UFC/MMA finest ‘Fighters of the Yr’ 2024 – High 5 Listing

What’s combating about if not establishing one’s self as the highest canine and carving out an enduring legacy? There are a whole bunch of athletes on the UFC roster and numerous hundreds of fighters across the globe, so it takes one thing notably particular (a golden strap is actually useful) to essentially stand out from the pack.

Let’s checkout 2024’s “Fighters of the Yr.”

5. Dakota Ditcheva

I can’t say I knew a lot about Dakota Ditcheva previous to the beginning of 2024. She was undefeated in 5 earlier Skilled Fighter’s League (PFL) fights and received their European Girls’s Flyweight event, but when we’re being sincere …. how many people are actually preserving up-to-date on the assorted regional subsections of PFL?!?

I actually know her now. If this have been breakout fighter of the yr, Ditcheva is undeniably the highest choose. Not solely did Ditcheva struggle and win 4 fights within the final 12 months, however she did so in unimaginable style. The “Harmful” English expertise stopped every of her opponents, and three out of 4 victories got here through knockout.

The one knock in opposition to her declare to be increased up on the record of competitors high quality. Talia Santos is the one top-ranked fighter of the bunch, besides, the way through which she simply disposed of a former UFC title contender who pushed Valentina Shevchenko to the break deserves to be talked about.

Ditcheva would possibly simply be the perfect Flyweight on the planet proper now. Her case might simply be argued with a straight face. That wasn’t true a yr in the past!

4. Joaquin Buckley

2024 would possibly simply go down as yr of the Buck.

Critically, no person was contemplating Joaquin Buckley as an actual Welterweight contender again in January. His standing has fully modified. Although already 2-0 at 170-pounds, Buckely nonetheless had some actual work to do in incomes a rating and convincing the overall fanbase to neglect about his Middleweight losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Kevin Holland.

Mission completed! Battering Vicente Luque into submission at first of the yr was a high quality second, and a fast turnaround in opposition to the big Nursulton Ruziboev in his residence metropolis of St. Louis actually went a great distance in establishing “New Mansa” as a formidable Welterweight expertise. He completed the yr sturdy by persevering with his quest to filter out the 170-pound outdated guard, stopping former title challengers Colby Covington and Stephen Thompson in violent fights.

It’s protected to say the 170-pound transfer was successful. Not outrageously dwarfed by his competitors, Buckley has been capable of reveal new wrinkles in his technical talent set and sport planning alike. He enters the brand new yr as a participant in a busy title image, and I can’t wait to look at his subsequent bout.

3. Dricus du Plessis

Comparatively few UFC champions picked up greater than a single title victory in 2024. Weighing high quality of victories vs. quantity of wins is the title of this rating sport, and “DDP” ranks nicely in each features.

The yr started for the South African with a split-decision over Sean Strickland, a five-round “Combat of the Evening” that scored him the UFC Middleweight crown. Strickland can whine as a lot as he’d like and is getting his undeserved rematch in February, however for my cash, it was a reasonably clear “Stillknocks” victory.

The “Stylebender” grudge match actually boosted Du Plessis’ profile. Israel Adesanya got here into the struggle rejuvenated — although nonetheless not at his bodily peak, I’d argue — and with an clever sport plan, however Du Plessis nonetheless ended up steamrolling him. Although the rounds might have been back-and-forth, it persistently felt like Du Plessis was gaining floor on Adesanya, coming nearer on his wild swings and getting higher entries on his takedowns.

I perceive this text is an remoted 12 month interval, however can we take second to acknowledge the general expertise of Dricus Du Plessis? I’m undecided his ugly juggernaut fashion will ever get the respect it deserves. He’ll perpetually be an underrated tactical expertise with unmatched physicality, and his UFC profession continues to be simply getting rolling at 8-0.

I sit up for the eventual Khamzat struggle.

2. Alex Pereira

“Poatan” was the one UFC champion to struggle and win thrice this yr. Not solely did he win, however all three victories got here through knockout. He effortlessly completed a pair of former champions and beat up a High 10-ranked contender. He’s a preferred choose for the highest 2024 choose total, and primarily based on the standard and quantity of wins, that’s a superbly honest alternative.

Each Alex Pereira struggle is superior. He’s the one star UFC can depend on. The 37 yr outdated’s UFC profession received’t final perpetually, so take a second to understand him whereas he’s atop the mountain. Most another yr, he would stroll away with a unanimous “Fighter of the Yr” crown.

There’s only one problem …

1. Ilia Topuria

There needs to be little question that Ilia Topuria is the perfect fighter of 2024. In reality, I feel he’s the perfect on the earth outright. From time to time, we see fighters who seem on the scene, seem like future champions, after which finally battle or fade away outright.

Not “El Matador.”

Topuria’s expertise was extremely evident by his second UFC struggle, when the top-notch grappler out of the blue developed ungodly knockout energy. He continued his rise unabashed and unbothered by the rising competitors ranges, repeatedly battering his foes to bloody pulps in one-sided affairs.

Would Alex Volkanovski — nonetheless the perfect fighter on the earth for these sensible sufficient to not maintain a short-notice loss up a weight class in opposition to him — be any completely different? By no means, because it turned out. In simply minutes, Topuria was already inching in direction of “The Nice,” coming nearer and nearer to the kill shot.

Max Holloway entered his bout with Topuria using a severe wave of momentum, three wins capped off by the super Justin Gaethje KO at UFC 300. Certainly, the Hawaiian boxer regarded very sharp in his title bid, and nonetheless the sensation was the identical. Positive, Holloway landed some good jabs, nevertheless it was apparent from the opening couple of minutes that Topuria’s proper hand was touchdown too usually for any sustainable success.

In a mixed 20 minutes, Topuria viciously knocked out the 2 finest Featherweights of the final decade. There isn’t a increased stage of competitors. There isn’t a higher method to dispatch an opponent. It would simply be the perfect pair of back-to-back wins ever.

Ilia Topuria is your fighter of the yr.

Honorable Mentions

Alexandre Pantoja
Diego Lopes
Merab Dvalishvili
Carlos Prates
Renato Moicano

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