Former UFC two division champion Henry Cejudo has named five fighters who he thinks fans should keep an eye on in 2023.
Cejudo retired after successfully defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in 2020, but is expected to make his return to the Octagon to face reigning 135 pound champion Aljamain Sterling in a clash for the ages. During his time off from fighting, ‘Triple C’ has worked as an analyst for Eagle FC and coached a number of UFC fighters, including strawweight champion Zhang Weili and flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
Despite not competing himself, Cejudo has been keeping a close eye on the sport, especially on fighters who he believes have the potential to become a champion down the road.
Henry Cejudo Names 5 Fighters To Watch In 2023
In an interview with The Schmo (as transcribed by MMA News), Cejudo named five fighters, including Khamzat Chimaev, who he thinks will do big things in 2023.
“I’m gonna have to say Khamzat Chimaev, Bo Nickal, Umar Nurmagomedov, the 125-pounder [Amir Albazi] that just knocked out the Brazilian… I call him ‘The Iraqi Nightmare’,” Cejudo said. “Who was number five? Oh, [Rafael] Fiziev.”
Khamzat Chimaev is 5-0 in the UFC, and is now campaigning for a middleweight title fight against Alex Pereira. Bo Nickal earned his UFC contract with two impressive wins on Dana White’s Contender Series. Umar Nurmagomedov is a highly-rated bantamweight prospect from Team Khabib, who is 3-0 in the UFC. Flyweight Amir Albazi is also making his way up top whereas Rafael Fiziev is one to keep an eye on in a stacked lightweight division.
Who are your top 5 UFC fighters to keep an eye on in 2023?
