Five of the best fights to look forward to in December:
No. 5. Son Yadong vs. Chris Gutierrez – UFC Fight Night 233
The UFC was originally scheduled to travel to Shanghai on December 9 for Fight Night. Even though the tournament has now moved to APEX in Las Vegas, the card still has a very Asian flavor.
While many of the fights don’t look that compelling, the one that definitely stands out is the bantamweight bout between China’s Song Yadong and American Chris Gutierrez.
Both fighters are currently ranked in the top 15 in the bantamweight division, which is an important statement considering how difficult the division is. Song currently sits seven spots above Gutierrez at 14th place, but “El Guapo” will no doubt be hoping to leapfrog him.
Whether he can achieve this is a completely different question, since Son has achieved fantastic success. He’s knocked out fighters like Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes, and his only recent loss came to Corey Sandhagen.
Gutierrez, meanwhile, has made a name for himself with several marquee knockouts in 2022, including a victory over Frankie Edgar. He lost to Pedro Munoz in April but has since picked up a win.
Number 4. Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC 296
UFC 296 is undoubtedly one of the most exciting events of 2023. Even if you don’t count the two title fights that headline the series, there are a number of epic fights that could easily appear on this list.
However, perhaps the best of them all is the welterweight fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Stephen Thompson.
With Khamzat Chimaev now officially a middleweight, it could be argued that Rakhmonov is the hottest fighter in the welterweight division.
The undefeated “Nomad” (17-0) has defeated highly rated fighters such as Geoff Neal and Neil Magny. All the fights were won sooner than expected.
However, even though Thompson is now 40 years old, this will certainly be the toughest test of Rakhmonov’s career. Sure, he hasn’t fought since December of last year, but when he did, he dismantled Kevin Holland.
Besides, he has not lost in the Octagon earlier than expected, unless you count a knockout of Anthony Pettis in 2019.
This fight is almost certain to be a hot one, and if Rakhmonov can win, the title shot will be in his hands. This makes this clash one of the most spectacular of the month of December.
No. 3. Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan – UFC on ESPN 52
The UFC’s first December event in Austin will feature two of the best lightweights on the planet as headliners.
While the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan is unlikely to be in contention for a title shot, there’s a good chance he could challenge for it as early as 2024.
Of the two, Tsarukyan has been in better shape lately. Dariush’s eight-fight winning streak ended in June when he was stopped by Charles Oliveira, and Tsarukyan won his last two fights.
However, it’s fair to say that Tsaryakyan has never defeated a truly elite opponent, and Dariush is exactly that.
No. 2. Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval – UFC 296P
UFC 296, which will be the final event of 2023, is an interesting card with two title fights. Both of these fights should be great, but even if the event is headlined by a bigger fight, the co-headliner could be just as exciting.
The co-main event will see new flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja defend his belt against top contender Brandon Royval in a rematch of their first fight in 2021.
In this fight, Pontoja defeated Royval by submission in the second round. However, since then, Royval has improved significantly, winning his next three fights.
Pantoja, meanwhile, won his title by beating Brandon Moreno in one of the best fights of 2023. He is on a four-fight winning streak and is clearly the best flyweight around.
No. 1. Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington – UFC 296
The biggest fight scheduled for December will undoubtedly headline UFC 296, with welterweight champion Leon Edwards defending against Colby Covington.
While it’s debatable whether Covington deserves his shot — he hasn’t fought since his win over Jorge Masvidal in March 2022 — he remains a strong contender.
Covington, as you might expect, criticized Edwards several times throughout the year. However, Leon remained calm and let his work in the Octagon speak for itself.
Edwards has already knocked out Kamaru Usman twice. With Usman knocking out Covington twice, the champion should be the favorite.
However, whether he can keep up with the breakneck pace Covington likes to push is a good question, making this fight harder to predict than it might seem at first glance.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
Source: Sport
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
