5 best UFC fights to look forward to in December 2023

With a rare weekend with no UFC event coming up, November is officially over for the world’s premier MMA promotion.

Therefore, with three UFC events on tap for next month, including a blockbuster pay-per-view, it’s time to look forward to December.

Here are the five best UFC fights to look forward to next month.

#5. Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez – UFC Fight Night 233

Song Yadong will be hoping for an impressive performance against Chris Gutierrez [Image Credit: @yadongsong on Instagram]

The UFC was initially scheduled to head to Shanghai on December 9 for a Fight Night event. While it’s now been rescheduled for the Las Vegas APEX, the card still has a highly Asian flavor to it.

While many of the fights don’t sound that compelling, one that definitely stands out is the bantamweight headliner between China’s Song Yadong and the dangerous Chris Gutierrez.

Both of these men are currently ranked in the 135-pound division’s top 15, a major statement given how stacked the weight class is. Song is currently seven spots above No.14-ranked Gutierrez, but ‘El Guapo’ will no doubt be hoping to leapfrog him.

Whether he can do that is another thing entirely, as Song has been on a fantastic run. He’s knocked out the likes of Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes, and his only recent loss came against Cory Sandhagen.

Gutierrez, meanwhile, shot to fame with some flashy knockouts in 2022, including a stoppage of Frankie Edgar.

He did lose to Pedro Munhoz in April, but has since bounced back with a win, cementing himself as a genuine contender.

Basically, the winner of this one will be elevated towards the bantamweight title. More importantly, the two men are amongst the most exciting fighters in the division, meaning fireworks are highly likely to ensue. That makes it one of December’s best-sounding fights.

#4. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC 296

There is a lot of hype around Shavkat Rakhmonov right now [Image Credit: @shavkatrakhmonov94 on Instagram]

UFC 296 is undoubtedly one of the most stacked cards of 2023. Even looking past the two title fights at the top of the show, there are a number of epic-sounding bouts that could easily make this list.

However, the best one is probably the welterweight clash between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Stephen Thompson.

With Khamzat Chimaev now officially a middleweight, it’s arguable that Rakhmonov is the most hyped-up fighter in the 170-pound division.

Unbeaten at 17-0, ‘The Nomad’ has taken out highly rated fighters like Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. He’s also never gone the distance in the octagon.

However, despite Thompson now being 40 years old, he’s almost certain to be the toughest test of Rakhmonov’s career. Sure, he hasn’t fought since last December, but when he did, he dismantled Kevin Holland in a thriller.

More to the point, he’s never truly lost a striking battle in the octagon aside from his 2019 knockout loss to Anthony Pettis. Given ‘The Nomad’ is likely to look to throw down with him, then, realistically anything could happen.

This fight is almost guaranteed to be a wild one, and if Rakhmonov could win, a title shot would be within his grasp. That makes it one of December’s must-see clashes.

#3. Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan – UFC on ESPN 52

Arman Tsarukyan is on the cusp of title contention at 155lbs [Image Credit: @arm_011 on Instagram]

The first UFC event of December will see the promotion head to Austin, Texas, and in the headliner, two of the best lightweights on the planet are set to face off.

While it’s unlikely that the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan will be in line for a title shot, there’s every chance that they could get there in 2024, making this a truly big fight.

Of the two, Tsarukyan has been on the better form as of late. Dariush saw his eight-fight win streak snapped in June when he was violently stopped by Charles Oliveira, while Tsarukyan has won his last two bouts.

However, it’s fair to say that the Armenian has never beaten a truly elite-level foe, something he’ll have to do if he wants to get past Dariush.

With both men possessing lethal skills both on the feet and on the ground, the chances of this one being dull seem very slim. Over five rounds, in fact, a finish seems highly likely.

Therefore, with so much on the line, this is definitely one of the best fights on tap for December.

#2. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval – UFC 296

Alexandre Pantoja's first title defense is set for next month [Image Credit: @pantoja_oficial on Instagram]

UFC 296, which stands as the final event of 2023, features a stacked card topped with two title bouts. Both of these fights should be great, but while the event’s headliner is the bigger bout, the co-headliner could be the more exciting.

That co-headliner will see newly minted flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja defending his crown against top contender Brandon Royval in a rematch of their first clash in 2021.

That fight saw ‘The Cannibal’ dispatch Royval with a second-round rear-naked choke. However, since then, ‘Raw Dawg’ has improved dramatically, winning his next three fights, often in violent fashion.

Royval is one of the wildest fighters out there at 125 pounds, and the fact that he’s only ever gone the distance once tells its own story.

Pantoja, on the other hand, won his title by defeating Brandon Moreno in what was one of the very best fights of 2023. He’s riding a four-fight win streak, and is clearly the top flyweight on the planet right now.

Overall, then, not only should this be a crazy fight, but it’s likely that both men will leave everything in the octagon, and even if we don’t get a finish, it could be a classic.

#1. Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – UFC 296

Can Colby Covington claim gold in the final event of 2023? [Image Credit: @colbycovmma on Instagram]

The biggest and best fight set for December is undoubtedly UFC 296’s headliner, which will see welterweight champ Leon Edwards defending against Colby Covington.

While it’s debatable whether Covington actually deserves his shot – he hasn’t fought since his win over Jorge Masvidal way back in March 2022 – this is still a major grudge match.

‘Chaos’, as you’d expect, has fired multiple barbs at Edwards over the course of this year. ‘Rocky’ has remained largely stoic, though, and has allowed his work in the octagon to talk for itself.

The native of Birmingham, England, has taken out Kamaru Usman twice now. Given that Usman dealt with Covington on two occasions, the champion should be the favorite.

However, whether he can handle the kind of crazy pace that Covington loves to push is a fair question to ask, and so this might be a harder fight to predict than it initially seems.

Add in the nasty trash talk that ‘Chaos’ is bound to spew in the weeks leading up to the bout, and there’s no doubt that this is the best fight on tap for next month.