With simply over two months left in 2024, the ‘Fighter of the Yr’ debate has begun to warmth up. The record is brief, consisting of two fighters: gentle heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria.
Pereira fought thrice this 12 months, taking out former champions Jamahal Hill an Jiri Prochazka by knockout and defeated the powerful as nails Khalil Rountree Jr. Topuria fought twice.
Topuria knocked out longtime titleholder Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February to seize the 145-pound championship. In his first title protection at UFC 308, he turned the primary fighter to knockout former champion Max Holloway. Topuria toppled the division’s legends and most sturdy fighters in back-to-back fights.
Taking into account the gravity of what Topuria has been ready to do that 12 months, former two division champion Daniel Cormier believes “El Matador” ought to be the ‘2024 Fighter of the Yr.’
“The ‘Fighter of the Yr’ dialog felt prefer it was over. Alex Pereira was the man that was ‘Fighter of the Yr,’ no questions requested,” Cormier mentioned on his YouTube channel. “That is not the case. I believe that these two wins singularly are nearly as good as any two wins anyone can have.”
“He simply beat the 2 greatest fighters of the technology prior, however they’re nonetheless on this technology as a result of they’re each very, very younger,” Cormier continued. “He simply beat two of the best featherweights of all time. There’s solely three. He beat two of them in a calendar 12 months.
“Ilia Topuria is the ‘Fighter of the Yr.’ He’s the ‘Fighter of the Yr.’ And for my part, there are not any inquiries to be requested.”
