With three title defenses in nearly six months’ time, Alex Pereira appeared destined to win Fighter of the Yr in 2024, however now it seems Ilia Topuria might have simply staked his personal declare to that crown.
On Saturday evening at UFC 308, Topuria grew to become the primary particular person to knock out Max Holloway in what served as the primary protection of his featherweight title after already demolishing former champion Alexander Volkanovski again in February. UFC legend Matt Brown argues that pair of wins, coupled with the dramatic approach that Topuria dispatched arguably two of the best featherweights of all-time, has already secured him the year-end award over Pereira or anyone else for that matter.
“Alex didn’t knock out three pound-for-pound greats. Ilia knocked out two pound-for-pound greats,” Brown mentioned on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Author. “As nice as these guys had been that Alex fought, they weren’t Holloway or Volkanovski.
“I don’t suppose anyone anticipated anyone on this planet to do what Ilia did. If Max and Volk had fought 170-pounder guys, I don’t suppose they might anticipated for each of them to get knocked out. As spectacular as Alex was … that is a kind of the place it’s too unhealthy we will’t have two Fighter of the Yr awards, as a result of they each deserve it. You don’t wish to take a rattling factor away from Alex.”
Pereira added three knockout wins to his resume in 2024 with title defenses towards Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree. Champions not often compete thrice in any given calendar yr so by that quantity alone, Pereira had a leg up on any doable competitors.
As spectacular as that was, Brown says three title defenses from Pereira simply can’t measure as much as what Topuria did to Volkanovski and Holloway in consecutive fights.
Topuria might have one much less win total in 2024, however his degree of competitors was unmatched when it got here to championship victories.
“I don’t suppose you possibly can evaluate to that,” Brown defined. “I’m all on the Ilia prepare for Fighter of the Yr. Once more, I want we may give one thing to Alex. What he did was outstanding nevertheless it wasn’t Max Holloway and Volkanovski. If Alex did that to Jon Jones, we’d be like OK, you go it, buddy. That wasn’t accessible to him. Alex beat the fellows that had been accessible. Ilia beat two of the perfect legends, profession winners within the historical past of this sport. Knocked them out. Max Holloway doesn’t get knocked out. No person knocks out Max Holloway.”
“You’ve received to provide it Ilia. That debate’s fairly nicely settled. I feel most individuals are going to be on that prepare.”
Whereas he picked Topuria to win on Saturday, Brown admits he was ultra-impressed by the way in which “El Matador” caught to his technique and located a solution to dismantle Holloway on the ft. Even he didn’t essentially count on Topuria to flatten Holloway inside three rounds, however that’s precisely what occurred.
“That was what I mentioned main into this struggle — what Ilia’s going to need to do in some unspecified time in the future is land that struggle altering shot,” Brown mentioned. “I knew he landed the fight-changing shot when he harm Max. I assumed for certain Max was going to return again although. I assumed OK, there’s that struggle altering shot, it’s actually going to be Ilia beating up Max now for the following no less than spherical or two however Max goes to stay round.
“I used to be simply so impressed with how Ilia took his time, positioned his pictures so nicely, simply a number of the greatest boxing we’ve seen in MMA. The best way that he strategizes the whole lot so nicely, retains himself in such good place on a regular basis.”
A Fighter of the Yr award is definitely a fantastic achievement, however Brown believes that may simply be the tip of the iceberg for what Topuria may accomplish throughout his profession.
Topuria has already taken out a pair of all-time greats at featherweight, and it’s powerful to see him shedding to anyone competing at 145 kilos proper now.
“That’s what makes Ilia so particular,” Brown mentioned. “He’s such an excellent boxer however these different little issues that funnel you into his boxing, that’s some very excessive degree stuff proper there that actually will get my blood pumping to observe.
“I feel he’s received a lock for Fighter of the Yr this yr. He’s received an extended reign forward of him. He’s nonetheless received an extended solution to go to be up there with the [Georges St-Pierre’s] and Anderson Silva’s, however he’s proper on that path.”
