#2. Jon Jones – former UFC light-heavyweight champion
Given we haven’t seen him in action since February 2020 – despite all his promises of a return – it almost feels hard to get excited for a potential Jon Jones fight in 2023. Despite that, if the former light-heavyweight champion does return, he’s almost guaranteed to make a big impact.
Firstly, ‘Bones’ is another fighter – like Nick Diaz – who has reached the point that any fight he’s involved in instantly becomes a big deal. Essentially, he’s transcended the sport of MMA, albeit for some of the wrong reasons at times.
Secondly, if his return does involve a move to heavyweight, as he’s been suggesting for what feels like ages now, he could become an instant contender in his new division.
More importantly, if he could manage to claim gold there – which isn’t impossible, given his ridiculous talent – then it’d be hard to argue against him as a true all-time great.
So what are the odds on Jones actually returning? Naturally, a lot depends on whether ‘Bones’ can come to a financial agreement with the UFC, something that didn’t seem likely a couple of years ago.
Is it more likely now? Well, the promotion is hardly hurting for the stars at the moment, which might mean that they continue to offer Jones less than he’d like – but the fact is that at some point, he’s probably going to need a big pay cheque, and so a comeback would make sense.
Given that he’s getting no younger, 2023 makes perfect sense for a Jones return, and so despite not competing in 2022, his comeback could end up being one of the biggest events of next year.
#1. Conor McGregor – former UFC lightweight champion
Despite not competing at all in 2022, it’s safe to say that Conor McGregor remains the UFC’s biggest superstar, with stories about him still dominating the MMA media despite his actual relevance as a fighter seemingly waning.
Missing out on the entirety of 2022 wasn’t exactly a choice for ‘The Notorious’, who has been stuck rehabbing the leg he broke against Dustin Poirier in 2021. However, temporarily withdrawing from the USADA testing pool was his own decision, and so his future plans regarding the weight he fights at seem to be anyone’s guess right now.
If he does return at 155lbs, which seems likely, then there is no shortage of intriguing matches for him. Fights with Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler or Charles Oliveira could all make sense, and would almost certainly draw hugely on pay-per-view.
The big question surrounding the Irishman, really, is how much he has left to offer in the octagon – and if the answer is not much, whether another loss or two will affect his star power.
Given that McGregor seems to have reached a point in which wins and losses don’t really matter, though, it’s likely that we’ll see at least one octagon appearance from him in 2023, and judging by his previous, it could prove to be the biggest drawing bout of the year.
