Total Combat | Episode 529 | SF 02

2023 in MMA was a standout year for so many champions from so many promotions. The UFC’s Tom Aspinall scored two first round KOs and claimed the interim heavyweight title with less than a week’s notice. Former middleweight champion Alex Pereira won the light heavyweight title after just two fights in the division. Sean Strickland turned his career around with three straight victories. Alexa Grasso and Leon Edwards were the only UFC champs to defend titles. And In the PFL, Magomed Magomedkerimov, Larisa Pacheco, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier won their second PFL season championships with four wins apiece. But 2023 goes to Impa Kasanganay, because no one did more this year than the light heavyweight champion.