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The UFC represents the pinnacle of MMA. Thus, fans flock to the promotion and its events for a glimpse of high-level martial arts and the entertainment it produces. Knockouts and submissions have always drawn astonishment from viewers, but so have thrilling wars between fighters.
2024 had no shortage of such clashes, where two mixed martial artists locked horns in a heavily contested bout defined by momentum swings and violence. Sometimes, it occurred in championship fights, and in other cases, it took place between fighters still making their climb to divisional relevance.
However, which of these occasions, where fighters had the best fights, stand above the rest in 2024?
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#5. Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai, UFC 308
Myktybek Orolbai entered 2024 with a small measure of hype, partly due to his win streak and largely due to the prehistoric memes the MMA fandom had made of him. However, at UFC 308, he had a chance to truly enthrone himself as a high-potential prospect at lightweight and extend his eight-fight rampage.
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To do so, he had to beat Mateusz Rębecki, who was looking to bounce back from a crushing TKO loss to Diego Ferreira. Once the lightweights met, it was war. Round one saw them trade on the feet, with Rębecki's blows causing Orolbai's right eye to swell to balloon-like proportions.
Check out Mateusz Rębecki vs. Myktybek Orolbai:
Round two, though, saw a momentum shift, with Orolbai giving as good as he got on the feet, before taking Rębecki down and butchering him with ground-and-pound. Rębecki survived, and the war continued into round three, where he sealed a split-decision win by scoring a decisive knockdown.
#4. Dan Hooker vs. Mateusz Gamrot, UFC 305
UFC 305 should have been a showcase for Mateusz Gamrot, who has often been pegged as a future lightweight champion. Dan Hooker, meanwhile, is a reliable fighter but has never broken into the class of true lightweight elites. So, when both men clashed, Gamrot was expected to win, even against a rejuvenated Hooker.
Gamrot found success early with his striking, bruising Hooker's face before dragging the fight to the mat with a takedown. Hooker, though, forced a standup. Unfortunately, he was again taken down, where Gamrot battered and bloodied him with ground and pound.
Check out the last moments of round one for Dan Hooker vs. Mateusz Gamrot:
However, as Hooker forced another standup, he rocked Gamrot badly as round one ended. Round two saw two approaches, Gamrot chasing takedowns and Hooker stinging him on the feet, a trend that continued in round three, with Hooker upping the aggression en route to a hard-fought split-decision win in a massive upset.
#3. Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland, UFC 297
The promotion's pay-per-view run in 2024 began with UFC 297, where Dricus du Plessis challenged Sean Strickland for the middleweight belt in the main event. It was not an easy bout for either man, it was a hotly-contested battle that saw both fighters go blow-for-blow across five rounds.
Strickland's jab was a battering ram throughout, causing both of du Plessis' eyes to nearly swell shut. Meanwhile, the South African phenom stormed forward, launching bombs with every punch, bloodying Strickland in the process. As the more well-rounded fighter, du Plessis mixed in some takedowns as well.
Check out the Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland highlights:
Strickland, though, proved difficult to pin down, and the fight devolved into an entertaining slugfest, with the two of them fighting to the bitter end. After 25 minutes, du Plessis' hand was raised as the winner via split decision in one of the year's greatest fights.
#2. Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., UFC 307
The very fact that Khalil Rountree Jr. got a title shot at UFC 307 did not sit well with some in the combat sports community, and with good reason. Rountree was coming off a positive PED test, hadn't beaten anyone noteworthy in the top 10, and wasn't even a top-five fighter.
Rountree Jr. was on a five-fight win streak, but his best win was over Anthony Smith, of all people. Few expected him to pose much of a challenge to Alex Pereira. Yet, when the fight took place, Rountree's speed, skill, and power were on full display. Pereira struggled to get his timing off, and Rountree had moments of brilliance.
Check out the finish for Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree:
Rountree even scored a flash knockdown in a stunning scene. Unfortunately, he couldn't maintain his pace. Worse still, Pereira had made his reads and began picking him apart, destabilizing his stance with low kicks, pulverizing his body, and sniping him with jabs.
Before long, Rountree was wilting and battered. His face was carved open and his eyes swollen. Pereira smelled blood and pounced, decimating him against the fence before melting him with body shots and uppercuts for a hard-fought TKO win to defend the light heavyweight title.
#1. Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje, UFC 300
Ahead of UFC 300, Max Holloway was on a joy run after knocking out Chan Sung Jung a year prior. His next bout, though, would be far more dangerous, as he took on then 'BMF' champion Justin Gaethje. Moreover, it was 'Blessed's' return to lightweight, where he looked small and outgunned prior.
However, this time would be different, and it was. Holloway used his sharp movement well, causing Gaethje to swing with reckless abandon. However, the pressure and aggression remained issues. Holloway, though, was quick to catch Gaethje's habit of dipping low to avoid counters to his wild haymakers.
Check out the final moments of Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje:
Thus, Holloway intercepted a level change with a spinning back-kick that shattered Gaethje's nose. Still, the fight remained an even contest throughout, with 'The Highlight' even scoring an arguable knockdown. As the fight wound down, 10 seconds remained.
Holloway waved Gaethje over to the center of the octagon, pointed to the ground, and both men engaged in a wild pocket boxing exchange. Amid the maelstrom of fists, Holloway blasted Gaethje with a seismic right hand that knocked him out cold with just one-second remaining, and it was one of the greatest finishes of 2024.
