Altering of the guard: Each new UFC champion topped in 2024

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan (R) reacts after defeating Alexa Grasso of Mexico (L) to win the Ladies’s Flyweight title throughout UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche at Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Christian Petersen/Getty Photos)

The Valentina Shevchenko-Alexa Grasso saga continued in 2024.

Shevchenko’s first title reign ended after seven title defenses when the pair first met at UFC 285 in March 2023. Their rematch at Noche UFC final September resulted in a cut up draw, permitting Grasso to retain the title. A historic third assembly occurred at UFC 306, the second Noche UFC occasion in September, which was a visible manufacturing marvel at Sphere in Las Vegas.

Coming into the struggle as a slight underdog, Shevchenko regarded just like the dominant champion of her first title reign. She shut down Grasso at each flip all through the struggle, outgrappling the now-former champ, whereas making her seem hesitant to tug the set off over 25 minutes. Shevchenko earned unanimous 50-45 scores throughout the board to reclaim the ladies’s flyweight title in her solely look of the yr.

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, USA; Julianna Pena (blue gloves) celebrates after profitable the ladies’s bantamweight title bout towards Raquel Pennington (not pictured) throughout UFC 307 at Delta Middle. Necessary Credit score: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Photos

After dropping her title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 in July 2022, Julianna Peña was sidelined as a result of damage. “Gutted” she was unable to compete the next yr, Peña returned in a possibility to reclaim UFC gold.

Within the co-main occasion of UFC 307 in October, Peña confronted Raquel Pennington, who attemped to defend the ladies’s bantamweight crown for the primary time. The struggle was a back-and-forth affair, leaving the judges cut up of their determination. It was one of many most debated outcomes of the year, however Peña walked away with the title to develop into a two-time champion.

The UFC bantamweight title was the point of interest of the biggest UFC manufacturing ever placed on at Sphere in Las Vegas. After constructing a 10-fight profitable streak, Merab Dvalisvhili lastly received his likelihood to develop into champion in the primary occasion of UFC 306 towards Sean O’Malley.

Not solely did Dvalishvili dominate the fight, he had enjoyable within the course of. Behind his aggressive grappling and fixed motion on the toes, Dvalisvhili was in a position to forestall O’Malley from mounting momentum to vary the course of the struggle after clearly profitable the primary two rounds of the struggle. O’Malley was in a position to flip it on within the closing spherical, however by then it was too late to beat the 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 unanimous scores for Dvalishvili, who realized his championship dream.

Undefeated at 13-0 and on the heels of Struggle of the Night time victory his first UFC predominant occasion, Ilia Topuria received his crack at UFC gold in February.

In the primary occasion of UFC 298, Topuria confronted Alexander Volkanovski, who was returning to the division to defend his featherweight title after making an attempt to seize a second title at light-weight. Topuria proved it was his time.

A right hook floored Volkanovski within the second spherical, and the celebration for Spain started. As he walked away from his downed opponent, the belief of the accomplishment hit Topuria, displaying a glance of close to disbelief.

In October, Topuria put his newly-acquired title on the road towards one other GOAT of the featherweight division, Max Holloway. As soon as once more, Topuria proved why the hype behind him is justified. This time, it was a left hook that spelled the start of the tip, as he crushed Holloway with powerful punches in the third round, changing into the primary to knock out the previous champ.

Knocking out two of the division’s historic greatest is why Topuria gained MMA Junkie’s Male Fighter of the Year for 2024.

After 10 appearances and not using a loss, Belal Muhammad turned an simple challenger for the UFC welterweight title.

His crowning second got here at UFC 304, in a rematch towards Leon Edwards. The pair first met at UFC Struggle Night time 187 in March 2021. The struggle solely reached the second spherical and was declared a no contest as a result of an unintentional eye poke from Edwards. Muhammad went again to work, profitable his subsequent 5 fights to earn one other shot at Edwards, however this time the stakes had been a lot greater with the division’s championship on the road.

Muhammad capitalized on his lengthy journey to a title shot by smothering Edwards in a dominant performance. The ultimate judges’ tallies learn 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46, crowning Muhammad the brand new UFC welterweight champion in his solely look of 2024.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa walks from the octagon after profitable his Middleweight championship struggle towards Israel Adesanya of Nigeria by submission throughout UFC 305 at RAC Enviornment on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photograph by Paul Kane/Getty Photos)

After ending Robert Whittaker in a Efficiency of the Night time at UFC 290, Dricus Du Plessis put himself able to problem for the UFC middleweight title.

In January at UFC 297, the South African confronted Sean Strickland in the primary occasion, with the division’s gold on the road. It was an in depth, gritty battle over 25 minutes. Two judges decided Du Plessis was simpler, crowning him the brand new middleweight champ by split decision.

Du Plessis’ work in 2024 wasn’t accomplished there. In August at UFC 305, Du Plessis headlined towards former champion Israel Adesanya, coming into as a slight underdog. Very like the Strickland struggle, Du Plessis discovered himself in one other hard-fought battle. Nonetheless this time round, Du Plessis discovered a strategy to maintain the judges out of it by submitting Adesanya in Round 4.