Leading Male UFC Contenders of the Recent Calendar Year
Unleashing the Beasts of the Octagon: The Everything-but-Censored UFC Top 5 for 2024
Straight up, let's talk shop - these five heavyweights are the crème de la crème, the cream of the crop, the best of the best in the UFC's male division for 2024. I ain't pullin' any punches when I say that Quintin van Jaarsveld ain't mincing words here.
5: Diego Lopes
The Brazilian steamroller flipped the script this year, claiming a whopping three major victories that saw him extend his win streak to a fiesty five, and land a spot at No. 3 in the featherweight rankings.
You won't find a sharper edge than Lopes (26-6). This bad boy started off strong in April with a knockout of Sodiq Yusuff, accepted a four-hour replacement against Dan Ige in June and promptly smashed him. And if that wasn't enough, September saw our South American chomper go head-to-head with former title contender Brian Ortega, leaving the man battered and defeated.
4: Merab Dvalishvili
The unstoppable machine plowed through one hurdle after another, racking up an impressive 10 fights victories in a row, before earning a bantamweight title shot.
Dvalishvili (18-4) tackled former two-division UFC titan Henry Cejudo in February and made it look like a walk in the park, out-grappling the Olympic gold medalist wrestler with ease. Built of steel, he claimed his dream at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, quickly dispatching of Sean O'Malley for a dominating five-round victory.
3: Dricus du Plessis
This dynamic South African demolisher swept into the UFC spotlight in 2020 and hasn't looked back. With a fist full of knockouts in six straight fights, Du Plessis (22-2) earned himself the title of South Africa's first-ever UFC champion in 2024.
Gutsy and skilled to the core, Du Plessis fought tooth-and-nail in the main event of UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, in January, besting his opponent Sean Strickland for the middleweight title by split decision. With all the South African grit he could muster, he held on tight as he faced the formidable all-time great Israel Adesanya, eventually securing a submission victory and solidifying his reign.
2: Alex Pereira
Already a middleweight champion, Pereira made history last November when he clocked Jiri Prochazka and claimed a second UFC title - all in record-breaking time. Known as a striking terror, Pereira (12-2) wasted no time proving his mettle in 2024, turning Jamahal Hill, Prochazka (twice), and Khalil Rountree Jr into consciousness-free sandbags.
With speed and precision, Pereira (also known as "Poatan") shattered records, including breaking Ronda Rousey's previous fastest three title defenses record. He quickly cemented himself as one of the premier stars in MMA, right behind bad boy Conor McGregor.
1: Ilia Topuria
He's the king of the featherweight throne, and he's not afraid to let you know it. Representing both Georgia and Spain, Topuria (16-0) made jaws drop with his demolition of not just one, but two legends of the sport in back-to-back victories.
Behold the next generation of MMA stars with Topuria, who conquered King Alexander Volkanovski in their headlining fight at UFC 298 in February and repeated his brutal brilliance by putting Max Holloway to sleep eight months later. This undefeated, undisputed legend-killer isn't slowing down anytime soon.
Quintin van Jaarsveld ain't just another fella in the stands - a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year, Quintin has spent over 15 years in the world of sports journalism. He's a man of many words, currently working as a freelance sports writer and dishing out the insights like it ain't no thing. If you wanna keep up with the latest action in the UFC, he's the man to watch.
- Diego Lopes, a Brazilian fighter, showed his dominance in the featherweight division with three major victories in 2024, pushing his win streak to an impressive five and ranking third in the category.
- Merab Dvalishvili, a Georgian contender, racked up an impressive streak of ten consecutive wins, earning a bantamweight title shot in the process.
- Dricus du Plessis, a South African middleweight champion, went undefeated in six consecutive fights, making him the first UFC champion from South Africa.
- Alex Pereira, a middleweight and featherweight champion, broke records in 2024 by defending his title in the quickest time, placing him alongside Conor McGregor as one of the premier stars in MMA.
- Ilia Topuria, a Georgian-Spanish featherweight fighter, earned his reputation as a legend-killer by defeating both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway within a year, remaining undefeated and ruling the featherweight throne.
