Daniel Cormier: 'Ilia Topuria is the Fighter of the Year'

10/29/2024 07:10 AM

With just over two months left in 2024, the 'Fighter of the Year' debate has begun to heat up.  The list is short, consisting of two fighters: light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and featherweight titleholder Ilia Topuria.  

Pereira fought three times this year, taking out former champions Jamahal Hill an Jiri Prochazka by knockout and defeated the tough as nails Khalil Rountree Jr.  Topuria fought twice.  

Topuria knocked out longtime titleholder Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February to capture the 145-pound championship.  In his first title defense at UFC 308, he became the first fighter to knockout former champion Max Holloway.  Topuria toppled the division's legends and most durable fighters in back-to-back fights.    

Taking into consideration the gravity of what Topuria has been able to do this year, former two division champion Daniel Cormier believes "El Matador" should be the '2024 Fighter of the Year.'  

"The 'Fighter of the Year' conversation felt like it was over.  Alex Pereira was the guy that was 'Fighter of the Year,' no questions asked," Cormier said on his YouTube channel.  "That's not the case.  I think that these two wins singularly are as good as any two wins anybody can have."

"He just beat the two best fighters of the generation prior, but they're still in this generation because they're both very, very young," Cormier continued.  "He just beat two of the greatest featherweights of all time.  There's only three.  He beat two of them in a calendar year.  

"Ilia Topuria is the 'Fighter of the Year.'  He is the 'Fighter of the Year.' And in my opinion, there are no questions to be asked."