Top Five UFC Male Fighters Of The Year

These five Octagon warriors stand atop a heap of bodies as the best UFC male fighters of the year, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

5: Diego Lopes

The Brazilian buzzsaw enjoyed a breakout year in which he scored three big victories to extend his win streak to five and climb up to No. 3 in the featherweight rankings.

Lopes (26-6) kick-started his 2024 campaign with a knockout of Sodiq Yusuff in April, accepted to face replacement opponent Dan Ige on four hours’ notice and defeated him in June and broke into the 145-pound elite by pummelling former title challenger Brian Ortega in September.

a dangerous man pic.twitter.com/u7hu8xewIf

— Diego Lopes fanpage (@Dahrron1of1) September 16, 2024

4: Merab Dvalishvili

The Machine’s march to bantamweight gold was paid in full, with the Georgian winning 10 fights on the trot before earning a title shot.

Henry Cejudo, who he fought in February, was the final and steepest hurdle to clear to secure a championship opportunity, and he made it look easy by outgrappling the Olympic gold medallist wrestler and former two-division UFC titleholder.

Dvalishvili (18-4) realized his dream at a sporting spectacle unlike any other at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September when he manhandled Sean O’Malley, shutting down the dangerous striker for five full rounds.

So happy and proud to bring this belt back to my home country ! Thanks Georgia for all your love and support! 🦾🇬🇪❤️ pic.twitter.com/ICABcEKdHu

— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) October 2, 2024

3: Dricus du Plessis

2024 will forever be known as the year in which the dynamic and destructive Du Plessis (22-2) became South Africa’s first-ever UFC champion. 

The baddest man in Mzansi had taken the UFC by storm since arriving in the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts promotion in 2020, winning six straight fights to set himself up for a middleweight title shot in 2024.

On January 21, in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, Du Plessis showed world-class skill and true South African grit in a five-round war with Sean Strickland to secure the title by split decision.

Now They Know: Du Plessis Proved Several Points

He was then locked in one of the most heated rivalries of the year with all-time great Israel Adesanya, which culminated in August at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, where “Stillknocks” forced the former two-time champion to tap out for the first time in his career.

Du Plessis’ Win Over Adesanya A Triumph For African MMA

2: Alex Pereira

Having previously held the middleweight title, Pereira last November became a two-division UFC champion in record time when he knocked out Jiri Prochazka and continued his history-making ways in 2024.

A modern-day executioner, Pereira (12-2) starched Jamahal Hill, Prochazka (for a second time) and Khalil Rountree Jr to complete the fastest three title defences in UFC history. The terrifying kickboxing savant’s conquests came in 175 days, breaking Ronda Rousey’s previous record of 189 days.

The scariest striker in all of mixed martial arts, “Poatan” also became arguably the sport’s biggest star outside of Conor McGregor due to his menacing mystique, trademark walkout, brutality inside the Octagon and willingness to fight anyone, anywhere and anytime.

1: Ilia Topuria

Topuria is top of the pops after he not only beat but brutally knocked out the two greatest featherweights of all time back-to-back to claim and retain the 145-pound belt.

Representing Georgia and Spain, the 27-year-old emerged as the leader of the next generation of mixed martial arts fighters with his complete skillset and ascended to the featherweight throne in mind-blowing fashion.

“El Matador” slept long-time king Alexander Volkanovski in their main event bout at UFC 298 in February to seize the crown and one-upped himself by becoming the first man to knockout Max Holloway eight months later.

Undefeated (16-0) and undisputed, the sky is the limit for this extraordinary legend killer.