MMA Junkie's 2024 Male Fighter of the Year: Ilia Topuria
As 2024 comes to a close, there’s a bit of uncertainty surrounding Ilia Topuria’s future. What’s completely certain, however, is that the reigning UFC featherweight champion had a one-of-a-kind year inside the octagon.
Who, in the history of the UFC, can claim to have knocked out two of their division’s three greatest fighters while they were still in their primes, in back-to-back fights, in one calendar year? Topuria can.
For that reason, Topuria is MMA Junkie’s 2024 Male Fighter of the Year.
UFC 298: Topuria’s opening act
The year began with Topuria booked to challenge then-featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski in February. Topuria, who at the time was a perfect 14-0, earned the title shot after winning his first six UFC fights and on the strength of a dominant unanimous decision against Josh Emmett in his first UFC main event. The title fight was a massive opportunity as Volkanovski had held gold since December 2019 and made five consecutive title defenses.
Volkanovski certainly had the experience advantage, but that didn’t stop Topuria from talking a big game. Shades of Conor McGregor before he fought Jose Aldo, Topuria even stole the belt from Volkanovski during the UFC 298 pre-fight press conference.
“I’m going to put his lights out,” Topuria said heading into UFC 298. “… I consider myself a far more complete and effective finisher than Volkanovski. The experience is on his side, but the young blood is on my side. This is my moment. God’s timing is perfect, and He’s prepared me for this moment. There won’t be any failure.”
Ilia Topuria knocks out Alexander Volkanovski in their featherweight title fight during UFC 298 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)
Topuria was right. And in the second round, his powerful right hand hit the mark and put Volkanovski to sleep for the knockout to make him Spain’s first UFC champion.
Topuria felt so emboldened after his win that he immediately turned his attention to McGregor. While that callout was a reach, big things still lied ahead for the new champ.
UFC 308: Topuria’s encore
After a whirlwind eight months that included doing the honorary kickoff before a Real Madrid FC game, meeting with Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and soccer star Leionel Messi, Topuria would enter his next in the unfamiliar role as not just defending UFC champion but a bonafide star.
Former champion Max Holloway was the challenge, who would head into UFC 308 on a three-fight winning streak and as the promotions BMF champ following one of the most iconic knockouts of all time in a lightweight bout with Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
For Topuria, simply defending his belt wouldn’t be enough. He wanted to claim another first: the first man to knock out Holloway in his illustrious career. Which is why Topuria dared Holloway to bring the same energy he had in the final 10 seconds of the Gaethje by pointed to the center of the canvas at the start of theirs.
“If he does it, even better for me. Maybe I’m going to point to the ground,” Topuria told MMA Junkie before UFC 308. “Maybe I will do all that because I’m going to feel so comfortable in that fight because I’m telling you, every time I see him fight, I’m like, ‘Everyone is going to be surprised when I knock him out.’ Because I see him as such an easy matchup for me. If he thinks that I’m not right, prove me wrong. We’re going to be in the same octagon Oct. 26. Prove me wrong.”
Ilia Topuria punches Max Holloway at UFC 308. (MMA Junkie)
It was Topuria who proved himself right at UFC 308, and in the third round he found the finish by knocking Holloway with punches.
Afterward, Topuria only wished there as another belt on the line.
“I never understand why they didn’t put the BMF title on the line,” Topuria told reporters at the UFC 308 post-fight press conference. “It has to be on the line since the first day. But hey, don’t want to make it official? I’m going to make it official by myself. Now I’m the new ‘Baddest Motherf*ker’ world champion.”
What’s next for Topuria?
With knockouts of two of the consensus three greatest featherweights of all time (except for Jose Aldo) on his resume, it might be impossible for Topuria to top 2024. While Topuria has 145-pound challengers such as Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev in front of him, they’re nowhere near the stature of Volkanovski and Holloway. Perhaps that explains why Topuria recently expressed a desire to move to lightweight.
Whatever is in store for him in 2025, we’ll never forget that he had perhaps the greatest pair of back-to-back wins by a fighter in 2024, which made him our choice for Fighter of the Year.
Honorable mention: Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira at UFC 300. (Imagn Images)
In any other year, Alex Pereira would’ve locked up Male Fighter of the Year well before the year was over.
In a span of six months from April to October, Pereira defended the UFC light heavyweight championship with knockouts of Jamhal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree. And he did this under less-than-ideal circumstances as he repeatedly saved the promotion by accepting these title fights on short notice.
If not for the unprecedented quality of Topuria’s two victories, Pereira’s quantity would’ve made him the clear choice for Male Fighter of the Year.