It’s easier to get to the top than it is to stay on top.
2022 is coming to a close and the mixed martial arts (MMA) calendar provided fans with some truly unforgettable moments during the most important fights. New Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are crowned every year, but 2022 was the year of the comeback.
Always the game of unpredictability, MMA has taught that almost no one can be a champion forever. Currently atop their respective men’s and women’s official UFC pound-for-pound lists are Featherweight kingpin, Alexander Volkanovski, and Bantamweight and Featherweight titlist, Amanda Nunes. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the pair clocked in as the two most likely to end 2023 as champions per BetOnline.ag. Volkanovski’s odds are at -225 while Nunes leads the way over everyone at -250.
Volkanovski’s odds are for his division specifically, but he’ll soon be taking a stab at Lightweight gold to kick off 2023. Facing current 155-pound champion, Islam Makhachev, at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, on Feb. 11, 2023, Volkanovski — like Nunes — can become a double champion, but sits as a +500 underdog for his chances of departing 2023 with that title. Makhachev’s chances are valued at -175.
For Nunes, there are no odds on her chances as the Featherweight champion likely because of the sheer lack of athletes making up the division. In the 145-pound weight class’ entire nearly six-year existence, it’s yet to have a list of top 15 ranked fighters.
Aside from the aforementioned division, all other odds for the UFC can be seen here:
Men’s Bantamweight champion end of 2023:
- Aljamain Sterling +250 (5/2)
- Henry Cejudo +400 (4/1)
- Sean O’Malley +400 (4/1)
- Marlon Vera +500 (5/1)
- Merab Dvalishvili +500 (5/1)
- Petr Yan +500 (5/1)
- Corey Sandhagen +1000 (10/1)
- Song Yadong +1200 (12/1)
- Dominick Cruz +1800 (18/1)
Men’s Featherweight champion end of 2023:
- Alexander Volkanovski -225 (4/9)
- Yair Rodriguez +500 (5/1)
- Josh Emmett +600 (6/1)
- Arnold Allen +850 (17/2)
- Brian Ortega +1000 (10/1)
- Max Holloway +1000 (10/1)
- Ilia Topuria +1400 (14/1)
- Movsar Evloev +2000 (20/1)
Men’s Flyweight champion end of 2023:
- Alexandre Pantoja +250 (5/2)
- Deiveson Figueiredo +250 (5/2)
- Brandon Moreno +350 (7/2)
- Kai Kara-France +500 (5/1)
- Brandon Royval +700 (7/1)
- Matheus Nicolau +700 (7/1)
- Manel Kape +1100 (11/1)
- Amir Albazi +1400 (14/1)
- David Dvorak +2000 (20/1)
Heavyweight champion end of 2023:
- Francis Ngannou +165 (33/20)
- Cyril Gane +275 (11/4)
- Sergei Pavlovich +400 (4/1)
- Jon Jones +450 (9/2)
- Curtis Blaydes +600 (6/1)
- Stipe Miocic +1000 (10/1)
- Tom Aspinall +1200 (12/1)
- Derrick Lewis +2500 (25/1)
- Tai Tuivasa +3300 (33/1)
Light Heavyweight champion end of 2023:
- Jamahal Hill +250 (5/2)
- Magomed Ankalaev +250 (5/2)
- Glover Teixeira +400 (4/1)
- Jiri Prochazka +550 (11/2)
- Alexander Rakic +650 (13/2)
- Jan Blachowicz +650 (13/2)
- Nikita Krylov +1000 (10/1)
- Paul Craig +1400 (14/1)
- Anthony Smith +1800 (18/1)
Lightweight champion end of 2023:
- Islam Makhachev -175 (4/7)
- Alexander Volkanovski +500 (5/1)
- Beneil Dariush +750 (15/2)
- Rafael Fiziev +900 (9/1)
- Charles Oliveira +1200 (12/1)
- Mateusz Gamrot +1200 (12/1)
- Arman Tsarukyan +1800 (18/1)
- Dustin Poirier +2000 (20/1)
- Justin Gaethje +2500 (25/1)
- Conor McGregor +2800 (28/1)
- Michael Chandler +3300 (33/1)
- Paddy Pimblett +3300 (33/1)
Middleweight champion end of 2023:
- Alex Pereira +200 (2/1)
- Israel Adesanya +200 (2/1)
- Robert Whittaker +650 (13/2)
- Marvin Vettori +750 (15/2)
- Roman Dolidze +1000 (10/1)
- Derek Brunson +1100 (11/1)
- Jared Cannonier +1100 (11/1)
- Khamzat Chimaev +1100 (11/1)
- Bo Nickal +1200 (12/1)
- Sean Strickland +1400 (14/1)
Welterweight champion end of 2023:
- Kamaru Usman +225 (9/4)
- Khamzat Chimaev +250 (5/2)
- Leon Edwards +250 (5/2)
- Colby Covington +400 (4/1)
- Shavkat Rakhmonov +600 (6/1)
- Geoff Neal +1400 (14/1)
- Belal Muhammad +1600 (16/1)
- Stephen Thompson +2500 (25/1)
- Conor McGregor +5000 (50/1)
Women’s Bantamweight champion end of 2023:
- Amanda Nunes -250 (2/5)
- Ketlen Viera +600 (6/1)
- Irene Aldana +725 (29/4)
- Raquel Pennington +1000 (10/1)
- Holly Holm +1200 (12/1)
- Julianna Pena +1200 (12/1)
- Karol Rosa +1200 (12/1)
- Pannie Kianzad +1600 (16/1)
- Macy Chiasson +2000 (20/1)
Women’s Flyweight champion end of 2023:
- Valentina Shevchenko +125 (5/4)
- Manon Fiorot +260 (13/5)
- Taila Santos +275 (11/4)
- Erin Blanchfield +800 (8/1)
- Katlyn Chookagian +1000 (10/1)
- Alexa Grasso +1100 (11/1)
- Tatiana Suarez +1200 (12/1)
- Viviane Araujo +1800 (18/1)
Strawweight champion end of 2023:
- Weili Zhang -120 (5/6)
- Amanda Lemos +450 (9/2)
- Jessica Andrade +450 (9/2)
- Yan Xiaonan +750 (15/2)
- Mackenzie Dern +850 (17/2)
- Tatiana Suarez +1000 (10/1)
- Rose Namajunas +1400 (14/1)
- Tecia Torres +1400 (14/1)
- Carla Esparza +2000 (20/1)