Alex had 3 title defense finishes (2 of which were against former champs) he saved 3 cards, broke Rouseys record, and he did it all on short notice, while injured/and or sick. Alex is fighter of the year.
@@trapeziumm You keep saying the same thing over and over again.... You clearly dont know the criteria for this award. Fighter of the year is rewarded to the leading mixed martial artist for their contribution to the sport BOTH inside, and outside the octagon. Many things are taken into account, not just the fights inside the cage.
It's Alex Pereira, that dude has been the biggest fan service, active, and brought in some of this years biggest moments and fights. Ilia is insane, and he deserves it too. But you can't take that from Pereira, that dude has had one of the best years I've ever seen in the UFC.
Ilia is definitely the fighter of the year, he beat the 2 greatest FW ever in devastating fashion!! It's basically like if Alex destroyed a prime DC and Jones back to back
@@Culture_2520 ye almost like volk fought on short notice in a division that isnt his aganist the best fighter in the world bet that doesnt go through that little brain of yours, and how many times did jiri and hill defend the belt ill wait for your answer and them being former champ means jack shit the lhw division was literally playing hot potato with the belt
DDP winning an extremely close decision with pillow hands Strickland and submitting washed Gynodesanya is not even comparable to Ilia brutally knocking out two mma goats
@@shakoimnadze7604 not even comparable? Why are you all hypeing this shit up like its something unseen, classic ufc. It is very close and a matter of personal preference i guess. And if you are already throwing stupid arguments like that than mention that Volk is also a guy that was knocked out cold fight before and in fight with Ilia looked like an old man with soft belly lol
@@NeBojSeJaSam13 Volk had a full camp buddy 🤣 and looked fitter and sharper in there as ever. His knockout defeat against Makachev prior had nothing to do with him getting knocked out again by Topuria's right overhand. He would have never eaten that shot regardless
Alex has had 3 fights this year, defended his title 3 times, and even on short notice or injured to save cards! And even doing this with only 2-3 months between fights. Topuria, his wins are impressive, but he fought twice this year with 8 months apart.
@@XBlack-oc6xt For which he was fully prepared with more than half a year apart, and a full camp. Not taking anything away from his wins. Having said that, Volk had just sustained a brutal headkick from Islam a couple months prior, and Max was cutting from LW to Featherweight.
@@rune1684 your argument goes both ways though. Jamahal was coming off a serious achilles injury, jiri was a rematch and he also took the fight on short notice and rountree was coming off a suspension Ilia was facing 2 of the greatest FWs of all time (Volk was undefeated at 145 and was on his 6th title defence and Max was on a 3 fight win streak and hadn't lost to anyone at 145 not named volk since 2013) and Ilia did what nobody has ever done before to them at 145 - flatline KO them. We've all seen jamahal, jiri and khalil lose before, but we've never seen volk and max get bulldozed on the feet at 145
@@youngclueless7364 injured then being knocked out and cutting weight are completely different? Getting knocked out and cutting weight can kill u. Alex fought whilst injured against opponents more skillful then him they where coming off injurys not losses like a Volk was off a ko and we know the curse number of that division and Volk turned it but where going to act like that's nothing now? Alex saved 3 events illia could've fought 3 fkn times this year to be fighter of the year but didn't it's funny when illia even admits himself Volk was going to be his easiest fight coz he's coming off a ko?
@@TehSweettooth123 the fact that Alex kicked Hill and Rountree's asses while injured proved that they are mid 😂 no fighter gets into the cage after camp 100 percent healthy.
I lean towards Pereira but it’s close. The case for each imo: Pereira - 3 title wins instead of 2 - saved cards twice - both dominated and overcame adversity - countering recency bias Topuria - beat top 2 all time in a better weight class - both knockouts were huge shocks and he was the underdog in the first one - is probably the better P4P fighter Like I said, super close in my mind. If one of Pereira’s wins had been Ankalaev, I’d pick him no question. And if Topuria had a 3rd win this year over literally anyone I’d pick him no question.
FACTS bro that's what I'm saying as well. Super close but if Pereira fought Ankalaev instead of Rountree I think he takes FOTY. The Rountree fight while entertaining was BS matchmaking from the UFC especially when they could've made Pereira vs Ankalaev in that timeframe. Ilia for me is FOTY. Quality > Quantity Jiri and Hill are former champs but they have a combined 0 title defense while Volk and Max ran 145 for 7-8 years and Ilia dusted them both when plenty of fighters failed.
Totally agree with you. What makes me pick Ilia over Alex is the level of the two fighters he won against plus the epic way he did, specially against Holloway who was considered the toughest chin of UFC history, but I understand your point and why you pick Alex slighly over Ilia.
One defeated 3 mid fighters, the other defeated 2 GOATS….in the most spectacular fashion possible. Just say you’re an irrational hater and keep it moving baby girl.
@@offthepageontoscreen5767 That's not the only criteria, "babygirl". Alex drew way more new fans to the UFC, he's the bigger ppv star and he fought more constantly. I don't even care who becomes fighter of the year, but acting like it's definitely Topuria is kinda stupid. 😅
@ you just tried to reframe the “fighter” of the year to be won by vague intangible criteria like popularity and not actual inside the octagon results. Which means you inadvertently conceded Ilia is the runaway winner. You can write up as many word salads and use as much pretzel logic as you want tying yourself into knots. The facts are simple: putting 2 GOATS to sleep in 1 year > beating 3 mid at best guys in 1 year.
@@offthepageontoscreen5767 mid? Are you dumb 😂 Jiri only lost once in Rizin and only lost to Alex in the UFC, his finishes are mostly KO too, Hill resume is not as extensive but he only loss before Alex was to Paul Craig, the same guy who is Ankalaevs only loss, Hill is overhated but not overrated at all. Alex literaly took their hype and made them look mid which is crazy
I love how Bisping is so envy about Alex He talk with Khamzat = talk about Alex He speak about Topuria = talk about Alex saying Topuria left hook is more technical (witch is a duuuumb take by the way) Just admite you hate Alex for some reason , is because Smith or what?
topurias left hook isnt more accurate? he has 2 cold knockouts and one of them is agaist the best chin in the ufc, alex doesnt have a single knockout literally all of his "ko's" are tkos when is the last time alex slept someone cold?
Max's and Volk's achievements shouldn't be transferred to Ilia just because he beat them both. Alex has done more this year and definitely deserves it.
@@stil.j He said Max and Volk's achievements shouldn't transfer to Topuria but they love to transfer Izzy, Strickland, Jiri and even Jamal fuckin Hill's achievements to Alex's just because Alex beat them 😂 they make no sense
Please Bisping don’t even go there. LOL I would say Alex because of his MMA background, a fighter with little to no ground game. Most fighters doubted Alex, including Bisping so having accomplished what he did in MMA is very impressive and because it is documented that he fought sick/injured. He also has been more active than Topouria.
@@hanyu_dada I meant MMA background, the lack of a ground game. Almost all fighters including Bisping doubted Alex. From what I understand Topouria is considered an all round fighter. I still think that Alex should get it because of how active he has been this year but I do get your point.
@@lordtitaniumhe fought that German dude that took him down through the fight. I can’t remember his name. Alex fought 3 times this year and Topouria 2 but the level of competition that Topouria fought is better I guess. Max and Volk are considered the best in the business.
Hahahahahaha who the F* is Topuria close to Alex ? Hahahahaha what a shame Bisping…. Alex beaten 2 former champions by nocaute in short notice and a top 10 contender! Alex is the fighter of the year!!! He is the real BMF champion
Ilia is more well rounded. Alex should be foty, for the fact that he baits all his opps into his style. Ilia is technically more sound on paper. I put Ilia for future foty if he maintains his belt for next year. No doubt about it.
Alex ain't baiting anyone 😂 Hill, Jiri, and Rountree are all strikers to begin with. Expecting them to wrestle is like expecting Alex to initiate wrestling exchange as well.
@@GreatestOneEver Yes he did but would you call him a grappler? Jiri like Alex, is predominantly a striker. Sure, he attempts to mix things up from time to time but he's not a grapple first fighter. That's like calling Alex a wrestler after he took Izzy down that one time in their first fight. My point is that the top LHWs are all strikers it's not necessarily that Alex baited them into striking with him if Alex didn't exist, a fight between Jiri, Hill, and Rountree will still be all stand up fights
@@cgg14767 Yeah, I think everyone including Ankalaev see that he's punchable and everyone thinks that at 205 he's gonna get KOd but it seems like his chin is better considering that headkick Khalil landed. Alex seems super beatable by wrestlers and 205+ strikers but that's what makes him exciting for me because it feels like their is always a KO coming whether it's him or the opponent
@@GreatestOneEver Honestly, I don't even know why the UFC is blocking that fight. Ankalaev can wrestle but he also prefers to strike for some reason and let's be honest, with what he showed against Rakic, if he doesn't mix things up and just stand against Alex, Ankalaev will get his ass knocked out as well.
You have to give it to tuporia. The quality of opponents. He knocked out two goats. Alex beat 3 people that don’t have the same resume as the max and volk🤷🏽♂️
I still think Poatan deserves it more. And we have to take int account that when Ilia KO’d Volk, it was off the Islam KO. Not saying the result would’ve been different but it’s not as impressive seeing the guy get KOd back to back like that.
Don't necessarily disagree with the people saying it should be Poatan, but shouldn't Poatan lose a couple of style points as well for beating a Jamahl Hill who hadn't fought in 15 Months due to a devastating Achilles Rupture, and also lose some points for just KOing a guy he Already KO'd (Jiri). And beating a guy who at the time wasn't ranked in the Top 5. Ilia beat the Two Greatest Featherweights of All Time (Aldo as well even though Aldo's 0-3 against Volk and Max with two stoppage losses.). And he beat Volk who had never lost at Featherweight, and stopped Max who no one including a Prime Conor could do, who was coming off his most impressive win in his career that was at a higher weight class.
If Poatan fight Tom Aspinal and Topuria fight Islan, but u can watch only one of them fighting, which one would u pick? I Think this question would make easier to choose the fight of the Year..
Volk took that fight too soon even thought the result probably would have been the same, Max shouldn’t be cutting to 145 especially after he just fought at 155. Still impressive wins and Ilia made me a fan but FOTY is Alex
When it comes to beating calibre of Opponent (Max and Volk) one has gotta give it to the El Matador. However, when it comes to overall aspects like workrate (how much you fight in certain amount of time), reliability ("saving"the UFC card), and impact (Aura, Merchandise sales, 2-division champ., social media, style or method of winning everytime), one has to give it to Alex Pereira! So I would lean more to Alex than Ilia.😊
Actually, fighter of the year is not important. What is important that you have a successful surgery, and be back to great health. Good luck, Michael, former Fighter of the Year.
Yeah in the span of 7 months. Meanwhile between two of his fights Alex fought 3 times at the age of 37 , he fought younger opponents. Without full camp, saved the card.
I totally agree, not giving credit to Topuria would be like belittling two UFC legends. If we compare the relevance of the opponents, it would be foolish not to give credit to Topuria. I totally agree with your reflection.
Let’s not get carried away with Ilia… he beat two fighters at the end of the career. They were great a few years ago, not so much now. Everyone’s decline comes, and ilia has fought them on their defline
That's because Ilia was waiting for Max. I think it's funnier and more embarrassing that a champ defended his belt against an #8 ranked fighter when there are 2 fighters who deserve the title shot more.
Don’t be a hater, Poatan has earned fighter of the year Multiple card saves, multiple title defenses against former champs and multiple weight class champ. It’s no comparison
Fighter of the year no, he wait until Magomed took the fight against rakic and then two weeks he announced ufc307 against a #8 guy. He is not fighter of the year
@@altafalli987 ankalaev got offered the Alex fight and refused it TWICE He took Rakic to a decision while Jiri KOed him He’s not worthy of a title shot and Poatan is fighter of the year Cry more
Guys, of course, Ilya is an animal and a fighter of a different level, but all this is done by his brother from outside the cage, you can't understand because he gives advice in Georgian, that's exactly where Alex's intelligence and Ilya's trust towards him can be seen, it's the result of Alex's accurate analysis in every fight
Alex should have been FOTY last year, and definitely is this year. What he has done this year, and the conditions he has done it under are incredible. He carried the year. Taking nothing away from ilia, incredible wins but Alex put in the work.
@@christopheretienne2669 KOed, super close fight vs Jan, and arguably early stoppage vs Jiri. Idk man, not arguing about Alex's greatness though he's definitely a great fighter. He definitely has a case for FOTY but I personally have Topuria winning it this year
Just cuzz d.c chimed in on this ridiculous topic you rant for 8 minutes really Moke come on that's nonsense ask this question after volk rematch. Tone it down
Obviously haha not even close. Any sane person won’t argue the level of competition for ilia was vastly greater than Alex. What does Alex really have over ilia for this subjective award? A short notice win? Think about that . OF COURSE he took a fight on short notice against a guy he literally just stopped. That’s favorable to him. Ppl aren’t rating “short notice” correctly. Mike you can speak directly to this. Vs Luke it was considered a layup for that 2nd match yall had. Im old enough to remember that vividly ppl not being happy he took that fight. Rewarding Alex in this made up award for rematching a guy he just finished pretty quickly didn’t make a lick of sense. It’s still a phenomenal win but that’s a straw man no one said it wasn’t. It’s just not some feather in the cap ppl are somehow making it to be. An example of a short notice win posing considerable risk would be when DC fought rumble instead of Bader. Or TJ on a days notice fighting Soto . I repeat still a big win for Alex but that’s a matchup he would have pursued aggressively. It was short notice for Jiri after all. It wasn’t as if Alex was not ready and Jiri was more ready. None of that took place. Once you remove that, and I actually call that a detracting point on my own personal scale, that win when compared to other candidates doesn’t overcoming knocking out COLD, not a TKO or even a 4th round needed, 2 hall of famers who have a combined roughly 20 world championship fights between them. And the reality is volk had a full camp vs ilia . You can’t argue he needed more time after Islam. If that KO affected him so much he needed more time at age 35 well he would have been the same vulnerable fighter in an additional 90 days IMO. I don’t get why ppl keep mentioning “saving cards” wtf are you talking about? It’s like you’re reaching for some metric. He “saved a card” with a perfect matchup against two guys with exactly ZERO takedowns in their career. Literally 0.00% TD average. Stop talking about saving cards when the nature of the fight was one that was a strike ONLY contest in which Alex is inarguably the most dynamic on the roster. For the third time, still great wins but blindly shouting about cards saved is so dumb considering they were perfectly favorable to style. Speaking of DC NO ONE yapped about him saving a card when he fought Silva on 48 hours. In fact he was booed. Why? Bc he leaned on the thing he was clearly better at. As he should. My point is ppl are capable at finding the nuance. Alex just doesn’t talk much compared to ilia which is obviously swaying ppl. Normally smaller weights don’t get as much exposure but Topuria just smashed two fan favorites with savagery. In fact as mentioned he was even more definitive than Alex with the #8 ranked rountree giving him a stiff challenge. I can say it 100x , still good wins and showed resolve, but it’s a fighter of the year debate. Of course that matters.
Right after beating Volk Ilia started talking about how he wants to retire young, meanwhile you have Pereira becoming the saviour of the UFC by taking up short notice fights and showing up to fight despite injuries. Considering fighter of the year is subjective I think attitude, work ethic, ect should count towards fighter of the year especially in an era where fighters are barely fighting and pulling out fights due to a stubbed toe.
If Alex fought Ankalaev over Rountree he's definitely fighter of the year (clearing the top 3 of his division in a span of 6 months is insane) but he fought Rountree instead. Sure, it was a better fight than we expected BUT like others said Volk and Max back to back is inasane. I've been a fan of Alex longer than I'm a fan of Ilia but I believe Ilia deserves FOTY.
In few years, Topuria will be considered as the greatest fighter of all time. Mark my words. Good luck on your surgery, Bisping. Wish you health. Greetings from Georgia. 🇬🇪
Like Daniel Cormier said, Pereira would have to knock out Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in the same year to be equal to what Ilia did this year, end of the story
Definitely Poatan. Not hating but Ilia's "wins" needs asterisks. Volk just came off of a brutal knockout, came into the fight injured, and was fighting at 25%. Max had a hard weight cut and got caught with a lucky punch.
I agree with the general idea that Alex should win, but I'm not gonna take anything away from Ilia, he beat 2 of the best 145ers ever, decisively. In most years he would be a slam dunk FOTY.
@@sandman62100 oh come on now, nobody fights at 100%, those are just excuses. If they aren't ready to fight, they shouldn't fight. It's disrespectful to the winner to make excuses for the loser. And I love Volk, but he just lost, that's it.
100% agree, not because im a Topuria fan, but because i am fan of Max and Volka too.... and he almost made it look easy... almost... Ilia trains at a level that enhances his own potential, making him be at another level... big kiss to Max, we all still love you, it was not his funeral
For me it could be either way, alex or ilia. One funny thing id like to point out is they are saying alex was the only one taking risks. But if you think about it topuria took a huge risk too. He foreshadow KO on both of his fights and told everyone he was the best fighter in his division. Dude would have been HUGE meme material for years if he had lost the fights, but he delivered and walk the talk. We dont see this since Conor rise.
My Pick is POATAN Just because of his attitude towards taking fights and short notice and proving that he is always prepared to beat the best! Ilia takes as long of a break as he can between his fights! He's not as Active as I would want a champ to be. Izzy gave us a great example! and so is Alex
Ilia is the absolute best fighter since Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. Add the mic skills of a McGregor and he'll be the most popular fighter ever. Sounds crazy but it's true.💯🔥🌹
@fan-fu6lf Khabib has only one elite skillset with his wrestling. Ilia is elite EVERYWHERE just like Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. Just saying. Elite Mma history is currently unfolding as we witness. Welcome to the matador era.🌹
@BrdOutaMyMnd thats the strange thing. Hes a great fighter but he just isnt as popular as mcgregor was. A lot of people think hes arrogant when conor could get away with it.
@xikimunki735 I bet you watched Conor after 2016. 2013-2014 conor was disliked like ilia is right now. Ilia just had his McGregor Aldo moment with Max and will gain you as a fan. Guaranteed.
Alex hands down. He literally became the face of the UFC. That mofo has millions of people saying Chama. He came in on short notice, got all finishes, and if it was possible would probably fight again before the year’s end. He was literally the main event of UFC 300, I’m sorry but I don’t even think there is a need to discuss the topic. Not too say the Illia and Diego are not amazing, but they do not have the same pull as Alex.
Ilia put out 2 spectacular KO’s of two of the all time greats of his division. Alex went to war with Khalil Rountree. Topuria should win in a landslide.
Topiria is the best fighter. Weird thing is that Poatan and Topiria are my favorite fighters lol. I’m eating 2024 as far as being a ufc fan is concerned
My god I can understand too many people hate Topuria, but saying Pereira's year was better than Ilia's is stupid. Ilia did what nobody could against 2 legends that are much bigger than any oponent Alex had this year. Volk was the absolute dominant lf FW division and P4P number 2 before Ilia KOd him in the 2nd round. Max Holloway was never finished before by anyone and was also in the P4P ranking after destroying Gaetje in an upper division... and Ilia was the first one who finished him with an amazing KO. If this was done by any other fighter nobody would even consider Alex year. If instead of Ilia this was done by Diego Lopes for example everyone would say he had the best year.
I believe before Ilia knocked out Holloway, Alex was the fighter of the year, but now Ilia is, and i know it depends on everybody's prespective, Alex was in banger fights all year, highlight reel knockouts, and was definitely the most active champion/fighter of the year, but Topuria Knocked out 2 of the greatest in thre same year in brutal fashion, and Ilia was the FIRST man ever to knockout Hollaway and i think that shoots him right into fighter of the year in my opinion. Max definitely has KO of the year tho, his KO of Gaethje beats Alex, and Topuria's KO
Pereira won the title in November 2023 defended his title first time in April, and then again in June and in October. 4 title fights against legit monsters in total in a period of 11 months. and now there are rumors that he might step in to save ufc 310 card and defend his title against Ankalaev. Topuria won the title in February and defended it only once in October. and that’s all for him. he will probably have one fight next year and that’s all. almost the same like Volk (he defended his title like 5 times in 5 years). In my opinion, and I’m not even a fan of Pereira. Pereira deserves to be called the fighter of the year, even if he loses to Ankalaev.
Alex for me …. Came in an won a belt instantly and moved up and won a belt at a higher weight, any achievement going up a weight is superior to me and Alex is a huge draw, Ilia is definitely making a huge impression but isn’t even close to the phenomenon Alex is, Alex might even go up again at some time and who would bet against him becoming champ there ?
Who is your Fighter of the Year?
El Matador, without a shadow of a doubt! Been a fain of this guy before it became mainstream to do so!
You have to use long, not just short term memory, and like.. never go shop, for food, hungry, never ever post exited, calm down 😃
Alex perriera
Poatan
If Max would have taken the belt, I would still vote Alex!
Alex had 3 title defense finishes (2 of which were against former champs) he saved 3 cards, broke Rouseys record, and he did it all on short notice, while injured/and or sick. Alex is fighter of the year.
If it's employee of the year I would agree but FOTY? Nah quality > quantity
He fought cans. Imagine what the result would be if he fought his division's two all-time greats.
@@trapeziumm You keep saying the same thing over and over again.... You clearly dont know the criteria for this award. Fighter of the year is rewarded to the leading mixed martial artist for their contribution to the sport BOTH inside, and outside the octagon. Many things are taken into account, not just the fights inside the cage.
@@trapeziummfull camp vs 2 weeks
@@trapeziummLMAOOOOO fr bro
No Alex is fighter of the year hands 🙌 down
*Employee of the year
wow, your reasoning is solid. I bet you think Kamala is politician of the year too.
@@Sergio-dh5qhno, it will always be Nancy
@@Sergio-dh5qhthis guy really brought politics into this Lmao what sad life u have
It's Alex Pereira, that dude has been the biggest fan service, active, and brought in some of this years biggest moments and fights. Ilia is insane, and he deserves it too. But you can't take that from Pereira, that dude has had one of the best years I've ever seen in the UFC.
Beating Roundtree-Prochazka-Hill is not remotely comparable to beating Volk-Holloway, 2 fighters never ko'd by anyone.
Ilia is definitely the fighter of the year, he beat the 2 greatest FW ever in devastating fashion!! It's basically like if Alex destroyed a prime DC and Jones back to back
Beating washed volk islam koed the life Outta him amd jiri & hill both were former champions like volk and max.@@cremisiketchup
@@Culture_2520 ye almost like volk fought on short notice in a division that isnt his aganist the best fighter in the world bet that doesnt go through that little brain of yours, and how many times did jiri and hill defend the belt ill wait for your answer and them being former champ means jack shit the lhw division was literally playing hot potato with the belt
My pick is POATAN🗿
It's simple to answer this question, in 2024:
Ilia: entered the UFC featherweight GOAT debate.
Alex: entered the COMBAT SPORTS GOAT DEBATE.
He defended his belt against one-dimensional fighters. Stop. He'd shit the bed against elite wrestlers.
Poatan deserves it more than anyone.
Wrong.
@@Sergio-dh5qh🤫🤫
@@Sergio-dh5qhNah you are. Tell me why you think Illia wins it?
@@TehSweettooth123 you lack brain cells if you need an explanation on why Ilia is the FOTY
Dricus did the same thing as Topuria at middleweight in the same time span and nobody is giving him near the credit. Strange world.
DDP winning an extremely close decision with pillow hands Strickland and submitting washed Gynodesanya is not even comparable to Ilia brutally knocking out two mma goats
"bEcAuSe tHe sMaLlEr gUyS aRe sO mUcH mOrE tALeNtEd." At least that's the main reason why everyone keeps saying why Ilia deserves it.
@@shakoimnadze7604 not even comparable? Why are you all hypeing this shit up like its something unseen, classic ufc. It is very close and a matter of personal preference i guess. And if you are already throwing stupid arguments like that than mention that Volk is also a guy that was knocked out cold fight before and in fight with Ilia looked like an old man with soft belly lol
@@NeBojSeJaSam13 Volk had a full camp buddy 🤣 and looked fitter and sharper in there as ever. His knockout defeat against Makachev prior had nothing to do with him getting knocked out again by Topuria's right overhand. He would have never eaten that shot regardless
@@shakoimnadze7604 Topuria best fighter since Khabib retired
Alex has had 3 fights this year, defended his title 3 times, and even on short notice or injured to save cards! And even doing this with only 2-3 months between fights. Topuria, his wins are impressive, but he fought twice this year with 8 months apart.
Nothing you said is wrong, but don't leave out that those 2 fights were vs 2 of the greatest featherweights of all-time, future hall of fame,
@@XBlack-oc6xt For which he was fully prepared with more than half a year apart, and a full camp. Not taking anything away from his wins. Having said that, Volk had just sustained a brutal headkick from Islam a couple months prior, and Max was cutting from LW to Featherweight.
@@rune1684yeah the real test will be the rematch with Volk on a proper camp. Hopefully Volk is back to his old ways and it will be a proper scrap
@@rune1684 your argument goes both ways though. Jamahal was coming off a serious achilles injury, jiri was a rematch and he also took the fight on short notice and rountree was coming off a suspension
Ilia was facing 2 of the greatest FWs of all time (Volk was undefeated at 145 and was on his 6th title defence and Max was on a 3 fight win streak and hadn't lost to anyone at 145 not named volk since 2013) and Ilia did what nobody has ever done before to them at 145 - flatline KO them. We've all seen jamahal, jiri and khalil lose before, but we've never seen volk and max get bulldozed on the feet at 145
@@youngclueless7364 injured then being knocked out and cutting weight are completely different? Getting knocked out and cutting weight can kill u. Alex fought whilst injured against opponents more skillful then him they where coming off injurys not losses like a Volk was off a ko and we know the curse number of that division and Volk turned it but where going to act like that's nothing now? Alex saved 3 events illia could've fought 3 fkn times this year to be fighter of the year but didn't it's funny when illia even admits himself Volk was going to be his easiest fight coz he's coming off a ko?
No question IMO. Poatan has smashed everyone else out of the way. Unbelievable what he has done.
He hasn't smashed Ankalaev yet
3 fights in 175 days>2 fights in 8 months
beating 2 top 7 fighters of all time>beating hill, jiri and number 8 khalil XD
Fighting the 2 all-time best of his division beats fighting three tomato cans
and the award is called fighter of the year not fighter of the 175 days
@@double383Lol your point? Alex was injured in all his fights and he was sick. That makes his wins even more impressive
@@TehSweettooth123 the fact that Alex kicked Hill and Rountree's asses while injured proved that they are mid 😂 no fighter gets into the cage after camp 100 percent healthy.
Let them fight at catchweight and the winner is FOTY
😂
I lean towards Pereira but it’s close. The case for each imo:
Pereira
- 3 title wins instead of 2
- saved cards twice
- both dominated and overcame adversity
- countering recency bias
Topuria
- beat top 2 all time in a better weight class
- both knockouts were huge shocks and he was the underdog in the first one
- is probably the better P4P fighter
Like I said, super close in my mind. If one of Pereira’s wins had been Ankalaev, I’d pick him no question. And if Topuria had a 3rd win this year over literally anyone I’d pick him no question.
FACTS bro that's what I'm saying as well. Super close but if Pereira fought Ankalaev instead of Rountree I think he takes FOTY. The Rountree fight while entertaining was BS matchmaking from the UFC especially when they could've made Pereira vs Ankalaev in that timeframe. Ilia for me is FOTY. Quality > Quantity Jiri and Hill are former champs but they have a combined 0 title defense while Volk and Max ran 145 for 7-8 years and Ilia dusted them both when plenty of fighters failed.
Totally agree with you. What makes me pick Ilia over Alex is the level of the two fighters he won against plus the epic way he did, specially against Holloway who was considered the toughest chin of UFC history, but I understand your point and why you pick Alex slighly over Ilia.
Alex said he is ready to scrap with Ankalaev in December after Ank’s snoozefest fight with Rakic
@@VISC3RA doesnt mean anything the fight isn't even official we don't even know if he is gonna do it
@@VISC3RA Well if that happens and he wins, easy fighter of the year.
Nope. Alex is.
One defeated 3 mid fighters, the other defeated 2 GOATS….in the most spectacular fashion possible.
Just say you’re an irrational hater and keep it moving baby girl.
@@offthepageontoscreen5767 That's not the only criteria, "babygirl". Alex drew way more new fans to the UFC, he's the bigger ppv star and he fought more constantly. I don't even care who becomes fighter of the year, but acting like it's definitely Topuria is kinda stupid. 😅
@ you just tried to reframe the “fighter” of the year to be won by vague intangible criteria like popularity and not actual inside the octagon results. Which means you inadvertently conceded Ilia is the runaway winner.
You can write up as many word salads and use as much pretzel logic as you want tying yourself into knots. The facts are simple: putting 2 GOATS to sleep in 1 year > beating 3 mid at best guys in 1 year.
@@offthepageontoscreen5767 mid? Are you dumb 😂 Jiri only lost once in Rizin and only lost to Alex in the UFC, his finishes are mostly KO too, Hill resume is not as extensive but he only loss before Alex was to Paul Craig, the same guy who is Ankalaevs only loss, Hill is overhated but not overrated at all. Alex literaly took their hype and made them look mid which is crazy
@@KIZOfficialIlia is a way bigger ppv star than Alex😂.
Think poatan would have something to say about that bisping...
Good luck with the surgery.. and you're wrong: it's Poatan.
Bisping with another L take
😂😂😂😂😂😭
Alex 100% fighter of the year.
I love how Bisping is so envy about Alex
He talk with Khamzat = talk about Alex
He speak about Topuria = talk about Alex saying Topuria left hook is more technical (witch is a duuuumb take by the way)
Just admite you hate Alex for some reason , is because Smith or what?
Bisping is a generational pereira hater
@@benjaminbatselier6859u guys are generational glazers lol
Dude is mad envious he can’t hide it
topurias left hook isnt more accurate? he has 2 cold knockouts and one of them is agaist the best chin in the ufc, alex doesnt have a single knockout literally all of his "ko's" are tkos when is the last time alex slept someone cold?
Max's and Volk's achievements shouldn't be transferred to Ilia just because he beat them both. Alex has done more this year and definitely deserves it.
@@stil.j He said Max and Volk's achievements shouldn't transfer to Topuria but they love to transfer Izzy, Strickland, Jiri and even Jamal fuckin Hill's achievements to Alex's just because Alex beat them 😂 they make no sense
Please Bisping don’t even go there. LOL I would say Alex because of his MMA background, a fighter with little to no ground game. Most fighters doubted Alex, including Bisping so having accomplished what he did in MMA is very impressive and because it is documented that he fought sick/injured. He also has been more active than Topouria.
background story is irrelevant, its fighter of the year not story of the last 40 years
@@hanyu_dada I meant MMA background, the lack of a ground game. Almost all fighters including Bisping doubted Alex. From what I understand Topouria is considered an all round fighter. I still think that Alex should get it because of how active he has been this year but I do get your point.
@@Rotter101 If he had beaten Ankalaev I think there would be no doubt, but there wasn't a single one who wrestled against Alex
@@lordtitaniumhe fought that German dude that took him down through the fight. I can’t remember his name. Alex fought 3 times this year and Topouria 2 but the level of competition that Topouria fought is better I guess. Max and Volk are considered the best in the business.
@@Rotter101Jan blachowicz is his name and Alex arguably lost that fight
People will stop denying Topuria one day!
Hahahahahaha who the F* is Topuria close to Alex ? Hahahahaha what a shame Bisping…. Alex beaten 2 former champions by nocaute in short notice and a top 10 contender! Alex is the fighter of the year!!! He is the real BMF champion
Totally agree with same exact reasons as your self ! Topuria is fighter of the year !!
Ilia had full camp
Ilia is more well rounded. Alex should be foty, for the fact that he baits all his opps into his style. Ilia is technically more sound on paper. I put Ilia for future foty if he maintains his belt for next year. No doubt about it.
Alex ain't baiting anyone 😂 Hill, Jiri, and Rountree are all strikers to begin with. Expecting them to wrestle is like expecting Alex to initiate wrestling exchange as well.
@@cgg14767 Jiri tried to grapple both fights
@@GreatestOneEver Yes he did but would you call him a grappler? Jiri like Alex, is predominantly a striker. Sure, he attempts to mix things up from time to time but he's not a grapple first fighter. That's like calling Alex a wrestler after he took Izzy down that one time in their first fight. My point is that the top LHWs are all strikers it's not necessarily that Alex baited them into striking with him if Alex didn't exist, a fight between Jiri, Hill, and Rountree will still be all stand up fights
@@cgg14767 Yeah, I think everyone including Ankalaev see that he's punchable and everyone thinks that at 205 he's gonna get KOd but it seems like his chin is better considering that headkick Khalil landed. Alex seems super beatable by wrestlers and 205+ strikers but that's what makes him exciting for me because it feels like their is always a KO coming whether it's him or the opponent
@@GreatestOneEver Honestly, I don't even know why the UFC is blocking that fight. Ankalaev can wrestle but he also prefers to strike for some reason and let's be honest, with what he showed against Rakic, if he doesn't mix things up and just stand against Alex, Ankalaev will get his ass knocked out as well.
You have to give it to tuporia. The quality of opponents. He knocked out two goats. Alex beat 3 people that don’t have the same resume as the max and volk🤷🏽♂️
And Poaton is one of my favorite fighters so I’m keeping it real
I still think Poatan deserves it more. And we have to take int account that when Ilia KO’d Volk, it was off the Islam KO. Not saying the result would’ve been different but it’s not as impressive seeing the guy get KOd back to back like that.
Don't necessarily disagree with the people saying it should be Poatan, but shouldn't Poatan lose a couple of style points as well for beating a Jamahl Hill who hadn't fought in 15 Months due to a devastating Achilles Rupture, and also lose some points for just KOing a guy he Already KO'd (Jiri). And beating a guy who at the time wasn't ranked in the Top 5. Ilia beat the Two Greatest Featherweights of All Time (Aldo as well even though Aldo's 0-3 against Volk and Max with two stoppage losses.). And he beat Volk who had never lost at Featherweight, and stopped Max who no one including a Prime Conor could do, who was coming off his most impressive win in his career that was at a higher weight class.
Good luck Mike. Pray to God the surgeries are successful and give you relief.
If Poatan fight Tom Aspinal and Topuria fight Islan, but u can watch only one of them fighting, which one would u pick?
I Think this question would make easier to choose the fight of the Year..
they have to choose 2 fighter of the year this time ... both poatan and ilia
Alex easy, dudes a whole superstar. Illia is on his way to super stardom with one solid title defense.
Volk took that fight too soon even thought the result probably would have been the same, Max shouldn’t be cutting to 145 especially after he just fought at 155. Still impressive wins and Ilia made me a fan but FOTY is Alex
When it comes to beating calibre of Opponent (Max and Volk) one has gotta give it to the El Matador. However, when it comes to overall aspects like workrate (how much you fight in certain amount of time), reliability ("saving"the UFC card), and impact (Aura, Merchandise sales, 2-division champ., social media, style or method of winning everytime), one has to give it to Alex Pereira! So I would lean more to Alex than Ilia.😊
Actually, fighter of the year is not important. What is important that you have a successful surgery, and be back to great health. Good luck, Michael, former Fighter of the Year.
Alex. Number 1
Make illia fight with featherweight king kong.
Topturo should win FOTY. He KO'ed 2 legends in the same year.
Two old legends
Illy Aturo
@@mosshark is this Chael Sonnen?
Volk was softened up from the ko
Yeah in the span of 7 months. Meanwhile between two of his fights Alex fought 3 times at the age of 37 , he fought younger opponents. Without full camp, saved the card.
No. He’s 2nd
Hope all goes well with op bro 🙏
My heart aches we are witnessing a new era in the UFC.... It's time for the nxt generation to step up and entertain us. That's just how it is...
All the best wishes to you sir. Healthy and easy recovery. You will be coming back stronger snd better.
4:38 why it shows decision for max instead of ko/Tko
Good luck with your surgery and a quick recovery.
I totally agree, not giving credit to Topuria would be like belittling two UFC legends. If we compare the relevance of the opponents, it would be foolish not to give credit to Topuria. I totally agree with your reflection.
Alex can only fight who’s in the division and he’s absolutely dominated it, he won’t hang around there I don’t think 😮
Let’s not get carried away with Ilia… he beat two fighters at the end of the career.
They were great a few years ago, not so much now.
Everyone’s decline comes, and ilia has fought them on their defline
Alex Bro took out 3 opponents span of 6 months and Championship level fights
1 was short notice title Defense🤦 3 title Defense to 1 defense 😂😂😂
okay who? did he beat top 10 fighters of all time like holloway and volk? and he didnt even sleep a single person this year literally all tkos
That's because Ilia was waiting for Max. I think it's funnier and more embarrassing that a champ defended his belt against an #8 ranked fighter when there are 2 fighters who deserve the title shot more.
Alex 100%
For me it's Ilia but give them both fighters of the year
Don’t be a hater, Poatan has earned fighter of the year
Multiple card saves, multiple title defenses against former champs and multiple weight class champ. It’s no comparison
multiple cans
Fighter of the year no, he wait until Magomed took the fight against rakic and then two weeks he announced ufc307 against a #8 guy. He is not fighter of the year
@@altafalli987 ankalaev got offered the Alex fight and refused it TWICE
He took Rakic to a decision while Jiri KOed him
He’s not worthy of a title shot and Poatan is fighter of the year
Cry more
@@GODEYE270115 what do you mean he is not worthy when he is the #1 rank contender?
Thanks for your content Michael you are definitely up there in terms of quality!
Good luck brother!! I hope everything goes well! You're the best comentator 🙏
Guys, of course, Ilya is an animal and a fighter of a different level, but all this is done by his brother from outside the cage, you can't understand because he gives advice in Georgian, that's exactly where Alex's intelligence and Ilya's trust towards him can be seen, it's the result of Alex's accurate analysis in every fight
Alex should have been FOTY last year, and definitely is this year. What he has done this year, and the conditions he has done it under are incredible. He carried the year. Taking nothing away from ilia, incredible wins but Alex put in the work.
@@christopheretienne2669 Alex got KTFO last year why should he be fighter of the year?
@@cgg14767 even with that he still captured a belt in two divisions.
@@christopheretienne2669 KOed, super close fight vs Jan, and arguably early stoppage vs Jiri. Idk man, not arguing about Alex's greatness though he's definitely a great fighter. He definitely has a case for FOTY but I personally have Topuria winning it this year
No perriera is
Just cuzz d.c chimed in on this ridiculous topic you rant for 8 minutes really Moke come on that's nonsense ask this question after volk rematch. Tone it down
No.
Hope your surgery was a success and you're healing up good. Take your time, rest and recover brotha, we'll be here when you're ready. 👊🏼
Obviously haha not even close. Any sane person won’t argue the level of competition for ilia was vastly greater than Alex. What does Alex really have over ilia for this subjective award? A short notice win? Think about that . OF COURSE he took a fight on short notice against a guy he literally just stopped. That’s favorable to him. Ppl aren’t rating “short notice” correctly. Mike you can speak directly to this. Vs Luke it was considered a layup for that 2nd match yall had. Im old enough to remember that vividly ppl not being happy he took that fight. Rewarding Alex in this made up award for rematching a guy he just finished pretty quickly didn’t make a lick of sense. It’s still a phenomenal win but that’s a straw man no one said it wasn’t. It’s just not some feather in the cap ppl are somehow making it to be. An example of a short notice win posing considerable risk would be when DC fought rumble instead of Bader. Or TJ on a days notice fighting Soto . I repeat still a big win for Alex but that’s a matchup he would have pursued aggressively. It was short notice for Jiri after all. It wasn’t as if Alex was not ready and Jiri was more ready. None of that took place.
Once you remove that, and I actually call that a detracting point on my own personal scale, that win when compared to other candidates doesn’t overcoming knocking out COLD, not a TKO or even a 4th round needed, 2 hall of famers who have a combined roughly 20 world championship fights between them. And the reality is volk had a full camp vs ilia . You can’t argue he needed more time after Islam. If that KO affected him so much he needed more time at age 35 well he would have been the same vulnerable fighter in an additional 90 days IMO. I don’t get why ppl keep mentioning “saving cards” wtf are you talking about? It’s like you’re reaching for some metric. He “saved a card” with a perfect matchup against two guys with exactly ZERO takedowns in their career. Literally 0.00% TD average. Stop talking about saving cards when the nature of the fight was one that was a strike ONLY contest in which Alex is inarguably the most dynamic on the roster. For the third time, still great wins but blindly shouting about cards saved is so dumb considering they were perfectly favorable to style. Speaking of DC NO ONE yapped about him saving a card when he fought Silva on 48 hours. In fact he was booed. Why? Bc he leaned on the thing he was clearly better at. As he should. My point is ppl are capable at finding the nuance. Alex just doesn’t talk much compared to ilia which is obviously swaying ppl. Normally smaller weights don’t get as much exposure but Topuria just smashed two fan favorites with savagery. In fact as mentioned he was even more definitive than Alex with the #8 ranked rountree giving him a stiff challenge. I can say it 100x , still good wins and showed resolve, but it’s a fighter of the year debate. Of course that matters.
Your comments about being a fighter and Hayden on everybody else is no good it's not a good look for you
Alex Pereira
Another great vid Mike, all the best for the operation hope all goes well
Right after beating Volk Ilia started talking about how he wants to retire young, meanwhile you have Pereira becoming the saviour of the UFC by taking up short notice fights and showing up to fight despite injuries.
Considering fighter of the year is subjective I think attitude, work ethic, ect should count towards fighter of the year especially in an era where fighters are barely fighting and pulling out fights due to a stubbed toe.
NO 👎 ALEX PEREIRA DA FIGHTER OF DA YEAR .
If Alex fought Ankalaev over Rountree he's definitely fighter of the year (clearing the top 3 of his division in a span of 6 months is insane) but he fought Rountree instead. Sure, it was a better fight than we expected BUT like others said Volk and Max back to back is inasane. I've been a fan of Alex longer than I'm a fan of Ilia but I believe Ilia deserves FOTY.
In few years, Topuria will be considered as the greatest fighter of all time. Mark my words.
Good luck on your surgery, Bisping. Wish you health.
Greetings from Georgia. 🇬🇪
Alex added a word to the ENGLISH dictionary
Chama 🔥🗿
Like Daniel Cormier said, Pereira would have to knock out Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier in the same year to be equal to what Ilia did this year, end of the story
Fighter of the Year should matter. It’s like the Balón Dor of MMA
im not a dricus fan but he has had a hell of a year and nobody is talking about him
Good luck with the surgery, Mike! I’m sorry you have to go through this. Wishing you all the best!
Michael is the only one who had actually a great argument for Ilia
Definitely Poatan. Not hating but Ilia's "wins" needs asterisks. Volk just came off of a brutal knockout, came into the fight injured, and was fighting at 25%. Max had a hard weight cut and got caught with a lucky punch.
And u still picked Volk and Max to win right? That’s just hating
I agree with the general idea that Alex should win, but I'm not gonna take anything away from Ilia, he beat 2 of the best 145ers ever, decisively. In most years he would be a slam dunk FOTY.
@@markzuckergecko621 Volk was fighting at 20% though
@@sandman62100 oh come on now, nobody fights at 100%, those are just excuses. If they aren't ready to fight, they shouldn't fight. It's disrespectful to the winner to make excuses for the loser. And I love Volk, but he just lost, that's it.
@@markzuckergecko621 it's a fact that Volk came into the fight concussed and injured. He was at 15%. If Volk was even at 75% he would've won
100% agree, not because im a Topuria fan, but because i am fan of Max and Volka too.... and he almost made it look easy... almost... Ilia trains at a level that enhances his own potential, making him be at another level... big kiss to Max, we all still love you, it was not his funeral
Forget the other arguments. Both guys did amazing things, but the fans love Alex more. Plain and simple.
You put up a good argument Mr Bisping 👏🏼👏🏼
CHAMA 🗿
Ili topuria, since his first ufc fight I knew this guy is a superstar and legend in the making
For me it could be either way, alex or ilia. One funny thing id like to point out is they are saying alex was the only one taking risks. But if you think about it topuria took a huge risk too. He foreshadow KO on both of his fights and told everyone he was the best fighter in his division. Dude would have been HUGE meme material for years if he had lost the fights, but he delivered and walk the talk. We dont see this since Conor rise.
All the good wishes for quick recovery Michael
My Pick is POATAN Just because of his attitude towards taking fights and short notice and proving that he is always prepared to beat the best! Ilia takes as long of a break as he can between his fights! He's not as Active as I would want a champ to be. Izzy gave us a great example! and so is Alex
Chama is the FOTY . end of story
Ilia is the absolute best fighter since Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. Add the mic skills of a McGregor and he'll be the most popular fighter ever. Sounds crazy but it's true.💯🔥🌹
@fan-fu6lf Khabib has only one elite skillset with his wrestling. Ilia is elite EVERYWHERE just like Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. Just saying. Elite Mma history is currently unfolding as we witness. Welcome to the matador era.🌹
Mic skills need help still
@BrdOutaMyMnd thats the strange thing. Hes a great fighter but he just isnt as popular as mcgregor was. A lot of people think hes arrogant when conor could get away with it.
@xikimunki735 I bet you watched Conor after 2016. 2013-2014 conor was disliked like ilia is right now. Ilia just had his McGregor Aldo moment with Max and will gain you as a fan. Guaranteed.
We’re with you brother. Get well soon.
Alex hands down. He literally became the face of the UFC. That mofo has millions of people saying Chama. He came in on short notice, got all finishes, and if it was possible would probably fight again before the year’s end. He was literally the main event of UFC 300, I’m sorry but I don’t even think there is a need to discuss the topic. Not too say the Illia and Diego are not amazing, but they do not have the same pull as Alex.
Ilia put out 2 spectacular KO’s of two of the all time greats of his division. Alex went to war with Khalil Rountree. Topuria should win in a landslide.
Topiria is the best fighter. Weird thing is that Poatan and Topiria are my favorite fighters lol. I’m eating 2024 as far as being a ufc fan is concerned
if you put it like that then yes, 100% agree with you.
My god I can understand too many people hate Topuria, but saying Pereira's year was better than Ilia's is stupid.
Ilia did what nobody could against 2 legends that are much bigger than any oponent Alex had this year.
Volk was the absolute dominant lf FW division and P4P number 2 before Ilia KOd him in the 2nd round. Max Holloway was never finished before by anyone and was also in the P4P ranking after destroying Gaetje in an upper division... and Ilia was the first one who finished him with an amazing KO.
If this was done by any other fighter nobody would even consider Alex year. If instead of Ilia this was done by Diego Lopes for example everyone would say he had the best year.
Damn man. That’s really hard. I want both guys to get it.
Who cancelled holidays and took a title defence on two weeks notice and shut shit down? It's that simple
Chama
I believe before Ilia knocked out Holloway, Alex was the fighter of the year, but now Ilia is, and i know it depends on everybody's prespective, Alex was in banger fights all year, highlight reel knockouts, and was definitely the most active champion/fighter of the year, but Topuria Knocked out 2 of the greatest in thre same year in brutal fashion, and Ilia was the FIRST man ever to knockout Hollaway and i think that shoots him right into fighter of the year in my opinion.
Max definitely has KO of the year tho, his KO of Gaethje beats Alex, and Topuria's KO
Pereira won the title in November 2023
defended his title first time in April, and then again in June and in October.
4 title fights against legit monsters in total in a period of 11 months. and now there are rumors that he might step in to save ufc 310 card and defend his title against Ankalaev.
Topuria won the title in February and defended it only once in October. and that’s all for him. he will probably have one fight next year and that’s all. almost the same like Volk (he defended his title like 5 times in 5 years).
In my opinion, and I’m not even a fan of Pereira. Pereira deserves to be called the fighter of the year, even if he loses to Ankalaev.
Topuria is the FOTY. Speedy recovery Mike!!!
Never doubting Topuria again 1st round ko over Alex.
Same here
Volk was soft. It's Alex
Jiri has no defence and Hill has no footwork. It's Ilia.
Alex is my favorite but I’m good with ether
Alex for me …. Came in an won a belt instantly and moved up and won a belt at a higher weight, any achievement going up a weight is superior to me and Alex is a huge draw, Ilia is definitely making a huge impression but isn’t even close to the phenomenon Alex is, Alex might even go up again at some time and who would bet against him becoming champ there ?