The year is in half the way, and more than half of the 11 championships of the UFC have already changed. So far, the 2025 has proved to be a fertile time for the emergence of the new champion and the disappearance of the old champs.
How strange is it? The three champions who surrendered the title did not lose them inside the cage. Islam Makhachev Was declared in May Empty Lightweight Championship To reach Welterweight, where UFC promised him a title shot. Ilya topsisWho had already agreed Get empty with wings In February, Makhachev’s old 155-pound lease won a week ago at UFC 317 a week ago. A third belt vacated In heavyweight, where John jones Retired and promoted UFC Tom aspinol From interim to full champion – to lay a glove on a rival without him.
Beyond the gold and leather version of music chairs, UFC has seen some great performances inside the octagon and memorable moments that promise great quarrels further. Brett Omkoto and Jeff Wagenheim have so far broken ESPN’s choice for 2025 highlights.
Note the editor: ESPN voted a 13 -member panel of voters for these awards.
Best event: UFC 317
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Terence McCini wins through submission in just 55 seconds
Terence McCini took Viasslav Borshev down and forced him to present only 55 seconds in the first round.
The UFC 317 was titled by one of the most prestigious performances in the UFC history.
UFC’s International Battle Week Card was strong From the beginning to the end, but the pay-per-view event will be remembered for many years for its main program. Topapuria became the first two-world champion of the UFC with a undefined record, and he did it vigorously by taking out former champions and fan favorite Charles Olivira,
That single performance made the UFC 317 a clear leader for Midyear’s best program, but the rest of the card also lifted weight. Men’s flyweight champion Alexandre pantoja Added to your future hall of fame records with a title defense Kai Kara-France Through submission. Joshua Van Cement to see himself in a boxing as a fighter Brandon roywal December may come for a December fight. Petan talbot Received as one of the most promising possibilities of the game. And prelims kept the energy elevated, with three first round finish and four early stops in six matches. – Omkoto
Midier’s Battle: Brandon Royal vs. Joshua Van UFC 317
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Joshua Van, Brandon Royval placed it in Epic Finnish
Joshua vans and Brandon Royval took anger at each other to end their match, the van unanimously decided.
In the week leading to UFC 317 on 28 June, the van was not found anywhere Divisional ranking of ESPN And was scrapping the bottom of the UFC’s top 15 rankings. Since a short time, the van has reached the top of the ladder, with just one ruging below the champion Pantza, which the van will challenge in its next battle. What inspired meteorite growth? it Historical fight.
The van was a late replacement, which was then brought to face. 2 contenders royaval. The 23 -year -old was coming from a third round knockout Bruno Silva Three weeks ago in UFC 316, but the next title opportunity to get a shot, whether they should defeat royaval, it was great to pass the van. And both fighters competed as if a title was already on the line.
It was toe all over the way, and the van was particularly accurate with its attacks, descending from 204 of its 305 important strike efforts (66%). Royval is associated with 215, which is forming 419 of his combined total-three-round UFC in the battle and the third highest in any battle within the octagon. The van unanimously decided that it was impossible to match an all-action fight. – Vagenheem
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Merb prevents Sean O’Mali in major fashion to maintain dvalishvili belt
Merab Dvalishvili UFC celebrates Sean O’Mali after a big win over Mali to retain the title in 316.
Dvalishvili and Topuria ended at a deadlock at the top of this category, each earned 46.2% of the vote. This is surprising, even seeing two fighters of the Georgian dynasty, they are good friends. Finally, Dvalishvili earned a slight hue from ESPN due to its two title rescue in six months compared with one of Topuria. Dvalishvili handed over Omar Nurmagomedov The first loss of his 10 -year -old supporter career UFC at 311 In January, which is an important achievement in itself. He won with victory, Dvalishvili’s major performance In a rematch against Sean o’Mali At UFC 316 in June, it is raised at number 3 ESPN’s pound-for-pound ranking,
Dvalishvili is already waiting for a date against the year to protect its third title Corey SandhagenAnd Topapuria is probably located for a high-profile title defense before the end of the year. If we are right for this debate in December in December, we are not surprised. – Omkoto
Midyear’s female fighter: Kayla Harrison
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Kayla Harrison presented Juliana Pena to become the new UFC Banomweight Champion
Kayla Harrison tapped Juliana Pena to become the new female Bandvet champion in Round 2 in UFC 316.
Harrison is a UFC championAnd it was a long time coming – just the UFC did not have a long time.
Both 2012 and 2016, an Olympic gold medalist in Judo, Harrison, started MMA with PFL in 2018 and won two championships in their first two years. A UFC Stent was ahead in the list of its goals, and last year he finally made it in Ashtakona. The two major wins placed her in line for a shot in the women’s Banomvet title.
Harrison was a heavy favorite Above Juliana Pena Last month in UFC 316, and he quickly showed why. On his way to achieve the first round of Kimura submission, Harrison dropped Pena out of 30–9 in significant attacks. Cherry at the top of his victory was enticing the retired former champion Amanda nuns MMA has to face a cage to establish one of the biggest quarrels in history. It keeps getting better for only 19-1 Harrison. – Vagenheem
Breakout Fighter: Joshua Van
Where does a single start? What is the most effective about van? That he earned a title shot at the age of 23? Their desire to accept the risk of two quarrels at the highest level and two weight cuts at the highest level within 21 days?
The van is making history with these demonstrations. He is the only fighter in UFC history, which descends for 100 or more attacks in six of its first nine appearances. And did we already mention … He is only 23 years old.
He is doing all this in a division that has been ignored historically and notorious. This has been done earlier, but it is not easy to make waves at 125 pounds. Champion, Pantoza has done a big job of giving memorable performance in men’s flyweight. Brandon Moreno The first Mexican -born UFC attracted attention to his success as the champion. Demetrius “Mite Mouse” JohnsonOf course, gold is the standard of gold for MMA flyweight. However, it took years to build their mainstream appeal by all those fighters. The van is becoming a domestic name from anywhere. Unexpectedly, this vote was unanimous for mider’s breakout fighter. – Omkoto
Best ko: Maurisio RafiSpinning wheel kick against King Green UFC at 313
Midyear’s most resulting knockout has been seen by fans of the last one battle: one or two from Topapuria have won one or two starching of Olivera to win the lightweight championship. This is particularly impressive when kept in terms of Topapuria’s recent career: This was his third straight KO, which estimates other victims. Alexander Volkanovski And former champion Max Holowe17–0 Spaniad is a huge killer whose profile in the game has become huge.
But if we are talking Best The knockout, the setting in which this happened and aesthetics should be factor, and thus no one has finished in 2025, which has been more breathtaking and unpredictable than Rafi’s spinning wheel kicks to collapse green. Competition on UFC 313 card titled two of the Human Highlight Reel of Promotion, Rafi raised both Alex Perera And Justin Gethje Green with its first round finish. There is a way for Rafi, such as his fighting teammates, declared their arrival as a light as a light.
With KO of Topapuria, Malcolm Valmaker’s knockout Chris Muthinho On 14 June, three first positions were also finished from Atlanta to UFC Fight Night. In Round 1, the explosive right hook of the Valmaker’s explosive right hook requires simply appreciation. – Vagenheem
Best Submission: Gene silvaNinja choke against Bryas michelle UFC at 314
It was an image that was with you for some time. Silva went to UFC 314 as a man on a mission. The entire performance was electric, as Silva dropped its prey down, closed Mitchell’s attempts to reach the mat, and eventually buried Mitchell with Ninja Chok. Michelle tapped, but the choke was so tight that the lights clearly went out of the back of her eyes before the referee intervened.
This year Fighting Nard has been on a complete tear, but the Silva group may be the most vigorous. He does everything with passion, including Patent “bark” festiveHe has a big opportunity to reach another level in the second half, as he will headline Noche UFC with another action-pack wing on 13 September, Diego Lopes, – Omkoto
Best Moments: Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nuns faces UFC 316
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Amanda Nuns, Kayla Harrison faced after the Harrison Vince belt
Kayla Harrison defeated Juliana Pena and called Amanda Nuns, who is returning to Asht Kone.
We are clearly in the era of postfight in-kese faceoffs. There was no one for years before two PPVs in June, combined for three in-octagon steps-down. UFC 317 welcomed Pentaja to its next challenger, van after a co-essential incident, and Topapuria was going by nose with nose Paddy Pambal After winning light titles in the main event.
But none of those people made cold, which Herrison and Nuns did in the first month.
Her faceoffs came immediately after Harrison won the UFC Women’s Banomweight Championship. Nuns, the greatest fighter woman MMA has ever seen, came to Ashtakon and bowed to Harrison, who said mutually said. Both women shook hands and hugged before addressing the crowd.
“I think we knew that it was going to happen,” said Harrison. “I have a belt, he has a legacy. Let’s put it on the table.”
It was refreshed that no Phony Beef was running a story among the colleagues of these ontime teams in the American top team. His story is that when Nuns and Harrison fight, they will determine who is the best fighter in the female MMA. Set a date, UFC. – Vagenheem
Obviously, a talented 26-year-old such as the expectation of a Talbot is expected-but you cannot expect him to do it as fast as he is. Talbot started 2025 with a major loss Runi barslos In a battle in UFC 311, he entered as 11 -to -1 favorite. The biggest issue of Talbot in that damage was defensive wrestling. He gave eight techdowns and about 10 minutes control time.
It is a large hole to address, but Talbot fixed it in less than six months. Their performance against Felip Lima The UFC 317 was so composed and scored well that it immediately returned to the Talbot that he entered this year. It is clear that Talbot has raw talent. What we saw in UFC 317 was the progress of everything needed to compete at the top of the men’s Bantamweight Division: a full skill set, the ability to bounce back from maturity and loss. Once left, it is not easy to restore the promotion, but Talbot did and then something. – Omkoto
