mma / Columns

Winfree’s 2024 MMA Year End Awards

January 9, 2025 | Posted by Robert Winfree
Daniel Zellhuber Esteban Ribovics UFC 306 Image Credit: UFC

Hello everyone and welcome to my 2024 Year End MMA Awards. I’m Robert Winfree, and since once again this seems like a good idea I’m handing out mostly non-existent awards in the world of MMA. These are the best, and worst, of the year as I see it. Usual disclaimer here: I can only rank what I have seen and I haven’t seen everything.

Ian McCall Memorial Worst Luck Award

Michael Chandler

Chandler made the Honorable Mention in this category last year but this year he gets the whole thing. Following a loss to Dustin Poirier in 2022 Chandler was tapped to record a season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Conor McGregor. While they did tape the show there was no firm date for a coaches fight, with Dana White providing an ever shifting date and Conor refusing to return to the USADA testing pool. Conor made a crappy movie, kept tweeting, but never signed to fight while Chandler was kept on the shelf for all of 2023 waiting on the Irishman. In 2024 the crappy Road House remake featuring Conor released and the UFC ultimately ended their relationship with USADA. Chandler kept making noise, and he and Conor finally signed to fight at UFC 303 only to have that fight fall apart due to Conor pulling out with a broken toe. Fed up with wasting the tail end of his prime waiting on Conor, Chandler agreed to a rematch with Charles Oliveira which he decisively lost. For a man who spent two years on the shelf waiting on the highest profile fight of his career only to lose it again, finally give up on waiting and then lose the fight he finally did take, I’m OK giving Chandler this award.

Worst Fight of 2023

Honorable Mentions
Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa from UFC 302 – A fight so awkward that even watching it at 4x speed doesn’t help it.

5. Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta from UFC on ESPN+ 92

Arlovski has had an ability for years to slow down bouts and force his opponent to fight the kind of fight that Arlovski likes. He was able to do that here but Cortes-Acosta still managed to do just enough and land one or two blows per round to take the decision. A largely boring heavyweight affair, of which there are a lot to come.

4. Caio Machado vs. Brendson Riberio from UFC on ESPN+ 104

A dreadful fight, a lot of lumbering followed by a ton of clinching and a really long bout to cap it off. Both men were intermittently touted as worthwhile additions to the UFC but this went a long way towards proving that premise false.

3. Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne from UFC on ESPN 56

Boy was this fight a comical disappointment. Robelis Despaigne entered the UFC with a quick knockout and a bit of a reputation for quick finishes and surprising athleticism for a man of his size. Rather than just let Despaigne fight similarly experienced fighters they tried to use him and alleged striker Waldo Cortes-Acosta to create action. What we got was Cortes-Acosta getting out struck for a few brief exchanges each round, then hitting takedowns and riding out the majority of the fight in top position while Despaigne displayed utterly remedial work off of his back. When it was done neither man looked good and Despaigne wound up out of the UFC by the end of the year.

2. Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze from UFC 303

I wanted to cut this fight a bit more slack given that it came together on fairly short notice, but man it’s just so boring. Anthony Smith had a really bad year overall but seems like he’s finally retiring and while this wasn’t his last fight of the year this was the point when most of us observing realized he was shot as a fighter. When you lose a fight this boring to a middleweight moving up on short notice, yeah it’s about time to call it a day.

1. Raquel Pennington vs. Mayra Bueno Silva from UFC 297

This was for the vacant bantamweight title and was such a deeply uninspiring fight that when it was over a bunch of people felt the title should still be vacant. Women’s bantamweight as a division has been quite weak for a while now, it was propped up by the dominance of Amanda Nunes for many years but if you looked beneath the surface level the division was not in a healthy place. That’s still true as this year ends and this title fight was emblematic of the whole problem. Pennington largely got her shot here because she just stuck around long enough and Bueno Silva utterly under performed in her first title shot. While other fights might have been a little more boring, this one being five rounds and for a title is essentially a multiplier for the awfulness.

Breakout Fighter of the Year

Breakout or breakthrough categories are tricky because there’s a variety of criteria to be weighted. For me the big one is distance covered, who went the farthest over the time frame, with level attained being essentially a tie breaker. With that in mind, here’s the fighters I felt made the most headway.

Honorable Mentions

Payton Talbott – Looks quite good for a young guy, he might show up next year in this category.

Tom Aspinall – I couldn’t put Aspinall in the list proper as he was featured last year, but I needed some place to acknowledge that the man defended his interim title and exited 2024 as the only name anyone wants to see fight Jon Jones.

5. Joaquin Buckley

It’s rare in the modern UFC for a fighter to fight four times in a year, much less win all four of them but Buckley did just that. When Buckley moved down to welterweight in 2023 he got a couple of wins but it was largely a move to try and get life back into his career after middleweight proved to be a bit too difficult for him. In 2024 he proved the move was a wise one as he took on increasingly high profile opponents and stopped all of them except Nursulton Ruziboev, in fact he had the last UFC fight of 2024 and got a stoppage over former three time title challenger Colby Covington. Buckley went from a guy just on the roster to a guy poised to enter the title picture this year.

4. Carlos Prates

If this award were for newcomer or who had the best first year in the UFC then Prates would have won this walking away. Four fights, four wins, four finishes, all over an increasing level of opposition culminating with running through perennial road block Neil Magny. Those finishes were pretty sweet too and Prates enters 2025 set to fight elite level competitors.

3. Caio Borralho

I could have put several fighters together on this list and just listed then entire Fighting Nerds crew, Prates is one of them too, but I don’t mind stretching this category just a little bit. Borralho has been with the UFC for a few years now but in 2024 he fought twice and cemented himself as a top middleweight.

2. Dakota Ditcheva

Our lone non UFC entry this year but I would have been totally remiss to not mention Dakota Ditcheva’s run through the PFL this year. Ditcheva had four fights, four wins, three first round finishes and capped off her tournament run with a second round stoppage of former UFC title challenger Taila Santos. She also became the first person to stop Santos and her year was so profitable to her stock that the UFC apparently contacted PFL about some kind of talent trade for her. That wasn’t accepted by the PFL and Ditcheva enters 2025 as one of the more bright and electric prospects on the women’s side of things.

1. Diego Lopes

Lopes entered the UFC on short notice and lost a highly competitive fight with Movsar Evloev in 2023 and then fought twice more that year with both of them being wins. In 2024 Lopes went 3-0, kept climbing the ladder, and closed the year as one of the people with a real argument for a title shot in the featherweight division.

Submission of the Year

Before diving too deeply into these next couple of awards I need to point something out. The UFC finish rate for 2024 was right about 44% so finishes in general were at something of a premium. That said we did get some good ones, both tap out and knockout.

Honorable Mentions

Ewelina Wozniak’s reverse triangle choke vs. Aleksandra Toncheva from KSW 90

5. Brian Ortega’s arm triangle vs. Yair Rodriguez from UFC on ESPN+ 95

This was a hugely necessary win for Ortega after time off and injury. It helps that he hits a really nice variation of the arm triangle here, I’ve mostly seen it called a Kaiju choke and you can see the grip shift as Rodriguez rolls to a hip to try and avoid the choke. Nice choke, important win, and in a year like this that’ll get you here.

4. David Zawada’s heel hook vs. Hojat Khajevand from Oktagon 53

The quickness of this heel hook is something else, especially when you take into consideration the fairly quick swings in momentum that happened over the last stretch of this fight. I’m also still a sucker for a good leg lock so this one gets some praise.

3. Cody Durden’s ninja choke vs. Matt Schnell from UFC on ESPN+ 100

Another submission that I have a soft spot for is the ninja choke and this was a really tight one from Durden. The ninja choke entering back into the meta over the last couple of years has been a real highlight, if you look at how a bunch of guys wrestle, especially either taking bad shots or their head position in fence wrestling, adding this choke to your arsenal will pay dividends. If your choke gets a double handed tap that’s a nice bonus as well.

2. Dricus du Plessis’s rear naked choke vs. Israel Adesanya from UFC 305

This entry could be the top one on this list, I really went back and forth on these two but ultimately decided this one came just short of the top spot. More on du Plessis a little later but this was a heck of a submission, not the most technical one you’ll ever see but in a big moment against the second best middleweight of all time, he found a way to get it done.

1. Islam Makhachev’s d’arce choke vs. Dustin Poirier from UFC 302

Between technique, pulling it off in a bit of a dog fight kind of affair, and once again showing off his absolutely insane squeeze I’ve got to give the top spot this time to Islam Makhachev. Dustin Poirier was game and gave Makhachev a tough fight but from the golf swing takedown to the front headlock to switching grip to that d’arce choke this was Makhachev’s nice and good for my submission of the year.

Knockout of the Year

Per usual here’s a pretty good thread of UFC strike related finishes. Several of these will appear lower but this is a nice trip down memory lane in general.

Honorable Mentions

Shi Ming’s head kick vs. Feng Xiaocan from UFC on ESPN+ 106
Ilia Topuria’s punch vs. Alexander Volkanovski from UFC 298

5. Ilia Topuria’s punches vs. Max Holloway from UFC 308

I had a hard time with this one and maybe it should be higher all things considered, the historic nature of Topuria becoming the first man to knock out the legend Max Holloway, the lovely way he timed the right hand which started things going bad for Max, and that incredible left hook that actually ended things. All of them were just impeccable, but watching Holloway get slept like that kind of hurt. If you had this one higher I fully understand, and I probably should have as well based on degree of difficulty but this year I wound up prioritizing style over substance in a lot of instances.

4. Shara Magomedov’s double spinning back fist vs. Armen Petrosyan from UFC 308

This is just video game stuff, I’m still not fully sold on Magomedov as a top tier middleweight but with the right kind of matchmaking he can give you some nice looking stuff.

3. Fares Ziam’s knee vs. Matt Frevola from UFC on ESPN+ 101

I love this knockout, and in a lot of ways this might be my personal favorite. The frame under the chin in the clinch, then the lightning knee that comes up and just ENDS Frevola’s night. It’s a bit of violent artistry.

2. Vinicius Oliveira’s flying knee vs. Bernardo Sopaj from UFC on ESPN+ 96

In a lot of other years this would have taken the top spot. Oliveira had a pretty good year overall and it started with this, he battered Sopaj across the cage then hit this lovely flying knee right to the chin that ended things.

1. Max Holloway’s PUNCH vs. Justin Gaethje from UFC 300

Spoiler for further down, but this is NOT my fight of the year. I liked the fight just fine but upon rewatch the sum total of it was just a little behind what I both wanted out of it and ultimately it was a little too one sided while also being a bit slower paced than I thought. That being said, the final 30 seconds or so of this fight is the stuff of legend and I do not use that phrase lightly. Max Holloway, up on the scorecards and in the waning seconds of the fight points to the mat and gets a brawl. That moment was so instantly iconic that it’s been attempted quite a bit since, but there’s only one Max Holloway and frankly everyone needs to stop trying to replicate this because you just wont. One of the most impressive and singular moments in UFC history.

Fighter of the Year

Honorable Mentions

Charles Johnson

5. Alexandre Pantoja

Pantoja entered this year as flyweight champion and exited it the same way, only fight twice this year but retaining the title twice and to my mind solidifying himself as the second best flyweight the UFC has ever seen behind only the all time great Demetrious Johnson.

4. Islam Makhachev

Only one fight but a fairly consequential one, Makhachev tied the record for most consecutive lightweight title defenses at 3 when he choked out Dustin Poirier. Makhachev has solidified himself as one of the pound for pound best guys in the world right now. I couldn’t put him higher because of the limited fights but getting a big one like he did and setting himself up for even bigger things this year warrants inclusion.

3. Dricus du Plessis

Heck of a year for Dricus du Plessis, he rated a slot as Breakthrough Fighter last year and made good on that this year. Only two fights but he won the title in the first then choked out Israel Adesanya in the second to retain it. Du Plessis has finished both Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya, and while he’s got a couple of tough fights potentially on the table this year he had a solid 2024 and deserves recognition for that.

2. Alex Pereira

If this award were for Most Valuable Fighter to the UFC then Pereira would have won it pretty easily, frankly I think that’s why a lot of other places have given it to him. And in fairness in a lot of years what he did would have warranted it, the man defended the light heavyweight title three times and got three finishes, stepped in on short notice in some adverse physical conditions and delivered every time. That deserves a ton of respect but it’s held back from the top spot because the level of opposition left a little something to be desired, especially relative to our top spot. But Pereira’s 2024 was the kind of thing you see incredibly rarely in the MMA space and my hat is off to him.

1. Ilia Topuria

Beating Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in the same year would be insane enough by itself, stopping both of them cold inside of three rounds each is ridiculous. Topuria didn’t just become champion and defend it, he did it at the expense of two all time greats who were deservedly pound for pound ranked, and he left not a shred of doubt in either fight. Being able to do that to that kind of talent, it’s just more impressive than Pereira beating three guys who have much less individual skill. 2024 was the year of El Matador and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Fight of the Year

Honorable Mentions

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway from UFC 308
Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje from UFC 300

5. Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira from UFC on ESPN+ 102

A surprising entry to this list but one I think deserves inclusion, Royval proved a bit too much for the younger Taira but the journey was good. Taira’s defensive flaws were exploited but his guts and grappling were also on full display and what resulted was a pretty fun back and forth affair.

4. Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki from UFC 308

This was kind of nuts, it was bloody, fought at a pretty high pace, featured a ton of guts and grime from both guys and to this day I have no idea how Orolbai willed himself to see the final bell because he got absolutely battered for stretches of that third round. Look this one up if you missed it.

3. Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo from UFC on ESPN 63

A late addition to this list but what a little slice of MMA heaven this fight was. Cub Swanson, the old warhorse, riding out for maybe the last time against a guy more than willing to meet him on his own terms. We got a fun back and forth fight here, lots of strikes, some good clinch work, momentum swings, and a finish that almost brought a tear to the eye of those of us who’ve watched Swanson since way back during his WEC run.

2. Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. from UFC 307

This was a surprise of a fight, Rountree was ranked 8th or so and got the shot more by virtue of the schedule demands of the UFC than because he was the deserving guy. But Rountree showed up and gave Pereira arguably his toughest fight at light heavyweight for a few rounds. We got some good strikes, great speed, good technique, tons of heart from Rountree but once Pereira started rolling down hill on him he put on a heck of a beating until Rountree finally collapsed under the barrage.

1. Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics from UFC 306

The kinds of fights I tend to really favor were in short supply this year, so I went with just a really fun high paced three round sprint. Taking place in the Sphere we got a Mexican taking on an Argentinian fighter and they both brought tons of heart, violence, and skill into this fun little dog fight.

Do you disagree? Please leave a comment, just please be civil about it.

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