It’s that time of the year when everyone names their favorites. But in an interview with Jon Bernard, Aljamain Sterling accidentally called Jamahal Hill the Fighter of the Year, a pick that left everyone scratching his head.
The former bantamweight champion quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself, laughing it off by blaming the rigors of cutting weight.
“I feel like you gotta give it to Jamaha Hill. Jamahl Hill—sh*t, I’m cutting weight. Alex Pereira.”
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The slip-up gained attention, especially since Hill’s 2024 campaign wasn’t particularly standout, making the mix-up all the more puzzling. To Bernard’s credit, the interviewer kept his composure despite the surprising answer, as he’d heard almost unanimous praise for Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria during similar chats with other fighters, including Ciryl Gane and Alexandre Pantoja.
Pereira, after all, had a spectacular year, reclaiming UFC gold, defending it thrice, and solidifying his place as one of the sport’s elite.
However, Sterling’s confusion was due to a lack of carbs in his diet. The UFC community in general has been confused between two fighters who have had spectacular impact on the sport over the last calendar year.
The Heated Fighter of The Year Debate
While Pereira officially claimed the honor, many, including UFC legend Daniel Cormier believe featherweight champion Ilia Topuria deserved the honor due to the caliber of his opponents in 2024.
Pereira’s resume for the year is undeniably impressive, with electrifying knockouts over Jiri Prochazka, Jamahal Hill, and Khalil Rountree. Two out of three of these fighters were also taken on short notice, which allowed the promotion to essentially save face at UFC 300, a milestone PPV.
However, he continued to evade the #1 contender for his title in an otherwise stellar year, making his win a slightly contentious affair.
On the other hand, Topuria’s 2024 campaign marked the rise of a new global star in the company.
He faced two of the greatest featherweight fighters in the history of the featherweight division and dominated them with impunity. Taking out both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in the same year is not an easy feat, especially after the latter’s impressive KO of Justin Gaethje.
Volk, a long-time featherweight champion found himself outclassed completely for the first time in his career against Topuria, while Holloway got knocked out for the first time in his. Topuria’s arrival on the title scene also marks the inception of a new generation of fighters who are far more well-rounded than their predecessors.
Justin Gaethje, Korean Zombie, Dustin Poirier and many more couldn’t do that to Max Holloway.
Calling Ilia Topuria special is an understatementpic.twitter.com/MCCitpc6gx
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) December 20, 2024
They aren’t just wrestlers who can strike a bit or strikers who can hold their own on the ground. These are athletes who have been excelling at both aspects of the game and do not intend to stop anytime soon. For this very reason, the Spaniard makes a legit contender for the Fighter of the Year.
