5 best UFC pay-per-views of 2024

The UFC put forth 14 numbered pay-per-view (PPV) events in the 2024 calendar year, in addition to various UFC Fight Night cards. That's not to mention the myriad of UFC-affiliated non-main roster matchups under Dana White's Contender Series banner and other MMA bouts and grappling matches on UFC Fight Pass.

It was a tremendous year for the world's premier mixed martial arts organization. Well, 2025 promises to be just as, if not more, exciting! Today, we take a look at 2024 -- revisiting this year's five best UFC PPVs. The selections have been made considering various variables such as star power, how exciting the fights were, and more.

---

#5 UFC 308

The UFC 308 event went down at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., on Oct. 26, 2024. The atmosphere was electric and the stakes incredibly high, with UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria defending his belt against BMF champion Max Holloway in the event's headlining match. Holloway's BMF belt wasn't at stake, but he boasted the honor of being a former UFC featherweight kingpin.

Topuria retained his belt with an all-time-great performance and stopped the legendarily durable Holloway via third-round KO, becoming the first to knock 'Blessed' out in professional MMA competition.

Meanwhile, the co-headlining match witnessed one of the most terrifying submission stoppages ever. The unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev put on a teeth-shattering face crank to stop ex-UFC middleweight champion and MMA great Robert Whittaker in the first round.

The card featured several other exciting matchups, including a grueling fight between Lerone Murphy and Dan Ige. The showdown between Shara Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan was a fight that many believe stole the show and was a striking fan's dream. Shara 'Bullet' aka 'The Pirate' scored a rare double-spinning back fist KO.

The card had everything right from star power -- courtesy of names like Topuria, Holloway, Chimaev, and Whittaker -- and fights that lived up to the fans' expectations.

---

#4 UFC 306

The UFC 306 aka Riyadh Season Noche UFC event marked the first time the UFC had an official title sponsor, namely Riyadh Season. In collaboration with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chair of the Saudi Arabian GEA (General Entertainment Authority), the UFC event reportedly received considerable support from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season venture.

UFC CEO and president Dana White alluded to the same. Per Forbes, the event cost the UFC upwards of $20 million to organize at the one-of-a-kind Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14, 2024.

The unique venue, with its state-of-the-art audio and mammoth wraparound LED display, gave the fans in attendance and those watching at home a surreal experience. The Mexican Independence Day theme and the short films related to the nation's history and combat all added to the allure.

What made the event more awesome were the fights, with Merab Dvalishvili outpointing 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley to win the UFC bantamweight title in the headliner. The co-headliner saw MMA great Valentina Shevchenko recapture the UFC women's flyweight title by outpointing archrival Alexa Grasso in their trilogy encounter.

Several other exciting matchups featuring the likes of Diego Lopes, Brian Ortega, and many more compounded the magic. The unique venue backgrounds for each fight led many fans to draw parallels between the UFC 306 matches and fights from legendary video game/movie franchises like Mortal Kombat and Tekken.

While some argued that the card didn't have the biggest box office draws in the UFC, such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones, the Sphere and the other aforementioned elements more than made up for it.

---

#3 UFC 309

The UFC 309 event transpired at the iconic Madison Square Garden (MSG) venue in New York City, New York, U.S.A., on Nov. 16, 2024. It was headlined by the long-awaited UFC heavyweight title showdown between reigning champion Jon Jones and former divisional kingpin Stipe Miocic.

An iconic venue, a legendary fight, two all-time greats closing out the show -- what more could a mixed martial arts fan possibly ask for? Some critics pointed out that interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall should've instead fought against Jones, as Miocic was 42 years of age at the time and hadn't competed for the past three years.

Regardless, 'Bones' put on a vintage performance, dominantly out-grappling and out-striking Miocic, before finishing him with a spectacular spinning backkick knockout in round three.

Also, the co-headliner had ex-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira clash against Michael Chandler in a rematch. Oliveira knocked him out in their thrilling first encounter in 2021, and the second one also proved exciting.

Though Oliveira seemed to be en route to a points victory, Chandler almost turned the tables at the end by almost knocking him out before 'Do Bronx' got his back and tried to submit him. Chandler jestingly pulled off a few WWE-esque slams, and they went the distance, with Oliveira winning on the scorecards.

Elsewhere on the card, Jim Miller picked up his 27th UFC win in what was his 45th UFC fight. Apart from Jones' star power, Miocic's MMA farewell, and various other exciting fights, UFC 309's atmosphere was undeniably boosted by the induplicable MSG venue playing host.

---

#2 UFC 303

The UFC 303 event, which transpired at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas, on June 29, 2024, was initially expected to witness the long-awaited MMA comeback of combat sports megastar Conor McGregor. He was to face Michael Chandler in a welterweight bout in the headlining match but was sidelined by a toe injury. In stepped UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira to save the card!

Pereira was busy with seminars and other obligations when he got the offer from the UFC to accept the fight on short notice. His opponent was ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, the same person he'd beaten via second-round TKO in November 2023 to win the belt. 'Poatan' once again bested Prochazka via second-round TKO, even more dominantly, at UFC 303.

Dan Ige famously joined the event on a few hours notice to replace Brian Ortega and went the distance in an amazing clash against Diego Lopes. Ian Machado Garry, Michael 'Venom' Page, Cub Swanson, and others put on great MMA displays.

In addition, veterans like Michelle Waterson-Gomez and ex-UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski featured in their final octagon appearances, closing out their incredible stints in the organization.

In a nutshell, a card that many felt was doomed completely turned around, primarily thanks to the legendary Pereira risking his light heavyweight title on dangerously short notice.

---

#1 UFC 300

The UFC 300 event was held at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas on April 13, 2024. It proved to be an all-time great card. UFC light heavyweight ruler Alex Pereira defended his title by stopping former divisional kingpin Jamahal Hill via first-round KO in the headlining match. It was a short-notice matchup, wherein 'Poatan' not only silenced his foe but also pulled off a Khaby Lame gesture that went viral.

The co-headlining match had UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili deliver a vicious beatdown against her compatriot Yan Xiaonan to defend her title via unanimous decision. That fight was preceded by Max Holloway's buzzer-beating one-punch fifth-round KO, which earned him the BMF belt by dethroning Justin Gaethje in a bloody battle.

The card was full of tremendous matchups and performances -- with Arman Tsarukyan edging past Charles Oliveira, Jiri Prochazka outlasting Aleksandar Rakic in a wild brawl, Aljamain Sterling solidifying himself at featherweight, and more. Furthermore, it also saw legendary Judoka and veteran MMA fighter Kayla Harrison's UFC debut, wherein she submitted ex-bantamweight ruler Holly Holm.

The UFC 300 card's star power, with multiple former champions on the card, Harrison's long-awaited octagon debut, Pereira's thunderous KO win, and other elements made the UFC's tricentennial numbered PPV the best of 2024.