5 Issues In MMA We’re Grateful For In 2024

Comfortable Thanksgiving, Maniacs! We hope you might have a terrific vacation that features meals, household and recollections that final a lifetime.

It’s been a wierd yr for blended martial arts (MMA) in 2024. Whereas there have been some unbelievable combats and moments, it has been sort of “meh” for essentially the most half. There are nonetheless two extra Final Combating Championship (UFC) combat playing cards left (schedule right here), and Skilled Fighters League (PFL) has its championship card tomorrow (outcomes right here). Oh, and RIZIN may also have its big New 12 months’s Eve occasion.

Nonetheless, as a result of it is Thanksgiving, I needed to listing 5 UFC/MMA issues that we’re grateful for in 2024:

Alex Pereira

“Chama!!!!!“

Alex Pereira has been an absolute stud this yr and has change into a bonafide famous person. The scary Brazilian monster singlehandedly saved UFC in 2024, competing 3 times this yr on two of the three greatest combat playing cards. Within the course of, Pereira set the report for the shortest time for 3 title defenses in UFC (175 days), beating Ronda Rousey‘s previously-help report (189 days).

“Poatan” headlined the enduring UFC 300 card towards Jamahal Hill and ended this huge night time with a memorable knockout. Subsequent, Pereria stepped on brief discover two months later, changing Conor McGregor‘s anticipated return, and headlined UFC 303, which was 2024 Worldwide Battle Week (he knocked Jiri Prochazka out with a brutal head kick).

Lastly, he fought a “sport” Khalil Rountree at UFC 307, and after dropping the primary two rounds, Pereira battered Rountree to win through technical knockout within the fourth.

“Poatan” may not say a lot, however he speaks by absolute violence.

UFC 300

UFC 300 went down on April 13, 2024, and it was AWESOME. Sure, it wasn’t headlined by a returning Brock Lesnar or McGregor, as everybody anticipated, nevertheless it was stuffed with enjoyable fights and champions galore.

Twelve former, interim, and/or present UFC champions competed at UFC 300, with former champions Cody Garbrandt and Deiveson Figueiredo kicking off the “Prelims.”

You’ll be able to relive the entire highlights and finishes from UFC 300 right here, however clearly, we’ve got to rehash Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway, proper?

When the combat was introduced, I keep in mind largely everybody writing ‘R.I.P. Max’ within the combat announcement feedback on social media as a result of the final time Holloway fought at Light-weight, Dustin Poirier beat him up.

Properly, that is not what occurred. “Blessed” broke Gaethje’s nostril within the first spherical after which simply had his means with him for all 5 rounds. Then, within the closing 10 seconds of the combat — when he was up on the scorecards and had the whole lot to lose — Holloway pointed the canvas, and each males went out swinging. Holloway discovered Gaethje’s chin and put him out chilly with among the finest knockouts ever (watch highlights).

UFC 300 lived as much as the expectations and will probably be remembered identical to UFC 100 and UFC 200 are/had been.

Picture by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC through Getty Pictures

Rule Adjustments

Fourteen years and 11 months after Jon Jones suffered his first skilled loss as a consequence of being disqualified for a 12-to-6 elbow to batter Matt Hamill, Affiliation of Boxing Commissions (ABC) formally modified course.

12-to-6 elbows are actually fully authorized (and have already been utilized in UFC fights … for higher or worse … 12-to-6-to-anus.

Along with the 12-to-6 elbows being authorized, the definition of a downed fighter modified as nicely: “A fighter shall be thought-about grounded and might not be legally kneed or kicked to the top when any a part of their physique apart from their arms or ft is involved with the canvas (floor).”

We’ve not seen somebody eat a knee to the dome but whereas attempting to sport the system but nevertheless it’ll occur ultimately.

The truth that these violent ways are actually authorized provides hope that different guidelines will probably be modified.

Soccer kicks subsequent? (Most likely not).

Francis Ngannou Returns To MMA

It wasn’t lengthy, however Francis Ngannou lastly returned to the game the place he’s actually elite: MMA. Ngannou smashed Renan Ferreira unconscious in underneath 4 minutes from inside Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (watch highlights).

It was nice to see “The Predator” again in MMA, however the backstory of what he was actually combating for made it particular but heartbreaking. Ngannou misplaced his son, Kobe, earlier this yr, and it nearly retired him. In some way, the previous UFC Heavyweight champion discovered the energy to combat once more and took all his anger out on Ferreira.

Ngannou is unsure about his subsequent transfer, however hopes to combat MMA once more in 2025.

Contender Collection, Season Eight

Season eight of Contender Collection was wonderful this yr, and to be sincere, the fights had been higher than some UFC occasions.

There have been brutal knockouts, slick submissions, and a fighter who actually refused to compete on combat night time due to ‘nerves.’

4 fighters from the season have already competed contained in the Octagon, and three of them have received – Cody Haddon, Mansur Abdul-Malik (watch highlights), and Lone’er Kavanagh.

Another names to look out for subsequent yr are Austin Bashi, Jacobe Smith, Kody Steele, Kevin Vallejos, Islam Dulatov and Luis Gurule.

To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of occasions click on right here.