As we embark on our journey into the New Year, we’re reflecting on everything that 2024 and UFC gave us. Nineteen title fights, countless unforgettable knockouts, and spine-chilling submissions were scattered across twelve months. 2024 offered fans of the sport some of the most amazing bouts and today we will be looking at a handful of the standout events that took place.
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria
UFC 298 will forever be remembered as the night the guard changed hands in the featherweight division. The champion, Alexander Volkanovski, had reigned over the featherweight division for four years going into the bout and had not yet faced an opponent who could match him within the category. His challenger, Ilia Topuria, approached the fixture with an undefeated record and an unbeatable mindset to match it. The Georgian fighter made some bold statements in the pre-fight press conferences, making many people question his abilities... These same critics, however, became fans post-fight after Ilia Topuria fought true to his word and knocked out the champion in round two, crowning himself the new featherweight king.
This bout was partnered with an equally exciting preliminary card, as Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa treated us to a three-round war in which the Australian came through victorious. A bantamweight title eliminator between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo also went down for the chance to fight the champion, Sean O’Malley. Dvalishvili claimed the win, lining himself up on the card for UFC Noche.
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UFC 299: O’Malley vs Vera
UFC 299 provided fans with a bantamweight title showdown between ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. O’Malley retained his belt in dominant fashion, beating Vera across every round on the judges' scorecards and winning via unanimous decision.
However, the shock of the night came in the co-main event of UFC 299, where Dustin Poirier took on Benoit Saint-Denis in a lightweight matchup. Despite Poirier’s clear skills within the cage, he was overlooked by many fans and critics. Due to a loss in his previous bout to Justin Gaethje, people had assumed that ‘The Diamond’ was past his prime.
Benoit Saint-Denis nicknamed the ‘God of War,’ went into the bout on the back of a five-fight winning streak in which he finished his opponents each time. For many viewers and pundits, this was a foregone conclusion with the French fighter expected to make short work of Poirier.
However, in typical UFC style, the predictions of the mass could not be more wrong. Dustin Poirier stepped up to the challenge and schooled the newcomer in emphatic fashion, knocking out Saint-Denis in the second round via a brutal right hook.
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UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill
UFC 300 was the grand spectacle of 2024 and will go down as one of the greatest events in the sport’s history. The card was originally poised for the return of Conor McGregor, however, due to personal reasons it was unfortunately impossible to make.
Step in Alex Pereira, the man willing to take on any challenge thrown his way, alongside his opponent for the evening, former champion Jamahal Hill. Alex Pereira took care of his opposer extremely quickly, running through Hill and securing a KO finish just three minutes into the first round. The prelims did not disappoint either; with eight finishes across the card, it was clear to everyone watching the event that they were viewing something special.
However, the clear standout matchup came for the BMF belt between Justin Gaethje and Max Hollaway. The pair put on a showstopping five- round brawl in which Holloway was narrowly leading on the judges' scorecards. With ten seconds left of the bout, the pair agreed to stand in the middle of the Octagon and swing it out for the belt. They did exactly that and both men went for it, before Max Holloway caught Justin Gaethje with an overhand right, shutting the lights off with one second left to spare.
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UFC Noche: O’Malley vs Dvalishvili
UFC 306 aimed to create an atmosphere unlike any UFC event seen before. Hosted at the Sphere in Las Vegas, the venue became a true spectacle. The fully encompassing screen around the venue allowed fans to enjoy not only amazing fights, but a show overall. With people in costumes and exciting performances between fights, all inspired by the Mexican holiday ‘day of the dead’, this was an event like no other.
The headline bout for the night came in the way of a bantamweight title showdown between ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. Despite many expecting another vintage performance for Sean O’Malley, the wrestling approach from his opponent overwhelmed the champion for much of the fight. Merab controlled the Octagon throughout the five rounds and ultimately secured the win via unanimous decision.
Merab Dvalishvili is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 311 where he will go head-to-head with Umar Nurmagomedov in a main card bantamweight bout.
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UFC 308: Topuria vs Holloway
UFC 308 marks the penultimate entry on this list and takes us to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. This time, Ilia Topuria was the reigning, defending lightweight champion, going up against a fan favourite fighter and the self-proclaimed ‘best boxer in the UFC’, Max Holloway.
Before the bout, we were treated to a war of words between the pair, both claiming they were the rightful champion. However, Topuria made another statement which shocked fans – a simple prediction that he would knockout the former champion. Not a hugely controversial prediction to make in mixed martial arts, that is, unless you are facing Max Holloway. Holloway had been in UFC for over ten years by this point, taking on the likes of Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, and Dustin Poirier, and yet no one had ever managed to get the TKO against him.... This was until he stood across the Octagon the Georgian fighter himself.
A close first and second round left fans pondering what may come in the second half of the bout. This was when Topuria stepped up his game and caught Holloway with a clean left hook to finally become the first person to knockout the former champion.
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UFC 309: Jones vs Miocic
UFC 309 took fans to the Big Apple where we were treated to a heavyweight showdown at Madison Square Garden. The main event was a legacy matchup between the two of the greatest fighters to step into the Octagon.
The champion, Jon Jones, was looking to make the first defence of his title reign since his crusade over the heavyweight division began. Jones had won the belt in a vacant title fight with Ciryl Gane, where he made short work of the French fighter, finishing him in the first round. The challenger on the night, former champion Stipe Miocic, the greatest heavyweight UFC fighter of all time. Miocic had held the heavyweight title on two separate occasions and was aiming to make it his third.
Jon Jones cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters to step into the Octagon as he dismounted Stipe Miocic. Three rounds the fight took place, with Jones winning nearly every exchange that the pair came together for. However, during the third round, Jones caught Miocic with a brutal spinning kick to the body and ended the fight early.
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2024 Roundup
These events have showcased why UFC remains one of the most exciting sports on the planet. Captivating fans across the globe by bringing the greatest fighters together and creating an unforgettable experience for fans. If you’re looking to relive any of these unforgettable moments created in 2024, consider looking through the range of products from these exact events. Including signed posters, as well as canvas pieces and limited-edition replica shorts from UFC 308. Visit UFC Collectibles - Officially Licensed UFC Memorabilia to explore the collection and own a piece of history today!
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