2024 Mid-Yr Awards: Debating the largest winners and losers thus far this yr

Time flies once you’re having enjoyable, and as regular, there’s been lots to have for struggle followers.

Simply previous the halfway level of 2024, there’s no scarcity of speaking factors. The UFC machine continues to roll on within the face of accidents, a serious lawsuit, and Conor McGregor being Conor McGregor. PFLator is on its maiden voyage. And BKFC has emerged as one of the vital talked-about promotions in all of fight sports activities, carving out its personal path whereas the likes of KSW, ONE Championship, and RIZIN proceed to work for his or her items of the pie.

MMA Preventing’s Shaheen Al-Shatti, Mike Heck, Alexander Okay. Lee, and Jed Meshew have a look again at what went down over the previous six months and select a few of 2024’s finest, worst, and weirdest moments thus far.

Battle of the Half-Yr: Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje — UFC 300

Meshew: Rewind the clock a number of months again to the start of this yr. Followers had been slowly working themselves right into a lather about UFC 300 and the way it wasn’t any good as a result of the UFC didn’t e book any unbelievable fights for it. And despite the fact that these followers had been dumb on the time, nearly each certainly one of them shut up when UFC introduced Justin Gaethje would struggle Max Holloway for the BMF title.

Is the BMF belt actual? No. Did anybody care? (Mike) Heck no. This was violence nirvana: Probably the most thrilling fighter in MMA historical past (Gaethje) vs. a top-20 thrilling fighter who can also be one of the vital beloved (Holloway). Earlier than the struggle even occurred, I declared with absolute certainty that it could be the Battle of the Yr. I didn’t understand how proper I used to be.

For twenty-four minutes and 50 seconds, Gaethje and Holloway beat the bejesus out of one another. Gaethje was repeatedly harm and battled again. Holloway bought dropped (unofficially) for the primary time in his profession. The 2 males mixed for almost 300 vital strikes and never one second of management time. After which, with 10 seconds left, it occurred.

I received’t waste extra digital ink on the knockout as another person will talk about it momentarily, however within the waning seconds of an unbelievable struggle, one which Max Holloway was going to win by resolution after dominating the fifth spherical, Max etched himself into historical past with one of many biggest finishes to a struggle any of us have ever seen. It was the exclamation level that turned an exceptional battle into an unforgettable one.

After we look again on 2024, the Battle, the Second, the Knockout, the Every part of this yr will all stand within the shadow of two of probably the most thrilling fighters to ever do it.

Honorable Point out: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier — UFC 302

It will not be totally honest, however notion performs an enormous function in how fights are obtained. Living proof, the runner-up this yr.

Heading into UFC 302, the temper was unusual. Poirier fairly clearly didn’t deserve this title shot, however he’s so beloved, nobody a lot cared. Plus, everybody was assured he would get run over, as Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov had achieved to him beforehand. As a substitute, “The Diamond” confirmed simply how good he’s.

After a troublesome opening body, Poirier gave Makhachev a hell of a time within the cage. He confirmed vastly improved takedown protection (at all times a weak spot) and busted Makhachev open with a nasty elbow. Each actually and metaphorically, it was the primary time we’ve seen the champion bleed. After which, Makhachev responded how champions do: He completed the struggle with brutal authority.

With the struggle within the steadiness towards a surprisingly troublesome opponent, Makhachev elevated himself within the last spherical, trapping Poirier right into a sequence that allowed him to transition right into a fight-ending D’Arce choke. It was an ideal conclusion to some terrific drama, with the champion asserting himself as the perfect fighter alive, whereas the beloved determine managed to impress in defeat.

Fighter of the Half-Yr: Alex Pereira

Heck: On the mid-way level of 2024, it’s “Poatan” on the entrance of the pack.

There are quite a lot of nice choices to date, however Alex Pereira, the unicorn of a UFC gentle heavyweight champion, takes the lead into the second half of the yr.

In most years, Pereira going 2-0 — with two completely vicious knockouts in lower than 9 minutes of mixed octagon time — in defenses of his second divisional title would put him in pole place, however contemplate that he saved two of the UFC’s largest playing cards of the yr within the course of and the feat turns into much more spectacular. Jamahal Hill regarded like an absolute world-beater in his win over Glover Teixeira in January 2023, and sure, whereas he was coming back from harm at UFC 300, Pereira obliterated him.

Jiri Prochazka is an absolute lunatic and one of many three finest 205-pounders on the planet. Pereira, on two weeks’ discover and with a pair of damaged toes, arguably regarded higher than ever as he delivered a completely ridiculous knockout within the opening seconds of Spherical 2 in the principle occasion of UFC 303.

Query is, can he maintain on to the spot?

Honorable Point out: Max Holloway

If Pereira didn’t step up at UFC 303, Holloway could be the chief within the clubhouse with out query after shifting up in weight, dominating Justin Gaethje for twenty-four:59, after which delivering one of the vital memorable knockouts in UFC historical past to win the BMF title. With that win, “Blessed” seemingly has the chance subsequent to reclaim one other championship.

Regardless of the recent begins out of the gate from Pereira and Holloway, 2024 may find yourself being certainly one of more durable votes for this class.

If Holloway will get the featherweight title shot towards Ilia Topuria and delivers, “Blessed” will get A LOT of first-place votes. If Topuria beats Holloway and Volkanovski in the identical yr, that’s ridiculously spectacular. One identify many could also be forgetting is Arman Tsarukyan. If the excellent light-weight can finish the yr with wins over Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, whereas profitable probably the most troublesome title in MMA within the course of, he may have a factor or two to say about this dialog.

Knockout of the Half-Yr: Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje — UFC 300

Al-Shatti: Ilia Topuria’s response stated all of it.

On the evening of UFC 300, I wrote that somebody goes to need to ship a cranium into orbit with a rolling thunder within the last milliseconds of a title struggle to dislodge Max Holloway from this perch, and my mates, you don’t want me to let you know that hasn’t really occurred. And admittedly, even when it had, we’d most likely nonetheless be giving Holloway his flowers right here. That’s how absurd the one most enduring picture from certainly one of MMA’s biggest ever playing cards is.

As soon as each few years, if we’re fortunate, the kind of second arrives in that immediately etches itself into the game’s all-time pantheon. The kind of second that stops time and turns into a benchmark for MMA fandom, that continues to be part of our lives from now into infinity. Stick round lengthy sufficient and you recognize precisely what I imply. Conor McGregor’s 13-second coronation. Anderson Silva’s fifth-round heroics. Fedor vs. Cro Cop in a duel of the almighties. The nights you both bear in mind precisely the place you had been once they occurred or hear wistful tales advert nauseam about the way you’d by no means perceive since you weren’t there. And make no mistake, Holloway’s point-down throwdown with Justin Gaethje is the newest to hitch that sacred listing, destined to endure lengthy after we’re all six toes within the floor.

Holloway was already a first-ballot Corridor of Famer earlier than UFC 300. Afterward, he remodeled into one thing else totally: An icon. Sorry to the remaining, however this class is locked up till award season rolls round in full in December. Everybody else is competing for second place.

Honorable Point out: Ilia Topuria def. Alexander Volkanovski — UFC 298

All good issues ends badly, in any other case they wouldn’t finish in any respect.

That cliche might not apply to all sides of life, however as a rule it rings true within the struggle sport. Alexander Volkanovski can attest to that. At UFC 298, the fifth-longest consecutive title reign in UFC males’s historical past ended with one excellent proper hook to the jaw. Volkanovski is both the best or second-greatest featherweight champion of all-time (relying on the way you view Jose Aldo), however time is undefeated and Ilia Topuria arrived in Anaheim with the aura of a grim reaper. The charismatic Spaniard informed the world what was going to occur and even modified his Instagram bio to anoint himself as the brand new UFC 145-pound king properly earlier than he ever stepped foot within the Honda Heart and starched a legend.

Whether or not Topuria is a flash within the pan or can harness the identical endurance of a lot of featherweight’s nice champions earlier than him stays to be seen, however there’s little question “El Matador” authored one hell of a primary chapter to wherever this story finally ends up main.

Submission of the Half-Yr: Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez 2 — UFC Mexico Metropolis

Lee: Brian Ortega simply couldn’t catch a break.

When Ortega stepped into the octagon for a rematch with Yair Rodriguez this previous February, no person knew what to anticipate from the two-time UFC featherweight title challenger. His first struggle with Rodriguez led to a disastrous shoulder harm for Ortega, lengthy bouts of inactivity left him winless since October 2020, after which in a darkly comical second, he appeared to tweak his ankle moments after getting into the cage.

Suffice to say, Ortega’s misfortune didn’t seem like wherever near coming to an finish.

Rodriguez blistered him together with his deadly standup within the first spherical, notching a 10-8 on one judges’ scorecard. Nonetheless, Ortega’s famed resilience kicked in and he took Rodriguez to the mat in Spherical 2 and bludgeoned him for his personal 10-8 spherical. Then, within the third, Ortega grounded Rodriguez for good. The submission specialist tied Rodriguez up with an arm-triangle choke and compelled the faucet so as to add one other Spherical 3 end to his résumé.

Provided that Ortega just lately got here below fireplace for a weight debacle that led to the cancellation of his UFC 303 bout with Diego Lopes, it’s exhausting to recollect what a cathartic second this was, nevertheless it was inspiring to see Ortega again within the win column after going through a lot adversity.

Honorable Point out: Liz Carmouche vs. Kana Watanabe 2 — PFL 4

Our honorable point out goes to a different rematch with its fair proportion of drama, although below vastly totally different circumstances.

Liz Carmouche and Kana Watanabe’s rematch on this season’s PFL flyweight match occurred three years after their first encounter at Bellator 261, when Carmouche dealt with Watanabe en path to a 35-second TKO win. Carmouche went on to grow to be Bellator flyweight champion and ultimately run off 9 straight wins, with no marks in her loss column since dropping a regrettable resolution to Valentina Shevchenko in 2019.

That unbeaten run — and simply as importantly qualification for the PFL’s $1 million postseason — was in jeopardy after two rounds with Watanabe, with the Japanese veteran stifling Carmouche’s finest makes an attempt at offense. With time ticking away and Carmouche going through a loss on the playing cards, she went for broke with an armbar from backside place and was rewarded with a clutch tapout.

Formally, there was solely eight seconds remaining within the contest.

Carmouche doesn’t at all times get the respect she deserves, however with two league wins below her belt and pending matchups with Taila Santos and, probably, prized PFL prospect Dakota Ditcheva, she may quickly have a seven-figure bonus to remind everybody what she’s price.

Coolest Factor: Eddie Corridor has the power of two males

Meshew: Hey, I don’t know if y’all missed it, however again in June, former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Corridor did this.

Sure, that’s Eddie Corridor preventing two folks, and sure, that’s the world’s first powerbomb-into-right hand combo. (Not seen in that clip, after ending that one man, the struggle was restarted with Corridor towards simply the opposite man; it was over moments later.)

Circus fights are dope and circus fights with the World’s Strongest Man are doper. Plus, afterward, Corridor referred to as for an MMA struggle with former umpteen-time World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski. That is what MMA was alleged to be like when our Founding Fathers envisioned it.

Most Insane Factor: The Chew

Al-Shatti: Right here’s how weird issues have gotten in 2024: Igor Severino really violently bit a dude (Andre Lima) on a random APEX card, and that dude then went to a tattoo parlor and inked a same-night “Chew of the Evening” memento on prime of an additional $100,000 he collected from the game’s most seen authority determine, and the entire saga was previous information like three days later.

If Draymond Inexperienced bit a random participant on the Minnesota Timberwolves on a random Tuesday evening, and that dude then went and tattooed it as much as the tune of a six-figure bonus from NBA commissioner Adam Silver, it’d be a narrative for the subsequent 4 months! Anytime you assume MMA has developed previous its Wild West period, it solely takes a bizarre evening like March 23 to remind you that the lawless spirit of 1993 continues to be embedded deep into the material of this dumb, stunning sport. Nowhere else may this have been a factor. How will you not adore it?

Largest story: UFC 300

Heck: I do know, I do know, the simple reply is Conor McGregor and the drama of UFC 303, however for the sake of optimistic vibes, I’m going with UFC 300 for plenty of causes.

To begin with, internet hosting nearly all of the programming on the community provides me a reasonably stable thought of trending matters and what folks wish to speak about. All through 2024, probably the most questions I used to be requested needed to do with UFC 300, from no matter the principle occasion was going to be, to if Dana White may attain the not possible expectations he placed on the cardboard, and numerous others.

Not solely did the cardboard ship in execution, UFC did one thing they not often ever do: They really had enjoyable with it, though it took a scorching minute to get us there.

Did the Pereira vs. Hill principal occasion announcement “blow everybody’s socks off?” No, in reality, in some way I added extra layers of clothes even residing in South Carolina. However we sang the cardboard’s praises as soon as the lineup was finalized, calling it the perfect on-paper card in UFC historical past.

What I liked most about it? This was not the informal MMA fan’s card. UFC sometimes books for the informal fan, the newbies who go to the native pub and fake they know concerning the sport as a result of they observe Conor McGregor on Instagram. These had been the parents in the entire chats doo-dooing on this card. However UFC 300 was for us! It was for the followers who drudge via the quicksand of endless playing cards at “The World’s Most Well-known APEX” two to a few Saturdays a month, or the subpar highway present Battle Evening lineups, and even half of a pay-per-view calendar yr that has been, fairly frankly, underwhelming, and that is likely to be too sort.

However on April 13, none of that mattered. UFC’s lack of effort in promotion, the corporate caring extra about Energy Slap than the precise entity that made them the MMA chief by about 30 international revolutions and the fight sports activities GOAT, the terrible struggle playing cards on the APEX, fighter pay, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic — all forgotten. No, on that evening, the quicksand turned a conveyor belt, and the hardcore MMA followers floated via a time machine, of kinds, via less complicated occasions, when Gladiator Man and Face the Ache set the desk for chaos. Alex Pereira’s star continued to rise. Max Holloway delivered an all-timer. Zhang Weili continued her dominance. And so many different optimistic moments.

On the flip aspect, we additionally realized {that a} seemingly humbling knockout loss in a principal occasion from a fighter who talked an unbelievable quantity of trash heading into it may really show months later that not a single lesson was realized. UFC 300 had all of it.

On that evening at T-Cellular Area, a number of generations of MMA followers got here collectively for a blockbuster stuffed with reminiscences, enjoyment, and nostalgia. An evening that reminded us that when UFC really provides a shit, it may be magical.

Most MMA MMA Promotion of 2024 So Far: UFC

Lee: For the umpteenth yr in a row, the MMA-iest of MMA promotions is — you guessed it — the UFC!

By means of thick and skinny, Dana White and firm proceed to trudge alongside, posting file income, staying ubiquitous on social media (shout out to Energy Slap!), and garnering huge mainstream curiosity with new broadcast offers on the horizon. At its coronary heart, UFC promotes fights, however as a enterprise entity, it has grow to be a lot greater than that.

It’s not about giving followers the perfect particular person fights, however as a substitute about signing as a lot inexpensive expertise as doable and trotting them out on the UFC APEX each week come hell or excessive water. When UFC goes on the highway, occasions promote out earlier than lineups are even near being finalized, and the promotion is at all times working within the black with costly website charges now the norm (no extra off-beat Battle Evening cities anymore, sorry Moncton!). What was as soon as an outlaw model within the skilled sports activities world is now a self-sustaining machine with no main obstacles in sight.

That final half is vital to say, as a result of bear in mind the antitrust lawsuit that has been hanging over UFC’s head for the previous few years? It’s all however settled, with a only a few Is to be dotted and Ts left to be crossed earlier than the nine-figure payout is resolved. A giant hit for UFC, no query, till you keep in mind that it’s a success it may afford to take, one which will likely be swept below the rug by the point we’ve hit the midpoint of 2025.

Add within the partnership with fellow sports activities leisure big WWE below the TKO banner, and you may see why UFC is in no hazard of trending downward anytime quickly.