The year 2024 has been a revolutionary period for the UFC, featuring significant championship bouts and unforgettable returns. Sean O’Malley, Leon Edwards, Alex Pereira, and Jon Jones really shined with their standout performances.
Jon Jones now has a 20-fight unbeaten streak, the longest in UFC history
DIFFERENT #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/SDnxEKSy0V
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 17, 2024
From exciting finishes to debatable outcomes, let’s explore some of the major events in the UFC that shaped the year.
Title Fights and New Champions
Throughout 2024, UFC lovers were treated to thrilling bouts and unending action. Gamblers also had a chance to test their luck through websites such as https://www.gamblingsites.com/offshore/sportsbooks/ while enjoying the excitement of UFC in person. Each event provided exciting moments, such as surprising wins and remarkable endings.
In March, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley defended his bantamweight championship against Marlon Vera. The fight was held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. However, O’Malley would later drop his title at the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada to Merab Dvalishvili in September.
Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall set up a potential clash with Jon Jones after his impressive knockout of Curtis Blaydes to claim the interim heavyweight title.
Breakthrough Stars of 2024
Alex Pereira solidified his reputation in 2024 by securing three knockout wins in the light heavyweight division, making him UFC’s standout performer of the year. The Brazilian fighter overcame Khalil Rountree Jr in October, having earlier defended it against Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill.
THIS ANGLE OF ALEX PEREIRA’S KNOCKOUT #UFC303 pic.twitter.com/OCK582fs5a
— ESPN (@espn) June 30, 2024
Another top performer was featherweight’s Ilia Topuria who made history in February by ending Alex Volkanovski’s four-year reign as champ. As an icing on the cake, in October, Topuria put the Championship on the line by fighting Max Holloway. Following on his promise to be the first UFC athlete to knock out Holloway, Topuria delivered just that in round three.
2024’s Most Notable Events
In April, UFC 300 stood out for its co-main event, which saw Zhang Weili triumph over Yan Xiaonan and defend her strawweight title. The all-Chinese showdown in April showed there’s lots of talent in the women’s divisions.
Zhang Weili now has the second most title fight wins in strawweight history with 5️⃣@MMAWeili | #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/etxVO0NSjR
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2024
Another highlight was UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, where Alexandre Pantoja retained his flyweight championship against Steve Erceg.
The Event of the Year
The heavyweight title duel on the 16th of November between defending champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. The fight was held at Madison Square Garden and was without doubt the fight of the year. In the run-up to this fight, Jones had been one of the hardest punchers in the UFC, and he didn’t disappoint. With President-elect Donald Trump in attendance, Jones controlled the fight from the beginning. Jone’s victory marked the end of Miocic’s successful fighting career, as he announced his retirement right after the fight.
Divisional Rankings and Major Upsets
Dricus Du Plessis caused an upset in the middleweight category by defeating Sean Strickland in a split decision for the championship. Du Plessis further showed why he is king by defending the title against Israel Adesanya.
During UFC 304 in Manchester, Belal Muhammad got his hands on the welterweight championship by downing Leon Edwards.
In June at UFC 302, Islam Makhachev solidified his control in the lightweight category with a win against Dustin Poirier in the fifth round. Makhachev, who has an impressive streak of 14 wins, is unbeaten in the 155-pound category. You can learn more about his stats at http://ufcstats.com/fighter-details/275aca31f61ba28c and discover why he’s considered one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters. Makhachev is also considering moving up to welterweight to challenge himself to a new challenge.
An Unforgettable Year
In 2024, the UFC fans were treated to memorable championship fights, up-and-coming stars, and unexpected occurrences.
Various unforeseen incidents took place, such as Sean O’Malley’s loss to Merab Dvalishvili and Tom Aspinall’s steady rise in the heavyweight category.
The year 2024 will be remembered for showcasing the thrilling unpredictability of the sport. As we progress towards 2025, the UFC has demonstrated its ability to offer top-notch mixed martial arts entertainment.
Courtesy to Kevin Roberts
