As the year draws to an end, fans are eagerly speculating about who will earn the title of Fighter of the Year. UFC stars like Dricus Du Plessis, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria have delivered outstanding performances in their bouts, successfully defending their titles throughout the year. Many fans anticipate the Fighter of the Year will be among these contenders. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski has thrown his support behind Ilia Topuria over Alex Pereira for the honor, following UFC 308.
At UFC 308, Topuria became the first to knock out Max Holloway while defending his title, maintaining his undefeated streak in the UFC. Meanwhile, Pereira has competed in three title defenses this year, even stepping in on short notice to save an entire fight card. Recently, former featherweight champion Volkanovski discussed the Fighter of the Year debate with Ariel Helwani, saying:
“Put it this way, if it wasn’t Pereira saving cards and putting his belt on the line while saving cards, it would be clearly Ilia. Yeah, you’ve had three [title] defenses, but the two that Ilia took out and finished us both, it’s hard to pick against Ilia, to be honest. Before this past weekend, I was like, ‘How does Pereira not get it?’ It was pretty clear… It’ ‘s pretty impressive, man. It’s tough to say.”
Both fighters are among the UFC’s best pound-for-pound athletes. Not only do Australian fighters believe that ‘Poatan‘ will claim the Fighter of the Year award, but Max Holloway also thinks the Brazilian standout will secure the honor.
Max Holloway Believes Alex Pereira Has Secured Fighter Of The Year Award
In a recent conversation with Kevin Iole on his YouTube channel, Hawaiian native Max Holloway discussed Alex Pereira’s remarkable run in the UFC. Holloway recognized Pereira as the leading candidate for Fighter of the Year, noting both fighters’ standout achievements in 2024. Speaking openly about the light heavyweight champion, Holloway shared his perspective, saying:
“I mean I don’t know, man. I don’t know that I would do that [laughs]. The way Alex [Pereira] took fights. I mean the fastest guy to defend his title, right, with three title defenses. That’s a hard man to beat. I mean every time I’m in the talks for it, somebody’s having a crazy a** year. I think Alex Pereira has got that win in the bag already.”
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While the Fighter of the Year announcement is still pending, fans continue to buzz about who will take the top spot. The competition between the two fighters is neck and neck.
Also Read: How Much Money Did Ilia Topuria Earn Finishing Max Holloway at UFC 308?
