Alex “Poatan” Pereira (12-2) should win 2024 Fighter of the Year in the UFC.
The undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion defended the UFC light heavyweight title three times in the year 2024. In all three of those wins, Pereira knocked out former UFC light heavyweight champions, Jiří Procházka and Jamahal Hill. His recent performance against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 Pereira showed his toughness and determination to retain his championship with a fourth-round KO.
The former two-weigh kickboxing world champion’s fight activity this year has been insane. He defended his title in April at UFC 300 against Jamahal Hill. While in Australia, Periera was contacted by the UFC to defend the UFC light heavyweight title against Jiří Procházka in June at 303 after Connor McGregor withdrew from his fight against Michael Chandler.
With the company not having a headliner for UFC 307 in October, the UFC had Pereira defend his title against Khalil Rountree Jr. He was able to set a record for the shortest time between three UFC title defenses at 175 days which was originally held by UFC Hall of Famer, Ronda Rousey at 189 days. According to Pereira, he revealed a variety of injuries during the fight camp.
“I was in Brazil about over a month ago, I had some problems with my Visa,” Pereira told MMA Fighting. “Finally, I made it back to the US in the meantime, I was on antibiotics, I had a fever, I had a bad throat. Also going back, when I was in Brazil I hurt my rib. It was an injury I had about a year ago and it came back. Also, the ligament in my toe that was hurting for UFC 300, that came back.”
While Pereira had one of the best years for the company, UFC featherweight champion, Ilia “El Matador” Topuria (16-0) has the two most impressive wins of the year. At the beginning of the year, the undefeated Spaniard shocked the MMA world by KOing, UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in the second round. Toupria’s confidence going into the contest was Connor McGregor-like.
This past Saturday, Toupria established himself as one of the best fighters in the UFC with a three-round KO of former UFC featherweight champion and current UFC BMF champion, Max “Blessed” Holloway. Toupria becomes the first person to KO Holloway. Once again, he stated that he would be the first person to knock out Holloway and he delivered. Former UFC featherweight king, Volkanovski has stated that his former counterpart should win fighter of the year.
“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,” Volkanovski told MMA News. “Yeah you’ve had three defenses but the two that Ilia took out and finishing us both, it’s hard to pick against Ilia, to be honest.”
For the year 2024 in the UFC, being a reliable fighter that the company can call upon to fight is something that fight fans appreciate. While Toupria defeated two of the best fighters in the world in 2024, Periera’s activity and success at the age of 37 is something that deserves Fighter of the Year.
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