MMA doesn’t really have an offseason. It’s a year-round sport, with shows happening each weekend and almost every day.
Because of this, it’s easy to forget some of the big stories from different points in the year.
2024 was certainly an eventful year in MMA, both inside and outside the cage. To reflect on how it went, we have compiled what we believe are the 12 most important storylines of the year. Read through and reflect on what has happened, and what we can learn about it as we head into the future.
Note: Headlines are arranged in chronological order for 2024, not ranked.
1. Dricus Du Plessis Takes The Middleweight Crown
While once one of the most predictable divisions, middleweight has become anything but since Alex Pereira ended Israel Adesanya’s long-standing hold over the weight class in 2022.
The title has been held by Pereira, Adesanya , Sean Strickland, and most recently, Dricus Du Plessis.
Du Plessis sits atop the 185-pound class following a year that saw him prevail in a pair of wars.
“Stillknocks” started the year with a result which sparked debate in the sport, dethroning Strickland’s title reign with a razor-thin split decision result. Viewers were incredibly divided about who won the fight, with a near split down the middle on media scores at MMADecisions.com.
After the close result, Du Plessis chased down the highly decorated Adesanya, whom he previously started a rivalry with but had never received the chance to face. The close fight saw Adesanya have strong moments, but ultimately the former champ succumbed to a fourth-round rear naked choke submission.
Du Plessis could be the start of a new era of consistency for middleweight, ending the belt’s time as a hot potato. However, it’s too early to judge. His February rematch with Strickland, which should be another close five-round brawl, will test whether Du Plessis is an era or just a moment.
2. Ilia Topuria Launches Into Super-Stardom
It’s been clear for a while that Ilia Topuria had the potential to be a massive star for the UFC. He possesses an entertaining and devastating fight style which got many of his past opponents out early. And he had that unquantifiable “aura,” a sort of swagger that only some possess.
But, the most important puzzle piece, becoming one of the best, hadn’t yet been achieved at the start of the year. As we wrote in the recent Fighter of the Year piece, 2024 has shown that Topuria is truly the full package. With dazzling wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, Topuria has quickly become one of the most highly acclaimed champions in the UFC, sitting fourth in the men’s pound-for-pound standings. He’s coming off a year that, in the eyes of some including this publication, was better than any other fighter’s 2024.
Less than a year after becoming champ, Topuria is one of the most popular names in the entire sport. He is now, quite easily, one of the most marketable fighters on the entire roster.
3. Mark Coleman Goes From Legend To Hero
Mark Coleman’s trailblazing career in MMA – being one of the most influential names in both the UFC and Pride FC as the sport was rapidly growing through the late 90s and early 2000s – had long ago cemented him as an incredibly important figure. But what emerged this year regarding Coleman added another incredibly moving piece to his history.
In an act of near self-sacrifice, Coleman put his life on the line to save his family from a house fire this year, leaving him briefly hospitalized and mourning the sudden loss of his dog, Hammer. Coleman carried one of his parents out of a burning house, then returned into the building to carry the other one to safety as well, saving their lives.
Coleman showed that a fighting spirit is something that can not just be used in a cage or ring, but also in life. In a sport where outside-of-the-cage headlines are often disappointing, Coleman’s story was uplifting and inspiring. As much as his achievements in MMA will never be forgotten, neither will his legacy as a heroic figure in a moment of need.
4. Alex Pereira Becomes UFC’s Main Character
To the fans, Alex Pereira was a walking highlight reel. To the UFC? He might as well have been a superhero.
Pereira appeared three times in 2024, and twice in moments where the promotion desperately needed a title fight to headline a marquee event. Pereira closed out UFC 300, one of the company’s most stacked shows of all time, with a quick knockout win over Jamahal Hill. Only months later he would appear at “International Fight Week,” a card that has long been considered one of UFC’s biggest shows of the year, to beat rival Jiri Prochazka for a second time.
If taking down a pair of opponents on massive Las Vegas cards wasn’t enough, Pereira returned one more time to beat Khalil Rountree Jr. also via finish. There are caveats to Pereira’s run of wins that arguably excluded him from Fighter of the Year awards, like the one on this site – Hill was coming off an injury, Prochazka was a short-notice opponent he had already beaten, and Rountree Jr. was considered a significant underdog in the fight.
But here’s the truth: Whether Fighter of the Year or not, Pereira stepped up in ways that put him in the main event more than others, on bigger shows than others, and made him the most important piece of UFC’s 2024 puzzle.
5. MMA’s Largest Legal Battle Nears End
When Cung Le et al. v. Zuffa was filed in 2014, UFC 181 was the most recent pay-per-view event, where Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler were the headlining acts. Fast-forward a decade, the largest and most consequential legal battle in the sport’s history has seemingly neared an end.
The case, which looked to find financial relief for a class action group of fighters who claim that the UFC used “improper strategies to dominate the market for MMA fighter services,” was primed to take potentially billions from the top fight promoter and possibly change how they operate in the future.
For months, it seemed as if the case was barrelling toward an inevitable trial which would be massive for the sport. Judge Richard F. Boulware shot down a settlement attempt between the parties with “serious concern,” and a date was set to begin proceedings. However, in a somewhat unexpected turn, a second settlement attempt worth $375 million was granted preliminary approval later in the year and is near closing the case altogether in 2025.
A nine-figure payout is nothing to sneeze at, and the money will bring a huge paycheck to all those in the lawsuit if approved. However, it allows UFC to sidestep any long-term changes to their business practices. And due to current waivers which UFC fighters sign to exclude them from future class action lawsuits, the settlement means UFC has potentially shut out the issue for good – apart from their other current antitrust lawsuit.
When thinking about this case, I go back to what John S. Nash told me back in June, when the first settlement was discussed: “As sad as it is, this is the single biggest victory fighters have ever seen in MMA.”
The case undoubtedly brought change. But did it bring the revolution that some hoped? Definitely not.
6. Islam Makhachev Remains Best In The World
2024 didn’t see a lot of Islam Makhachev, but it showed enough to prove that he’s still the rightful owner of MMA’s pound-for-pound top spot.
Adding to a winning streak which dates back to 2016 and a title run which includes past stoppage wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira, Makhachev closed out a stellar performance against Dustin Poirier with a slick fifth-round D’arce Choke submission this year.
In a promotion that has seen roughly a dozen title changes over the past two years, Makhachev has remained a constant. In fact, along with Zhang Weili, he’s just one of two champs who have held their belts since 2022.
Despite being in one of the most competitive divisions on the entire roster, one that will deliver yet another big matchup for him to start 2025 in Arman Tsarukyan, Makhachev has remained one of the most consistent figures in the sport over the past two years. An upcoming January clash will soon show whether that will carry through to the new year.
7. Vegas’ Sphere Provides New Vision of What MMA Events Could Be
Las Vegas has numerous iconic spots, but a new one got added to the map in recent months: The Sphere.
The large and bright round venue (hence the name), provides an otherworldly light show both on the outside and inside, creating an eye-popping piece on Las Vegas fly-overs and allowing unique experiences inside the location.
Considering UFC’s deep and loyal ties to Vegas, it only made sense that the promotion eyed being the first live sporting event at the location.
Nobody knew what to expect when Noche UFC, the promotion’s Mexican Independence Day card, took place at the venue this year, in part due to the promotion revealing nearly no details regarding the show until it started. What did fans get? A visual presentation unlike any other in MMA or even sports history, turning a high-stakes competition into a movie-like experience.
One of the biggest criticisms of UFC’s programming is that it can feel highly repetitive. No matter where they go or who is fighting, each show follows a strict and arguably even stale format which leaves little room for creativity. Noche UFC showed what MMA events can look like if given the chance to have a stronger focus on artistic vision.
The Sphere event was, if trusting UFC’s numbers, insanely expensive. And thus, it’s not fair to expect a show like that every week. But the event nonetheless showed many ways an MMA event can be presented in a more cinematic and artistic light, something a sport so personality-based could possibly use more of.
8. Francis Ngannou Appears In Most Courageous Battle Yet
Some of the biggest feats come not from what a fighter does in the cage, but from what they have gotten through to even arrive at the moment of competition.
In a year where Francis Ngannou had to deal with tons of pressure – returning to MMA for the first time in over 1,000 days, testing out boxing against some of the sport’s biggest killers, and being the biggest name in the PFL – the most devastating curveball imaginable was thrown this way.
Ngannou’s 15-month-old son, Kobe, passed away in April.
The loss could have pushed Ngannou away from his busy and high-stakes combat sports life, where distractions can lead to devastating mistakes. But instead, it motivated him to keep pushing for his son. He kept training hard. He kept his head down and worked. And in October, Ngannou won his MMA return in three-and-a-half minutes via stoppage against 2023 PFL champ Renan Ferreira.
The past few years have shown us how strong Ngannou is in many ways. We’ve long known that he can demolish those in the cage like he did to Jairzinho Rozenstruik in mere seconds or former champ Stipe Miocic. 2023 taught us that Ngannou had the bravery and strength to stand up to his boss and strike out on his own, leaving the UFC to ink a historic contract with the PFL.
But 2024 showed us that Ngannou was stronger than ever. Dealing with a challenge greater than business feuds or athletic feats, being given the type of problem that you would never wish on anyone, Ngannou kept pushing forward and prevailed.
9. Conor McGregor’s Star Fades Harder Than Ever
2024 was another year without Conor McGregor in the cage, but for worse he was definitely still in the headlines.
The first half of 2024 continued a media frenzy which had already been going on for more than a year, as McGregor kept his feud with Michael Chandler alive to hype a match between the two. It seemed as if a clash between the pair would finally happen in the summer after more than a dozen months of hype and a season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but then the bout was pulled due to McGregor suffering an injury.
After the fight was abandoned, keeping Chandler on the sidelines for a significant period of time and pushing McGregor fans near the fourth year without a fight from “The Notorious,” a much more darker and sinister story regarding the fighter emerged.
McGregor was found liable in a civil rape case late this year, a verdict which was reached by a Dublin jury after disturbing allegations from Irish hairdresser Nikita Hand were brought to the court. Hand alleged that she suffered violent and graphic abuses at the hands of McGregor in 2018 and that she has been left with severe mental trauma that has kept her unable to work.
While the news was seemingly unaffecting McGregor’s reputation in the fight world – which historically has been willing to turn a blind eye to sexual assault and domestic violence cases – it significantly damaged his reputation in Ireland.
2024 saw McGregor remain away from the cage and only give further reasons as to why he should never come back again. Whether it be due to his significant time without a fight or the controversies that have further muddied his reputation, any future McGregor comeback won’t be anything like the times we have seen him before.
10. The (Unofficial) Death of Bellator
After Bellator 301, the brand’s final broadcast on Showtime before the channel’s entire sports division would be officially closed at the end of 2023, many wondered if the promotion would quietly fade into obscurity. Then, a glimmer of hope appeared.
PFL purchased Bellator and planned to keep the brand alive. They would host a modest eight events in 2024 and present a total of 16 title fights to keep the divisions moving. It would be a scaled-back version of Bellator, but would certainly maintain one of the more iconic modern MMA companies in service.
A year later, it seems as if Bellator is all but gone.
The promises made by the PFL were simply not delivered. Eight events turned to five, and few cards had more than one, if any, championship bouts at the top of the billing. In recent months, it feels like Bellator hardly even exists anymore.
Technically speaking, Bellator is still alive. PFL still recognizes Bellator champions, with one of the brand’s titles being put on the line as part of a card next month. But with Bellator’s past three events being cancelled and the brand seemingly no longer having any events coming in the future, what was once the second-place U.S. promotion is on life support.
Bellator’s death isn’t the scenario where everything suddenly stopped one day. Instead, bit by bit, the identity they carved out in the sport has slowly faded away. Heading into 2025, it is all but gone.
11. UFC Becomes The Sport of the White House
On the night of the 2024 U.S. Election, Republican candidate Donald Trump decided it was time to return a favor. After being platformed numerous times at UFC events over the past couple of years – giving him a flattering image in front of a young male viewership, normalizing his image as he re-entered the public eye following a failed 2020 election bid – Trump decided he would give up his spotlight briefly.
Trump gave microphone time to just a few others during this acceptance speech in November, but among the few was UFC CEO Dana White.
It would be silly to think that MMA wasn’t a political sport before the latest election cycle, or even before Trump first won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. But to believe that the sport has never been this outwardly political or influential in American politics is not an outlandish belief at all.
Many experts have said that UFC was a clear vehicle for Trump to make gains in the young male demographic, sometimes referred to as the “manosphere.” Just like his appearances on frat-adjacent programming like The NELK Boys, Theo Von or Bussin’ With The Boys, Trump’s frequent cameos at UFC pay-per-view events – getting a full entrance into the arena and being shown applauding fighters numerous times throughout the evening – was a way to relate him to the sport’s viewership. And, judging by the result of the election, it worked.
Trump’s return to the national U.S. political stage will be dissected for decades to come. The way someone who cast major doubt on a democratic election and incited an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol was able to, within just a matter of four years, regain momentum in a way that out-performed any of his past elections, is a comeback story hard to process.
But when the second successful election of Trump is studied, there’s no doubt his foray into the world of men’s entertainment, with the UFC being a major part of the story, will be seen as a factor.
12. Jon Jones Returns, But Not Against Who People Wanted
You would assume that getting Jon Jones, one of the most highly acclaimed MMA fighters of all time and a current UFC champ, to compete would be a positive story. However, by the time the Jackson Wink gym member stepped into Madison Square Garden to end his one-and-a-half-year absence from the cage, people had already moved on to another fight.
Jones returned in November to face Stipe Miocic, a fighter who carries historic heavyweight accomplishments in UFC history but had gone years without fighting and longer without winning. Once considered a super-fight in the promotion, a clash between Jones and Miocic proved to mostly be a distraction from what many considered to be a bigger matchup in the division: A title unification between Jones and interim champ Tom Aspinall.
With many considering the result between Jones and Miocic a foregone conclusion, the talk of a title unification fight consumed the UFC 309 week. Questions about Aspinall frustrated Jones in the lead-up to the bout, and it was the only thing on the mind of viewers after the main event ended due to a third-round stoppage by the incumbent.
The discussion of a fight with Aspinall will follow Jones into 2025, and if the fight doesn’t happen, likely stick with him for years to come. What’s next for Jones – whether it be a unification win, a loss, or nothing – will define the late-career trip to heavyweight for “Bones.”
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