ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto and Marc Raimondi preview the upcoming year for the UFC in and outside the Octagon. 0:00 Intro …
what’s up guys Brett okamoto from ESPN joined by Mark raimondi my colleague uh at ESPN and we are going to be talking about the year to come 2023 we just uh did a recap of 2022 so make sure you if you haven’t watched that go on the YouTube channel ESPN MMA and see us talk about the biggest storyline sort of recap some breakout performances some surprises of 2022 but today it is all about 2023 and I got to be honest I’m looking forward to this conversation mark because let’s be real in 2022 we might we might disagree on certain things but we kind of you know we both saw the safe stuff in 2022. we have no idea what’s coming in 2023 so I’m really curious just uh even if we were sitting here at a bar with a beer in our hands about like what are you looking forward to what do you think that the 2023 is going to be like and I think the best way to start this off is going to be the biggest story lines in MMA what do you think will really be sort of peaking our interest as the year unfolds yeah that’s a great question and uh we we sometimes uh we’ve done we’ve done this for several years in a row Brett and I think we kind of swing and miss a lot on what ends up being a big story line right because the sport is so darn unpredictable right so I mean for for one I mean the elephant in the room is kind of is kind of Conor McGregor right you know for all for all intents and purposes it seems like he is going to be back fighting in the UFC in 2023 when that is we don’t know we know that he has to spend six months in the usata testing before he returns and he had tweeted that he’s going to be doing that in February so maybe we got a summer return a fall return from McGregor I think what that looks like the lead up to that fight uh you know what who the opponent is you know what the fight ends up being where it ends up being that is going to be a big story because we just haven’t we haven’t seen Connor since the the leg injury since he broke his leg against Poirier in July 2021 and for being honest Brett Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the history of this Sport and anything that he does is big news so I think that will be a a big storyline and and outside the cave storyline and it’s something that you know we’ve done some reporting on ESPN is this uh this investigation uh about suspicious betting that that you know allegedly involves uh James Krause and Derek Minner stemming from a fight that happened November 5th at the ufca packs the UFC Fight Night card where uh there was uh some some dramatic betting lines moving and uh kind of an odd first round finish for Shyla and nerdon Beak and as ESPN reported a couple weeks ago Brett the FBI is collecting information in this case and talking to people about this case and and I think that look when you say FBI UFC you know allegations of of who knows what a fight fixing that’s going to be a big story and and betting has been a big part of the culture in MMA now for several years and I feel like it’s it’s heated up and I think a lot of people were doing it you know very innocent recently and I don’t think anyone really uh understood you know the gravity of what it could end up being but there’s a reason why other leagues uh like the NBA NFL don’t let players employees bet and the UFC made a similar uh prohibition back in October which was actually three weeks before this whole this fight happened which is which is kind of uh crazy um the uh the The Coincidence of it all so I think that how that investigation unfolds will be a an enormous story possibly early in 2023. yeah no question about it and you know a lot of a lot of times when we’re talking about breaking news and and developing news it has ramifications moving forward I would say that in some ways though the ramifications have already happened right because because the fighters the trainers the staff they cannot bet on the fights anymore you’ve seen what they’ve done but they’ve banned all the fighters who train with James Krause obviously that’s going to have a crippling crippling effect on that gym um do you anticipate like any other sort of ramifications coming out of this or is this more just like we’re gonna find out how deep this went and then sort of the uh the punishments that are being dealt out but in terms of actually sort of changing anything moving forward that we kind of seen the length of that or could there be more to come I think um I think the changes may be they may be sort of uh behind the scenes I mean I’ve had uh Fighters managers tell me that you know some Fighters are afraid to post their their picks now on Instagram or you know on on social media you know I’ve had people tell me that yeah you know they they’re they don’t want to talk publicly anymore about about betting because now you know there’s just like this stigma against it um when everyone was talking about before you know there were people shouting out betting sponsors at UFC press conferences after UFC fights and now it seems like oh wow maybe we shouldn’t be you know maybe we shouldn’t be doing this I had one manager told me that his fighter was afraid to give his picks for like an NFL game because of all this stuff going on so and and these and the reason why it’s significant Brett is because a lot of these Fighters have sponsors that are sports books you know they’re they have betting sponsors and that doesn’t mean they’re doing anything improper not not at all they’re they’re just they just get paid to get their picks which is not illegal by the UFC or illegal by anybody else but now there’s that kind of weird like gray area like do we want to do this do we not want to do this do we want to have our name involved in this and that will probably have an effect on like the the greater like MMA economy because because of that I mean our sponsors are going to start pulling out I don’t know uh but yeah that’s uh that that’s something that definitely could could have an effect as we move forward with this investigation that whole situation is so wild dude I don’t know how much you paid attention to as sports betting gets legalized around the country but because it’s not falling to state issues and the states aren’t prepared to make the sort of right calls or the proper people aren’t in place for it it’s kind of just a wild wild west where it’s it’s almost like these casinos are are overseeing themselves and uh you know you’ve seen uh you’ve seen universities state universities being sponsored by some of these because there’s so much money involved in it so there’s probably always going to be some issues with the sponsoring uh part of that and yeah it will be interesting to see how that unfolds not just an MMA but as a whole I mean that that story runs pretty deep when it comes to uh um regulizing sports betting across uh the United States when it hasn’t been obviously prior till now I think uh one of the other I agree with you that’s a huge story line the other storyline I mentioned as my biggest storyline I think going into 2022 and that is Francis agano and we still haven’t gotten a resolution as of this taping we have not gone to resolution I believe that the UFC I know that the UFC is working very hard and speaking to Francis is trying to figure out what his future is but all of the the questions that we had about in Ghana still exists I think the industry is to paying very close attention to him that he said his contract expires at a certain time because it’s been a length of five years does the UFC agree with that you know and if they don’t come to terms and Francis tries to walk away and does something else with the UFC try to file an injunction and stop him from competing and say he still is under contract I think all of these are Big questions that you know Mark I mean we’ve kind of talked about him over the course of the year and said that this has not been answered yet and maybe they won’t be you know maybe we won’t get to that point I I kind of think that we won’t actually I think that Francis agano will ultimately resign with UFC but those conversations still need to happen you know and we kind of keep hearing like oh they’re going to happen they’re going to happen they still have not happened and now we’re going into 2023 and we still don’t know what’s happening with Francis no Francis cingano being a heavyweight champion and also just being the personality that he is that he has certain principles that he’s not willing to bend on I mean this is this is a fascinating story it has been for a long time and we still need to see how it’s resolved so that’s a big one that I’ll be watching um let’s get to the fights some fights in the themselves so if I said you’re looking forward to maybe the top fight you’re looking forward to that has been announced already in the UFC’s first quarter I mean this is uh maybe this is cheating but I mean how can I say I’m not looking forward to number one versus number two right the pound for pound king battle Islam makacha versus Alexander okanovsky coming up just here in a couple months in February in Australia then maybe that’s a cop-out answer Brett but how often do we get number one pound for pound versus number two in in a sport that’s a weight class sport where you know sometimes number one number two are are 50 60 pounds apart we’re actually getting the two best fighters in the world I mean we’re talking about the bona fide best right I mean no one’s arguing that these are the two best guys pound per pound on the planet right now and they’re gonna fight each other they’re both around the same weight and it’s going to be a huge pay-per-view Main Event that’s going to be an amazing fight an amazing Clash of styles I’m incredibly excited for vulcanovsky versus makachev uh personally yeah no that’s not a cop-out that’s the obvious answer and that I think that’s the correct answer I mean any other answer to that you’re either a huge fan of someone who’s going to be fighting or you’re trying to get queued because uh yeah Islam versus Volk is is an outstanding fight and definitely so far of what they’ve announced it is the cream of the crop I would say if I was gonna throw any other one out there it would be the co-main event on that card yeah a year Rodriguez versus Josh Hemet that’s a fantastic fight I think that yair could represent some problems to volkanovsky in that featherweight Division I mean volcanovs is going to be heavily favored against all of them not to I could see Josh uh representing his problems too with his his uh his power but yair is tricky man I I do think yeah you’re streaking you know I do think the yair is coming into this uh this level of confidence um that could give him a shot against volcanovski but hey he’s got to be Joshua first and then and then you know if ever were to win we’ll see how he would do against uh volkanovski let’s turn to some fights that maybe are not on the schedule um one that you are hoping to see in 2023 I’ll go first on this one I think the obvious one probably is Francisco versus Jon Jones I really really really really really really really hope we see that fight I do we’re going to see Jon Jones ahead anyway if we see him against someone other than Francis and Gano it’s still going to be exciting but it’s going to feel a little bit like a letdown it has to you know and that’s just going to come down to the negotiations between uh in Ghana and the UFC um but uh another one I would throw out there is halfway over Z versus Justin keichi I would love to see that fight I think it’s I think it’s a monster fight I think it’s a fire fight and I do think we will see that one as well so hopefully fingers crossed we will see the top two that I just gave what’s on your mind in terms of potential fights for 2023. I I again in Gano versus Jon Jones is a fight that I think that might have been my fight for last year the one that I wanted that’s still number one on my list but I’ll throw a few more out there that that I’d like to see I’m the more that I think about it Brett the more that I love the idea of Conor McGregor’s return fight being as Paddy pimlet Patty can definitely move from 170 if that’s what McGregor wants to do at 170 it seems like he’s looking pretty big right now and to me that fight has that has all the elements of making perfect sense because you you have McGregor coming back right you don’t want to throw him in there against I know I know Dana White said Michael Chandler but do you really want to throw my uh you know McGregor in there with a killer like Michael Chandler in his first fight not saying that Patty pimple is not a killer but not nearly as explosive as Michael Chandler is and he’s on the top of the division Chandler has been fighting guys at the top of the division now for for a couple years in the UFC Patty pimblet is a star fighter and if he were to beat McGregor sky is the limit right I mean we’re talking about maybe the next McGregor you know passing the torch moment if he wins if Conor wins Conor is back maybe you can even get him a title shot off that I know that the hardcore fans are going to lose their minds but let’s just be honest still Conor freaking McGregor he wins that fight against Patty pimblet he’s right back in the driver’s seat he’s on you know he he breaks that streak that everyone talks about all the only one win since you know 2016. and he’s back and we’re talking about him again and that the lead-up to that fight will be enormous and the pay review numbers will be just outrageous so I mean I think that fight makes a lot of sense and uh it’s a win-win for the UFC so that I would love to see that fight one more I want to throw one real quick I really want to see the rematch between Sean O’Malley and shito Vera uh I really really want to see that fight maybe it happens for the title this year I don’t know but I would love to see that fight at some point run back because both those guys to me are really just entering into their primes and I think that they are the future stars of that bantamweight division a very good band of my division no disrespect to you know the algeman Sterling of the world yeah yeah I don’t disagree with either of those man I think the Paddy piglet Connor one might feel to some people like coming out of left field but when you listen to your Arguments for it you think about it makes some sense makes some sense to have Connor fight fight Patty okay this is a this is a conversation I’m looking forward to your picks for fighter of the year and I I just want to throw out there and maybe this is like a disclaimer this is difficult because these guys are going to be fighting the top of the top you know um so it’s hard it’s hard to predict fights it’s hard to to even just like just one fight you know say this guy’s gonna win or that guy’s gonna win because all these title fights you know are are mostly competitive um but so the way I’m gonna look at it is almost kind of circumstantial of like I think that it’s really set up very well for these two individuals male and female to win fighter of the year I don’t so that’s how I’m kind of doing it so you can say if you’re viewing it a different way and then ultimately who are you who are your top predictions for male and female a year I mean I and this is maybe this is cheating again um but I think Islam Chef in 2023 I think he’s the fighter of the year he he there’s a case that could probably be made that he’s fighter of the year in 2022 but I think as the champion he’s starting off the gates in an enormous fight against volkanovsky which he’s favored in um I think that’ll be an amazing fight but I think a lot of people do think that Islam will win that fight he starts off the year that way who in that division is really going to be a guy that uh look we saw upsets this year it was it was a chaotic 2022 but I would probably favor makacha against most of those other contenders at lightweight correct me if I’m wrong there and then on the women’s side it’s it’s really tough I mean there there are a number of good candidates uh Valentina shevchenko you have to wonder you know she’s going to come back and she’s going to get some title defenses of course and maybe we even finally see that that trilogy fight with her and Amanda Nunez you know so maybe she can defend the title once or twice and then even beat new nets for that title uh but I I mean I I still think that Rose Nami Eunice is going to come back and I think that she’s going to get that fight against John Wayne at some point and win so I don’t I don’t have a great candidate I also think that Kayla Harrison will have a big year um and come back from that loss to Larissa Pacheco so I’m gonna I’m gonna say guns in my head I’m gonna say Valentina but uh there are a lot of other candidates out there who I think could have figures even like an Aaron blanchfield you know someone like that can absolutely can really emerge yep I like a lot of what you said there I am going to agree I’m saying Valentina um just because I do think obviously the talent is there um I think that uh for the first time in a couple years she has potential story lines you know she could fight Talia Santos again which people thought that you know she didn’t look great in that fight um John Wayne Lee has expressed an interest in coming up and John Wayne Lee were to beat Rose and and overcome that kryptonite I could see that fight happening you know and what did Valentina beat jeanway Lee and then like you said the Amanda Nunes fight is right there so I do think that the year sets up potentially well um I think that Valentina will be active you know I would expect to see her in the first quarter of next year so I would say that my favorite for fighter of the Year female is Valentina male might surprise you okay Henry sahuto wow Triple C because just imagine this man Henry sahuto comes out of retirement right yeah I’ll bet brief retirement comes out of retirement not that brief almost two years that’s true actually a decent sized retirement yeah what if he beats Al Jermaine Sterling which he is an underdog in that fight what if he takes the title reclaims the title that he willingly dropped resource himself is the best 135er fights Sean O’Malley a guy who’s going to bring a lot of eyeballs to a title fight let’s say he beats Sean O’Malley okay then then he starts saying now I’m done with the UFC wanted me to do give me my shot let me move up let me try to win a third championship against Alex volkanoski I mean that’s a lot of work for a man to do in 12 months that is a lot of work and those are tough fights but yeah be here sets up for Henry cejudo to have one for the ages so I’m going with Henry savuto as my potential male fighter of the Year okay let’s finish off uh our conversation about 2023 with one bold prediction what are you gonna go with yeah this is this is a hard one and I’ve uh I’ve been kind of Milling this about uh my my Bowl prediction is that by the end of this year by the actually not even the end of this year uh by the end of 2023 I should say we will be talking about the return of Nate Diaz to the UFC I know we just discussed him departing the UFC and I do think that that will stick and he will do one or two big fights in 2023 but I think that by the end of this year by this time next year to Brad I think that we are talking about Nate Diaz coming back to the UFC and a possible Trilogy fight between him and Conor McGregor that’s my bold prediction I think it’s November 2023. Twitter if it still exists maybe Instagram starts start you start seeing photos of Dana White he’s in Los Angeles and Nate Diaz walks into the same restaurant as him and everyone’s everyone’s like oh what’s going on what’s going on why is Nate in the restaurant with Dana White you know they walk out to try like they’re trying to get good comments from them they both go go on and then like an hour later Dana White puts on Twitter the smiley face like it’s back in 2010. you know I think the Nate Diaz resigned to the UFC before the end of next year yeah it very well could yeah yeah I mean so that holds you know because he has said he wants to come back it’s just a matter of the situation the circumstances so maybe it’s not a bold prediction if we’re both making and our world prediction but uh I don’t know one year might be a little too quick but yeah man um I mean if the date goes off and gets and does what he wants to do like I still think that the conversations are there I think that the mutual respect is there now um and that the desire to do business is is still there between those two I’ve also throw out there that I think TJ De La straw re-enters the usata pool uh and before we wrap up this talk about 2023 and I’ll I’ll let you uh give our final thoughts I think it’s weird that we’ve had this talk about 2023 and we haven’t mentioned the name Hans that should mind so I just want to mention the name Hamza shimaya because obviously the talent is there for that man as well he was not one of our picks for fighter of the year but absolutely he could completely could be and I do think that even Beyond fighter of the year he could turn into one of the biggest stories of the year just because of what he does I mean that guy when he fights he is so dominant he is so aggressive you know and he’s got this sort of Wild Streak to him of course that we’ve all seen I think that he captures the imagination and the um the excitement of fans in a way that uh you know just 99.9 of people in the sport can’t so uh I didn’t want to do a whole 2023 preview and not say the name of that because I think that we would get looked at and laughed at um you know over the next 12 months so those are my final thoughts of 2020. I did a little uh show with our good friend Aaron bronstetter of TSN a few days ago a little year end and look ahead show and uh my pick for who was going to be the middleweight champion of the UFC by the end of 2023 my pick was Hamza shimaya I think that that middleweight that middleweight division is kind of ripe for a guy like Hamza a dominant wrestler who can finish people who can also have power in his hands that’s a problem for Israel out of Sonia for Alex Pereira for really anyone even a Robert Whittaker that dude’s a real problem maybe even more so than than welterweight which has a lot more rustlers uh that are high in the rankings for sure plus and it’s a lot easier for him to make the way so I I completely completely agree with you thank you for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming Sports and premium content subscribe to ESPN Plus