Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev surprisingly absent on UFC's biggest merch sellers for 2024 list (but the top name is no surprise)

The UFC recently published its top five merch sellers for 2024, however, superstars like Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev were not on the list. MMA fans may have differing perspectives on the list, but everyone agrees on the fighter who topped the charts this year.

UFC had a successful 2024, as fans were treated to some intriguing and exciting bouts throughout 14 pay-per-view events this year. This year, the promotion saw some fighters reach remarkable success.

Some of them reaffirmed their dominance in their respective divisions, while others created havoc to cement their place as top contenders.

The merchandise sales also went through the roof as UFC recently released its top five list on its website. No. 5 on the list is Jon Jones, who is widely regarded as the greatest of all time. Jones captured the vacant heavyweight title by defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 and successfully defended by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 last month.

Just above Jones, in the fourth spot, is Sean O'Malley, who headlined the historic Noche UFC 306, losing his bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili. Dustin Poirier holds the No. 3 position. Despite being a fan favorite, Poirier was unsuccessful in his title challenge at UFC 302, losing to Makhachev via fifth-round submission.

Former champion Max Holloway took the No. 2 place. Holloway competed at the landmark UFC 300 event, where he knocked out Justin Gaethje with a vicious right hand in the dying seconds of the final round.

And the fighter who tops the list is none other than Alex Pereira, who headlined three PPV events this year, defending his light heavyweight title in each of them via knockout. This resulted in him winning the Fighter of the Year award.

---

John Kavanagh reacts to Conor McGregor training for potential UFC return

Conor McGregor is anticipated to make his UFC comeback next year and has begun preparations. McGregor recently took to social media to share a video of himself practicing ground-and-pound on a big bag.

McGregor's coach John Kavanagh took to the comment section and quoted the great Muhammad Ali, writing:

''The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights"

Check out the post below:

Screenshot of John Kavanagh's comment on Conor McGregor's Instagram post