The UFC is home to some of the best mixed martial arts talent. Top pound-for-pound fighters like Islam Makhachev, Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Leon Edwards are all extraordinarily talented and have the resumes to back them up.
Each year, a singular fighter is crowned ‘Fighter of the Year’ amongst their peers and counterparts. This prestigious award is a testament to the significant impact of their contributions to the sport, setting them apart from the rest and earning them the highest level of recognition.
UFC ‘Fighter of the Year’ Rankings
Alex Pereira is the too-early UFC fighter of the year as he has gradually become the face of the company by delivering spectacular performances and an impressive activity rate with two big title defense fights against former champions Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka.
Alex Pereira solidified himself as the UFC’s face after becoming the main event for UFC 300, which was anointed as the most significant fight card of all time by UFC President Dana White. In this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Pereira had his most impressive appearance in the octagon, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout over Jamahal Hill (12-2-0, 1NC).
In his second appearance in 2024, Pereira made a short-notice title defense when he rematched the formidable Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1) in UFC 303’s main event after megastar Conor McGregor was forced to withdraw from his scheduled welterweight bout against Michael Chandler due to a toe injury.
Pereira accepted this fight while traveling the world, doing seminars and various media obligations to expand his brand as a fighter. However, these circumstances proved to be no obstacle for the legendary double champion as he made his opponent in Prochazka look lost at UFC 303.
Pereira dominated every exchange in this fight and nearly finished the fight with a thunderous left hook that sent Prochazka down to the canvas, ending the round. Pereira then opened the following round-up with a whipping switch kick to the temple of Prochazka, which initiated the finishing sequence of follow-up strikes and forced the referee to step in.
Click here to see different reactions to Pereira’s highlight-reel finish over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 via ‘Flukas Glazy’ on YouTube.
Pereira’s consistency and knack for highlight-reel finishes have earned him the No. 2 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings in mixed martial arts. If there is one fighter that UFC President Dana White can count on to save a pay-per-view card in 2024, it’s Alex Pereira.
No. 2: Islam Makhachev
My runner-up candidate is UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. The dynamic and highly skilled sambo fighter out of Makhachkala, Russia, falls short of the top ranking in my rankings as he does not have the same activity level as Pereira.
Makhachev’s lone 2024 appearance showed his grit and heart against the always-game Dustin Poirier (30-9-0, 1NC) in UFC 302’s main event. In this bloody battle, Poirier surprised oddsmakers as he gave the champion one of his most brutal fights, using his experience and sheer toughness to win a round or two.
However, Poirier’s last-ditch efforts were not enough as the elite and dynamic champion in Makhachev eventually secured a tight fifth-round Darche-choke submission victory over the veteran.
I hold Makhachev as the most skilled and complete fighter currently in MMA; however, as stated before, his activity and hesitance in making short-notice fights compared to the light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira holds him back from the crown of ‘Fighter of the Year’ honors.
No. 3: Max Holloway
Potentially the most beloved fighter on the UFC roster, Max Holloway comes in at No. 3 on my too-early rankings for ‘Fighter of the Year’.
Like my runner-up for the award, Holloway falls short of the top spot on my list due to his activity compared to Alex Pereira’s. The current ‘BMF’ champion and former featherweight champion Holloway made his lone 2024 cage appearance as he returned to the lightweight division, this time against potentially the most explosive, must-watch fighter ever, Justin Gaethje (25-5-0).
This fight occurred on the highly-touted UFC 300 card as the third to last fight on the main card. With fans deeming this matchup the ‘real main event,’ Holloway showed up to fight as he styled on Gaethje over five rounds until landing potentially the knockout of the year when he face-planted Gaethje cold with a last-second knockout.
This moment stole the show and sent the crowd and fighters in the front row into a frenzy. Holloway has a chance to catchup to Pereira in the rankings as a featherweight title fight against Ilia Topuria seems inevitable.
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