UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria have been crowned Male Fighter of the Year in differing opinions. Chael Sonnen gave the nod to Pereira, citing his impressive knockout wins over Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree in six months.
However, former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier disagrees, stating that Topuria’s back-to-back knockouts of divisional greats Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway carry more weight. Cormier praised Pereira for his active year but argued that Topuria’s victories were more significant due to the caliber of opponents he faced.
Topuria, who is undefeated in his UFC career, handed both Volkanovski and Holloway their first knockout losses. Cormier emphasized that these wins came against top-ranked fighters still in their prime, while Pereira’s wins also included a tough victory over ranked seventh contender Khalil Rountree.
Cormier concluded that Topuria’s achievements, particularly his dominance of the featherweight division in just one year, make him the more deserving choice for Male Fighter of the Year.
Source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2024/12/daniel-cormier-chael-sonnen-male-fighter-of-the-year-debate-disagreement