In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the UFC asked its fans which fight they were most grateful for in 2024? While they are yet to announce an official winner, the winner by an overwhelming majority of votes seems to have gone to Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.
2024 has played host to some of the memorable fights in the history of the sport. That statement may contain the risk of being termed a hyperbole but just think about it- Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira knocking out Jamahal Hill after shooing away the referee- incredible! Dustin Poirier nearly getting the undisputed title against Islam Makhachev- GOLD!
But Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway knocking out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 with just one second to the final bell- Perfecto! Nothing compares to the moment that made UFC president Dana White smile at a post PPV presser and say, “I sell Holy Sh*t moments for a living“. UFC’s post is filled with comments like, “Gaethje Holloway the only right answer” and “Gaethje vs holloway is the most mindblown“. Others simply put things into perspective and said, “that fight got everybody pointing at the ground now lmao“.
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Holloway didn’t just put Gaethje away, he put him out of his misery. Challenging for the BMF title, the ‘Blessed’ one was a heavy underdog. Though a fan favorite, everyone expected Gaethje to win the fight and go on to fight Makhachev for the lightweight title. But Holloway had other plans.
He put on a striking masterclass for 5 rounds straight and ensured he was winning on points. But despite having thoroughly outclassed Gaethje, Holloway offered him the chance at a Hail Mary touchdown with 10 seconds to go and asked for a brawl in the middle of the octagon. Gaethje obliged but moments later, got clocked to sleep in an unceremonious fashion.
This moment was so memorable, it became a GIF. Forget being a meme, this is a memory plastered across the brain of everyone who watched it and will be replayed for eons to come!
MAX HOLLOWAY HAS JUST PUT JUSTIN GAETHJE OUTCOLD
HOLY SHITTTT#UFC300 pic.twitter.com/i9aWXIYgvf
— bradley (@cactusbr4d) April 14, 2024
But while it deserved the crown of the best fight of 2024, make no mistake, there are some very strong other candidates out there.
2024: a year of “Holy Sh*t” moments
Pereira vs Khalil Rountree Jr. went to war for 4 rounds, three of which the 8th ranked challenger won against Poatan, only to find himself being running out of gas and being systematically dismantled in the 4th. It was a symphony of violence that had two conductors playing the crowd like a fiddle with each strike.
Two time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison made her debut amidst unending cheers from fans and misogynistic boos from others online. None of it mattered though, as she dragged former champion Holy Holms across the octagon at win and delivered a near perfect performance.
Poirier’s loss to Makhachev broke a million hearts but it is easy to forget that he had been written off a challenger just months before the fight. After being matched with Benoit St-Denis for UFC 299, it appeared that the ‘Diamond’ had been reduced to play the role of a gatekeeper for the division.
But after taking some serious damage in the first round, Poirier snapped back into form and put a beatdown on BSD in a message that emphatically claimed that the old guard was still alive and kicking.
Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, of course, challenged that theory when he became the first man in the history of the promotion to KO Holloway when the two fought at UFC 308!
There are many other candidates that stand out for the best fight of the year, or to be more precise, the fight everyone was grateful for. But at the end of the day, this is a personal call. So make it and let us know in the comments.
