The year 2024 is coming to an end and in simple language, it has been a highly successful year for the world’s largest MMA Promotion, UFC. The 3rd Centurial UFC Card, UFC 300 took place this year which caught the attention worldwide and the promotion also moved to The Sphere to conduct the first and only live sports event at the venue. But as always the things that caught the most attention were the UFC Championship Belts. So let’s take a look at the journey of every UFC Championship Belt.
UFC Flyweight Championship
The Flyweight division saw little to no turbulence in Alexandre Pantoja’s title reign in the UFC. The Brazilian fought twice in 2024 to defend his Championship at UFC 301 and 310 and succeeded both times. He submitted Kai Asakura with a rear naked choke making it 7 wins in organisation on the trot.
UFC Bantamweight Championship
The year started with Sean O’Malley being the Champion of the Bantamweight division. But ended with Merab Dvalishvili holding the Championship Belt after he rag-dolled the American fighter for 5 rounds. But before that ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley defended his belt against Chito Vera who had given him the first loss of his career. Early in 2025, The Georgian Merab Dvalishvili will defend his Bantamweight title for the first time against the still-undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.
UFC Featherweight Championship
The Featherweight division had arguably the most exciting tussles in 2024 with Ilia Topuria making it his own by the end of the year. First, he capped off Alexander Volkanovski’s downfall after knocking out the greatest Featherweight of all time. Then the Spaniard went on to douse Max Holloway becoming the first fighter to KO Max Holloway in MMA via an epic 3rd round Knockout.
UFC Lightweight Championship
The most stacked division of the MMA Promotion surprisingly saw very little activity at the very top with Islam Makhachev who has held onto the belt since 2022 winning the only fight he participated in this year. The Poirier vs Makhachev fight was an epic war that resulted in the Dagestani fighter submitting Dustin Poirier in the last round of the fight with a D’arce Choke. Next up Islam will be fighting Arman Tsarukyan in January next year.
UFC Welterweight Championship
After 2 scintillating fights against Kamaru Usman which gave him the belt, Leon Edwards went up against Colby Covington whom he beat. But he couldn’t hold up his own against Belal “Remember The Name” Muhammad who became the first Palestinian UFC Champion.
UFC Middleweight Division
Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya fought it out for the UFC Championship and the title of the Real African in 2024 with the South African coming on top and becoming the first fighter to submit The Stylebender in MMA. Du Plessis will fight Sean Strickland in their rematch in February.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
2024 was the year of the Light Heavyweight Champion, Alex Pereira. The Brazilian fighter staked a claim in the GOAT debate by defending his UFC title not once, not twice, but thrice in 2024 against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, then Jiri in his rematch and then against Khalil Rountree.
UFC Heavyweight Championship
The Heavyweight division was the only one where the Championship Belt was on the line for less times than the Interim Championship Belt in 2024. With Interim Champ Tom Aspinall defending his title twice in the same year meanwhile, Jon Jones fought against Stipe Miocic in November 2024 and won to retain his championship.
