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.
This year there were a few standout fighters who amassed impressive years. Joshua Van, Ilia Topuria, and Merab Dvalishvili all put together memorable campaigns in 2025. However, there was one man whose year was notably greater than anyone else on the UFC roster.
Islam Makhachev fought twice in 2025, and he was nothing short of dominant. He began the year with a bang by taking out Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in just over four minutes. Moicano is a dangerous opponent at any time, but perhaps even more so on short notice. The unpredictable nature of his game has given many elite fighters problems, but Makhachev made short work of the Brazilian contender. He faced almost no resistance against a fighter who has wins over opponents like Benoit Saint-Denis and Jalin Turner. With nothing to lose by taking the fight on a day’s notice, it was a no-lose situation for Moicano, and, yet, Makhachev was so dominant that he left Moicano wondering after the fight if it was ever possible to beat the champion.
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Clearing out the lightweight division wasn’t enough for Makhachev in 2025. He decided to move up to welterweight and try to become a two-division champion. Many fans and pundits thought the 15-pound jump would prove too much for the Dagestani standout, as he faced a robustly talented fighter in Jack Della Maddalena. This would not be the case. From start to finish, Makhachev dominated the action and made JDM look pedestrian. He started the year as the lightweight champion and ended as welterweight champion, which earns Islam Makhachev the 2025 Combat Press MMA Award for Male Fighter of the Year.
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