Recapping The Best Of The Middleweight Division In 2023

Sometimes there can be nerves that come with making your UFC debut.

That wasn’t the case for Bo Nickal, who’s first walk came on the PPV portion of a sold-out event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Nickal came into the Octagon and did exactly what he said he would do against Jamie Pickett. He looked dominant and got a quick first round submission win.

See What Nickal Had To Say After His Debut | View Bo Nickal's Athlete Profile

That’s how you make a debut and that’s how you keep the hype going.

Joe Pyfer’s First Round TKO Win Over Gerald Meerschaert At 287

The “Be Like Joe Pyfer” stuff was fun from Dana White’s Contender Series, but since then, fighters would love to have the success that Pyfer has been having in the Octagon.

See What Pyfer Had To Say After Beating Meerschaert | View Pyfer's Athlete Profile

At UFC 287, he faced veteran middleweight Gerald Meerschaert in what many saw as a true test for Pyfer. Well, he got an A grade on the performance thanks to his powerful striking that led to a first-round knockout victory.

It was the perfect step for Pyfer and it will be interesting to see how he looks in his co-main event on October 7 versus Abdul Razak Alhassan.

Israel Adesanya’s KO Win Over Alex Pereira At 287

When Israel Adesanya was defeated by rival Alex Pereira last year, many people looked at Pereira as Adesanya’s kryptonite.

Watch Adesanya's Inspiring Octagon Interview | View Adesanya's Athlete Profile

At UFC 287 in Miami, “The Last Stylebender” finally got the better of Pereira and delivered one of the most emphatic knockouts and celebrations we’ve ever seen. It was an all-time moment for the middleweight division.

Ikram Aliskerov’s KO Of Phil Hawes At 288

Coming into your UFC debut a shiny 13-1 with nine finishes make you a prospect to keep an eye on, especially when your only career loss came against Khamzat Chimaev.

Watch Aliskerov React To Winning His UFC Debut | View Alikserov's Athlete Profile

That’s the situation that Ikram Aliskerov found himself in earlier this year when he made the walk to face Phil Hawes at UFC 288. Aliskerov delivered a fight-ending shot just over two minutes into the bout and made himself one of the premier prospects in the middleweight division.

Brendan Allen Drops, Then Submits, Bruno Silva

Louisiana native Brendan Allen has long had every tool he needed to be a true contender at middleweight, and over the course of the last year and a half he’s really found the perfect way to finally break through.

Allen entered UFC Jacksonville in June on a four-fight win streak, and three of those wins came by submission via rear naked choke. He faced knockout artist Bruno Silva and how did he handle that challenge? By dropping Silva and adding yet another rear naked choke victory to his resume.

Watch Allen React To His Fifth Win In-A-Row | View Allen's Athlete Profile

Allen’s brilliant win streak has put him in the best spot in his UFC career and he’ll have a big opportunity to keep the momentum going against Paul Craig in a main event on November 18.

Sean Strickland stops Abus Magomedov

When no one wanted to face Abus Magomdeov, the UFC called Sean Strickland.

Watch Strickland Discuss His Brilliant TKO Win | View Strickland's Athlete Profile

Strickland went into the Octagon at the UFC APEX and put on a clinic, tiring out Magomdeov and breaking him down with his volume and pressure. His second-round TKO win was the statement he needed to earn a title shot versus Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney.

Dricus Du Plessis Beats Robert Whittaker At 290

Facing the biggest test of his UFC career, South African knockout artist Dricus Du Plessis shined bright against former champion Robert Whittaker.

Du Plessis Talks Win Over Whittaker And More | View Du Plessis' Athlete Profile

Du Plessis brought the fight to Whittaker, landing power strikes that sent Whittaker retreating. In the second round it became too much, and Du Plessis scored a win that put him firmly in the sights of Israel Adesanya. Unfortunately for Du Plessis, an injury forced him to stay sidelined while Sean Strickland jumped him for a shot at Adesanya.

Bo Nickal Earns His Second First Round Finish Of The Year

At UFC 290, Nickal was set to make his second UFC walk opposite Tresean Gore but a injury forced Gore out of the bout. Plenty of names tried to call for the chance to fight Nickal. In the end, Val Woodburn got the call and Nickal made a statement.

Nickal knocked out Woodburn in 38 seconds and showed once again that he’s here to fight and to be a finisher.

Paul Craig Makes A Successful MW Debut In London

Former light heavyweight contender Paul Craig felt like he was a little undersized when he faced Johnny Walker at UFC 283 in Brazil earlier this year.

That fight prompted Craig to make the cut down 20 pounds to middleweight. His first go at his new weight class came against submission ace Andre Muniz. Craig used his grappling to set up his ground-and-pound and, by the end of the second round, he had overwhelmed Muniz.

Watch Craig Discuss His Successful Middleweight Bout | View Craig's Athlete Profile

Craig got the TKO finish and set himself up for an immediate chance to jump into the middleweight mix with a main event against Brendan Allen on November 18.

Sean Strickland Upsets Israel Adesanya To Become The Middleweight Champion At UFC 293

At UFC 293, Sean Strickland pulled off one of the biggest title fight upsets we’ve ever seen.

For 25 minutes, Strickland made Israel Adesanya uncomfortable, and prevented one of the best strikers to ever step into the Octagon from finding his rhythm. In the first round, Strickland dropped Adesanya with a perfect punch to the jaw, but Adesanya bounced back to stick in the fight.

Strickland never let off the gas, defending well and making Adesanya fight with his back against the Octagon fence. It was the perfect gameplan and a dominant win for Strickland.