MID-YEAR UFC AWARDS

Fight of the Year.

Honorable mentions – Jirí Procházka vs Jamahal Hill, Merab Dvalishvili vs Umar Nurmagomedov.

Winner – Brandon Royval vs Joshua Van.

A fast-paced, action-packed, and highly technical war took place at UFC 317 between the flyweight contenders. Royval wanted to test Van’s cardio and overall grit, and Van didn’t disappoint. On three weeks’ notice after competing on the last PPV (UFC 316), Van showed where he belongs in the Flyweight Division, countering Royval’s pressure and pace with clean hooks to the body and head. Meanwhile, Brandon Royval set a flyweight record as he attempted 467 strikes in a fight that was only three rounds. This fight had everything: back-and-forth action, a shot to fight for the title on the line, and it finished with Joshua Van sealing the win with a late knockdown in the third and final round, capping off the 23-year-old’s monumental rise.

Knockout of the year.

Honorable mentions – Ilia Topuria vs Charles Olivera, César Almeida vs Razak Alhassan.

Winner – Mauricio Ruffy vs King Green

Ruffy stays undefeated in the UFC and does it in the most spectacular way possible, a spinning wheel kick knockout that puts Green out cold with no need for follow-up shots. This is only the 16^th spinning wheel kick knockout in UFC history, setting Ruffy up for a massive year ahead. As for King Green, this is his second loss in a row and puts him in a position where he potentially needs a win to extend his UFC tenure.

Submission of the year

Honorable mentions – Sean Brady vs Leon Edwards, Jean Silva vs Bryce Mitchell

Winner – Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley 2

In a rematch where the narrative was focused on O’Malley and how he’d adjust and improve on his last performance against Dvalishvili, it was Merab who came in and made it look easier than the first time back at the Sphere. Merab used his signature mix of cardio and pressure to force O’Malley to the cage and eventually to the mat, where he would lock up a North-South choke and finish O’Malley in the third round, handing him his first submission loss of his career.

Female Fighter of the Year

Honorable mentions – Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili

Winner – Kayla Harrison

All three women’s champions have won 1 fight this year so far. What sets Harrison apart from the others is that she finished her opponent in the Second round via Kimura and has now become one of the great combat athletes of all time. Harrison has two Olympic Gold medals in Judo, two PFL Championships, and now capping it off with the UFC Bantamweight title, a title no one thought she could get strictly cause of how grueling the weight cut is for her. Now she’s the face of women’s MMA and is set to fight former double champion Amanda Nunes in what will be one of, if not the biggest fight in the history of women’s MMA.

Male Fighter of the Year

Honorable mentions – Ilia Topuria, Joshua Van

Winner – Merab Dvalishvili

Two title fights, two title defenses, and Dvalishvili only seems to be improving as a champion. Starting off the year as the co-main event of the first PPV of the year, facing arguably his toughest contender yet, undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov closed as the -275 betting favorite over Dvalishvili because of how well he looked up to that point, and due to his ties to the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is one of his coaches. Dvalishvili showed his championship pedigree and experience during the five-round war, overwhelming Nurmagomedov with his relentless pressure and sheer will to land takedowns and tire out his opponent. Merab won via unanimous decision, clearly winning the last three rounds and even winning four rounds on one of the judges’ scorecards.

Merab follows up his UFC 311 performance with an absolute masterclass against Sean O'Malley at UFC 316. Despite O’Malley’s improved takedown defense, Dvalishvili kept him on the back foot for the whole fight, pressuring O’Malley against the cage and eventually getting the takedown. As O’Malley was trying to work his way back up to his feet, Dvalishvili grabbed hold of his neck and got the submission victory via North-South Choke. Only halfway through the year, Merab is the clear fighter of the year at this moment and would even have an argument at the end of the year if he didn’t fight again. There’s little chance of that happening, though, as Merab will most likely face Cory Sandhagen this year.