Merry Christmas everyone! As the year winds down and the UFC layoff continues, it’s a perfect time to look back over the most eventful moments of 2025. In this case, we’re talking big picture. Top-to-bottom,
what were the best and most memorable fight cards of the year? I always have trouble with this one and really have to look back over the list, but the priority here is great fun on the “Prelims,” some cool finishes throughout, and a high-profile (ideally title) fight that lives up to expectations.
Let’s check out 2025’s “Events of the Year.”
5. UFC Qatar
I wanted to include at least one “Fight Night” event, and maybe it’s just recency bias speaking, but I found UFC Qatar to be great fun.
In the main event, Arman Tsarukyan lived up to the hype and smashed Dan Hooker to bits. It was predictable, sure, but quite violent and fun to watch as Tsarukyan proved himself one of the division’s finest. Ian Machado Garry vs. Belal Muhammad in the co-main was the low point of the main card, and it was still a pretty decent scrap with relevant title implications.
The rest of the card was all finishes. Volkan Oezdemir, Mytybek Orolbai, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta each flattened their opponent in the very first round. Kyoji Horiguchi returned in tremendous fashion. There were some fun moments on the undercard too, like Luke Riley’s debut KO victory or Asu Almabayev’s comeback guillotine over Alex Perez.
9 finishes out of 14 fights overall is nothing to scoff at!
4. UFC 319
The knock against UFC 319 is the main event. Khamzat Chimaev laid an egg versus Dricus Du Plessis despite winning dominantly. It was an extremely conservative (read: boring) victory even if the “Borz” rise as a whole has been must-watch entertainment.
How can you argue with back-to-back spinning elbows though? Both Lerone Murphy and Carlos Prates scored two of the year’s best KOs consecutively. Michael Page jumping up to Middleweight and shocking Jared Cannoner was pretty neat in its own right, and Tim Elliott scored a major upset win via guillotine over Kai Asakura.
That’s a fun main card! On the “Prelims,” the highlights include a quick Michael Oleksiejczyk KO, the continued resurgence of Alexander Hernandez at the expense of Chase Hooper, and Joseph Morales’ TUF-winning triangle choke.
3. UFC 311
Two title fights up top and both were pretty badass? Now we’re heating up.
In the UFC 311 main event, Islam Makhachev dispatched Renato Moicano in short fashion via d’arce choke. If Arman Tsarukyan had actually made this fight rather than pull out, perhaps this is card of the year? As it stands, it’s still fun to watch a divisional GOAT handle somebody who isn’t quite at his level.
As for the co-main event, was Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov the best title fight of the year? I would say so (spoiler for a future article!). Those two went to absolute war for 25 minutes in one of the most high level fights of 2025, and Dvalishvili earned his upset win and respect as a divisional GOAT candidate in his own right. It was awesome!
The good stuff doesn’t end up top either. Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill was a spectacular Light Heavyweight collision, par for the excellent course in regards to “BJP” bouts. Rounding out the main card, Jailton Almeida threw punches for the first time in his career to knock out Serghei Spivac, and Reinier de Ridder made quick work of Kevin Holland.
As for the “Prelims,” the big story was Payton Talbott’s fraud check at the hands of Raoni Barcelos. Wait … breaking news. Talbott still turned out to be really damn good in 2025? Barcelos is just an excellent veteran who took advantage of a young prospect’s inexperience? That can’t be right. It’s impossible!
2. UFC 320
It’s been decades since UFC events had their own specific tagline, but “Return of the King” feels like an appropriate one here.
Alex Pereira made a statement in the main event, knocking Magomed Ankalaev senseless in just 80 seconds. He beat the Russian champion so badly that absolutely nobody is asking for an immediate rematch. The score is technically tied, and Pereira won anyway! That’s the value of aura, and it was truly a jaw-dropping moment to witness live.
This take may be divisive, but I found Merab vs. Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event to be an outstanding fight. Sandhagen brought really interesting answers to the Dvalishvili puzzle, and they were working well until Dvalishvili bombed him and nearly secured a knockout. After the near finish, Sandhagen was game and savvy enough to stay in the fight, but he was rendered reactive.
Outside of the title fights, Jiri Prochazka did it again, starching Khalil Rountree in a wild third round rally. Putting Jiri on a card greatly increases the odds that it will be a memorable evening! Youssef Zalal scored a quick, slick armbar over Josh Emmett, and Joe Pyfer proved he’s still a Middleweight to watch by submitting Abus Magomedov.
There were some good finishes on the undercard as well, including a killer duel of Featherweight prospects Daniel Santos vs. Joo Sang Yoo.
1. UFC 317
On June 28, two title fights produced two dominant finishes.
Atop the card, Ilia Topuria completed his ascension to double champ status by mopping the floor with Charles Oliveira. A lot of people predicted Topuria to win and a lot of folks expected the knockout, but I don’t think many expected it to look so effortless. The Spanish boxer was not troubled by Oliveira’s strength or reach, shucking off his takedown attempts easily before turning off the lights with a thunderous combination.
Alexandre Pantoja secured the fourth — and likely final, given the current circumstances — defense of his Flyweight title at the expense of Kai Kara-France. This was a remarkably impressive showing from the Brazilian, who chased down the vaunted puncher with combinations, kicks, and slick takedowns. He ran over “KKF,” exposing his back repeatedly before the round three strangle.
Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval definitely helped elevate this card to classic status in an instant classic brawl that broke punch count records. Both Beneil Dariush vs. Moicano and Talbott vs. Felipe Lima went the distance, but they were high-level and competitive bouts nevertheless.
Earlier in the evening, Gregory Rodrigues and Jose Delgado scored outrageous knockout wins in consecutive fights.
Best Submissions 2025 | Best KOs 2025 | Best Fights 2025 | Best Fighters 2025 | Best Events 2025
