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<\/a><\/p>\nLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 06: Petr Yan celebrates after defeating Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia by unanimous decision in a bantamweight title bout during UFC 323 at T-Mobile Arena on December 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
Petr Yan\u2019s five-round demolition job of \u201cThe Machine\u201d is the single best performance of the year, bar none. That\u2019s not an article I\u2019m responsible for, but I thought I would throw y\u2019all a freebie!<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, it\u2019s also what carries him onto this list. A clear-cut decision win over the formerly undefeated Marcus McGhee is a nice feather in the \u201cNo Mercy\u201d cap, but this is all about his UFC 323 revenge over Merab. Yan absolutely beat the brakes off an incredibly dominant champion, which is in itself a remarkable accomplishment. What\u2019s so astounding here, however, is how comprehensively Yan defeated Dvalishvili, particularly considering the shoe was very much on the other foot in their first fight. He didn\u2019t just sprawl-and-brawl: Yan pummeled Dvalishvili in the boxing range, the clinch, at distance with liver kicks, and consistently outwrestled him even late in the fight.<\/p>\n
Dethroning Merab is a return to the greatness Yan\u2019s first title reign promised but didn\u2019t live up to. At his best, the Russian is one of the greatest technical talents we\u2019ve ever seen, and it\u2019s a joy to watch \u201cNo Mercy\u201d operate when he\u2019s zoned in. If he can maintain that level into 2026, there are plenty of worthy challenges remaining that could push him to the No. 1 spot.<\/p>\n
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 15: (L-R) Islam Makhachev fights against Jack Della Maddalena of Australia in a welterweight title bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n In a way, Makhachev\u2019s year began with disappointment. The Russian was supposed to rematch Arman Tsarukyan in what would have been a serious challenge to his Lightweight title. Defeating a prime Tsarukyan would have been the best defense of his Lightweight title yet, but a last-second Tsarukyan \u201cback injury\u201d robbed him of the opportunity.<\/p>\n Instead, he easily submitted Renato Moicano inside a round for his fourth Lightweight title defense. It was a great bit of jiu-jitsu, but the win was an unfortunate continuation of the odd trend of Makhachev defending against less-than-ideal competition through no real fault of his own.<\/p>\n There are no such criticisms to be made about Jack Della Maddalena as an opponent. Against a fresh new champion at the height of his powers, Makhachev made it look elementary. He outwrestled \u201cJDM\u201d with absolute ease and shut down the knockout artist\u2019s formidable scrambling game. It wasn\u2019t competitive for more than a handful of seconds, even if the fight was a little slow overall.<\/p>\n It was an effortless rise to double champion status.<\/p>\n Makhachev\u2019s legacy continued to grow massively in 2025, perhaps finally surpassing his mentor Khabib. In terms of accomplishments, Makhachev is undeniably greater than his dear friend and coach, even if he lacks that same unstoppable aura of \u201cThe Eagle.\u201d<\/p>\n LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 06:Joshua Van of Myanmar reacts to his TKO win in the UFC flyweight championship fight during the UFC 323 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 06, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n In the span of 12 months, Van rose from unranked Flyweight prospect to UFC champion. Taking advantage of that youthful energy, he fought four times and didn\u2019t lose a single time. Were it not for the unfortunate circumstances of his Alexandre Pantoja win, he would be the clear-cut \u201cFighter of the Year.\u201c<\/p>\n What\u2019s really neat here is that Van\u2019s streak actually started strong. He beat Rei Tsuruya \u2014 a previously undefeated 23-year-old wrestling ace \u2014 from pillar-to-post, demonstrating clear improvements to his defensive grappling. Then, he broke into the rankings by smashing up Bruno Silva, a physical and experienced veteran. Van showed the clear difference between decent MMA power punching and true boxing, battering the Brazilian with lovely counters and combinations en route to a third-round knockout win.<\/p>\n The best win of Van\u2019s 2025 was undoubtedly his 15-minute war with Brandon Royval. I wrote extensively about that scrap in the \u201cFights of the Year\u201d article, but the long and short of it is that it was incredibly fun. Van concluded the back-and-forth war with a decisive knockdown, derailing the former title challenger and setting up his own shot at gold.<\/p>\n How much can we really weigh the Pantoja victory? Van walks away champion, and that does mean something. For his confidence and bank account, it means a whole lot. If Van had won by checking a kick and snapping Pantoja\u2019s shin, it would be a more meaningful win, but the fact is that Pantoja successfully kicked Van in the dome and then fell awkwardly. Van\u2019s push\/elevation of the kick affected the fall, but this was not a moment of slick defense creating a finish.<\/p>\n These things happen in MMA. Van still went from unranked to champion, and he enters 2026 with serious momentum behind him on account of a stellar year. Give the man his due!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n