The UFC has put on some amazing fights this year. Even when the pandemic brought most sports to a standstill, Dana White and his promotion organized successful events while keeping everyone’s safety in mind. The UFC did not leave any stone unturned in making sure that the fans did not miss out on watching their favorite stars.
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The new schedule meant a lot of packed bouts, one after the other. This has been an opportunity like never before and has paved the way for fighters to break out and make themselves known. The most apt example here would be the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland.
As the year draws to a close, the debate about the ‘Fighter Of The Year’ is raging. Ariel Helwani and Daniel Cormier made their picks for the same.
Read: Daniel Cormier and His Career in Commentary
UFC Fighter of the Year- Daniel Cormier and Ariel Helwani make their picks
On the recent episode of ‘DC’ and Helwani, Cormier made a case for his pick for the fighter of the year. “I think Gilbert Burns is in the conversation because of the high level of competition he fought. If Kevin Holland gets past Jack Hermansson, yeah. But here’s the issue, man. Anytime you have guys fighting for the championship, it immediately jumps the guy who is just fighting.”
The former champion continued, “Now, Deiveson Figueiredo, fights and beats Alex Perez… Now you’re looking at guy who is a champion that has fought three times, won the belt, defended the belt. I would like to think there is a world that we live in where a guy like Kevin who is now starting to make his way up the ranks can become the fighter of the year. But I don’t think it’s possible right now.”
There have been several breakout stars this year. However, some have captivated the audience’s attention more than others.
Though it is usually a champion who wins the belt, the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Kevin Holland make a very compelling case for the award if they win their respective fights before the end of this year.
If Kevin Holland gets past Jack Hermansson, he will become only the third person ever to go 5-0 in a calendar year. He is also the first UFC fighter to secure four wins this year. Kevin Holland is also Ariel Helwani’s pick for the fighter of the year.
Who do you think is the fighter of the year? Let us know in the comments below.