A new year is here, and that means it’s time for Combat Press to take a look back at the best of MMA in 2025. In the coming days, Combat Press will announce its award winners in multiple categories, covering everything from the action in the cage to the biggest stories surrounding the sport.
Mixed martial arts is an individual sport when the cage closes and the bell rings, but getting to that point takes a team. In 2025, one team stood out above all the rest and that is Eagles MMA, headed by all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The team entered the year with Islam Makhachev as lightweight champion and they ended the year with Makhachev as welterweight champion, and Usman Nurmagomedov as the first non-tournament champion of the PFL. It is more than the two champions that call this team home, as Umar Nurmagomedov is also a staple of the gym. Umar suffered his first career loss to open the year, but, as a sign of an outstanding pupil with great coaches, he didn’t let that stop him from rebounding and bouncing back. His second fight of the year showed his elite resolve, and he earned a unanimous decision win over a dangerous contender in Mario Bautista at UFC 321 to remain in contention for another crack at gold.
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Had it not been for a positive drug test, the team would have also been able to add Movlid Khaybulaev to its stable of champions. The Russian fighter won the 2025 PFL featherweight tournament, but he was stripped of that honor when he popped positive for performance enhancers. The team of fighters seems to show consistent improvements and lead the way showing how effective wrestling can be as the cornerstone of mixed martial arts. Their many accolades and successes earn them the 2025 Combat Press MMA Award for Team of the Year.
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