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Ricky Simon prepares to fight Jack Shore of Wales in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UBS Arena on July 16, 2022 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
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UFC's 2023 By The Numbers

Let’s Celebrate UFC’s Incredible 30th Anniversary Year by Looking At A Breakdown Of 2023 Through Numbers
By Gavin Porter • Dec. 21, 2023

2023 marked another successful year inside the UFC Octagon. It was UFC’s 30th anniversary and showcased how 30 years later, the worldwide leader in mixed martial arts is still changing the game. Records were broken, new champions were crowned, and unforgettable memories were made around the globe.

As the year comes to an end and we look forward to the exciting action coming in 2024, let’s celebrate 2023 by looking at a breakdown of 2023 through numbers:

Events

Justin Gaethje celebrates his KO victory over Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight for the BMF belt during the UFC 291 event at Delta Center on July 29, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Justin Gaethje celebrates his KO victory over Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight for the BMF belt during the UFC 291 event at Delta Center on July 29, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
  • 43 Events
    • 17 events at UFC APEX
    • 14 PPV events
    • 8 countries
    • 4 continents
    • 21 cities

Fights

  • 520 Total Fights (including catchweight bouts) – The lightweight division had the most fights in 2023 with 77.
    • Heavyweight: 35
    • Light Heavyweight: 35
    • Middleweight: 56
    • Welterweight: 61
    • Lightweight: 77
    • Featherweight: 60
    • Bantamweight: 55
    • Flyweight: 38
    • Catchweight: 9
    • Women’s Featherweight: 4
    • Women’s Bantamweight: 19
    • Women’s Flyweight: 34
    • Women’s Strawweight: 35
    • Women’s Catchweight: 2
Islam Makhachev of Russia celebrates after his victory over Charles Oliveira of Brazil in their UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 280 event at Etihad Arena on October 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Islam Makhachev of Russia celebrates after his victory over Charles Oliveira of Brazil in their UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 280 event at Etihad Arena on October 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa
  • Total Fight Time in 2023: 93 hours, 59 minutes, and 21 seconds
  • 19 Undisputed Title Fights
    • 6 title changes
    • 4 champions remained champion of their division all of 2023
      • Alexander Volkanovski – Featherweight
      • Islam Makhachev – Lightweight
      • Leon Edwards – Welterweight
      • Women’s Strawweight – Zhang Weili
  • 2 Interim Title Fights
    • Interim UFC heavyweight title fight at UFC 295
    • Interim UFC featherweight title fight at UFC 284
  • 2 Titles Remain Vacant
    • Women’s Bantamweight and Women’s Featherweight titles were vacated due to the retirement of Amanda Nunes
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Finishes

  • Total Finishes
    • 102 Submissions
    • 159 Knockouts

Decisions

  • 248 Decisions
    • 192 unanimous decisions
    • 46 split decisions
    • 10 majority decisions
    • 6 draws
    • 10 no contests
    • 1 DQ

Individual/Event Records

  • Merab Dvalishvili sets the UFC record for most takedown attempts in a fight with 49 attempts against Petr Yan at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Dvalishvili on March 11, 2023

     
  • 18,712 people attended UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Almeida in Charlotte, North Carolina and that set the record for the highest attended fight night of all-time in the United States

     
  • At UFC 289 Charles Oliveira earned his 19th career post-fight bonus, which is the most in UFC history
Charles Oliveira of Brazil kicks Beneil Dariush of Iran in their lightweight fight during the UFC 289 event at Rogers Arena on June 10, 2023 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Charles Oliveira of Brazil kicks Beneil Dariush of Iran in their lightweight fight during the UFC 289 event at Rogers Arena on June 10, 2023 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
  • With his knockout win at UFC 291 Derrick Lewis passes Matt Brown for the most KO/TKOs in UFC history with 14

     
  • After his win over Derrick Lewis on November 4, heavyweight Jailton Almeida’s control percentage is 89% - the largest in UFC history. In addition, Almeida’s top position percentage is 85.3% - the largest in UFC history.

     
  • Tom Aspinall has an average UFC fight time of 2 minutes and 10 seconds, that’s the shortest in UFC history

     
  • UFC 295: Procházka vs Pereira at Madison Square Garden had an announced Gross Total Revenue of $12,432,563, which was the 2nd highest-grossing event in Madison Square Garden History and the 4th highest-grossing event in UFC history

     
  • UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs Tsarukyan became the first event to ever have two slam knockouts on one event

     
  • At UFC 296, Karol Rosa landed 95 leg kicks – a new UFC record

UFC Divisional Records

  • At UFC 283, Jamahal Hill set the record for the largest significant strike differential in a light heavyweight title fight with +157 strikes. In addition, Hill landed the most significant strikes ever in light heavyweight title fight with 232

     
  • At UFC 283, Jessica Andrade set the largest significant strike differential in a women’s flyweight fight with +131 strikes. In addition, Andrade landed the most significant strikes ever in a women’s flyweight with 231

     
  • At UFC 288, Aljamain Sterling set the new bantamweight win streak record with 9 wins in a row

     
  • At UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Vettori, Jared Cannonier set the record the most significant strikes ever landed in a middleweight fight with 241
Zhang Weili of China reacts after her victory over Amanda Lemos of Brazil in the UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 292 event at TD Garden on August 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
Zhang Weili of China reacts after her victory over Amanda Lemos of Brazil in the UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 292 event at TD Garden on August 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)
  • At UFC 290, Denise Gomes secured the fastest finish in women’s strawweight history by knocking out her opponent in just 20 seconds

     
  • At UFC Fight Night: Holm vs Bueno Silva, Ailin Perez landed the most takedowns ever in a women’s bantamweight fight with 10

     
  • At UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura, Makhmud Muradov landed the most takedowns ever in a middleweight fight with 13

     
  • At UFC 292, Zhang Weili landed the highest total strikes in a women’s strawweight fight with 296

     
  • At Noche UFC, Alexa Grasso landed the highest total strikes in a women’s flyweight with 262

     
  • At UFC 294, Islam Makhachev tied the lightweight record for the longest winning streak in division history with 12

Miscellaneous

  • 125 Debutants

  • 159 Fight Night Bonuses Awarded

Diego Lopes of Brazil celebrates defeating Pat Sabatini in a featherweight fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Diego Lopes of Brazil celebrates defeating Pat Sabatini in a featherweight fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

There will only be bigger and better things to come to the Octagon in 2024! The action returns on January 13, inside the UFC APEX, when light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker run it back after a controversial conclusion to their bout in 2023.

Just a week later, on January 20, UFC returns to the great city of Toronto for a high-stakes PPV event featuring two title fights. Find out more information about UFC 297: Strickland vs Du Plessis here.