Following a 12-month stretch that saw three UFC titles change hands in the fifth round, Bellator soundly winning a year-end promotional duel against RIZIN, PFL star Kayla Harrison suffering her first loss, and ONE Championship’s Demetrious Johnson once again claiming a title, it’s safe to say that 2022 was as wild a year as we’ve seen in MMA.
That’s not to mention the outside-of-the-cage controversies — including an investigation into a potential gambling scandal that we could only be scraping the surface of — that rocked the MMA world.
In all likelihood, whether it was a great year or a difficult one or somewhere in between, every fighter is happy to have a day to just sit back, relax, and reflect on the events of the past year. Some are even looking ahead to 2023’s possibilities, including UFC bantamweight champion, who teased an upcoming title defense against top contender Sean O’Malley.
See how the MMA community rang in the New Year and make sure to check out all of MMA Fighting’s year-end features.
Happy New Years to all
The last couple years we’ve all had to adapt to new circumstances and events and it has made us stronger.
May the next few years bring happiness, love and success in abundance for all. #HappyNewYear2023— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) January 1, 2023
Im Gonna make 2023 my year ready to kick his ass
— C H T O V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) January 1, 2023