Henry Cejudo decided to fuel the Fighter of the Year conversation right after Ilia Topuria’s impressive fight against Holloway, where the Spanish-Georgian fighter defeated the American to retain the Featherweight Championship.
Everyone was stunned by Topuria’s boxing style, which once again earned him a UFC victory—this time against a veteran like Holloway. Cejudo, equally impressed, took to his X account to say that Topuria should be Fighter of the Year over Alex Pereira, who has also had an outstanding year.
It’s worth noting that much of the FOTY (Fighter of the Year) discussion had leaned heavily toward Alex Pereira, especially after his three successful title defenses in 2024 for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Reactions to Cejudo’s support for Topuria were mixed; some agreed with him on giving the award to Topuria, while others argued firmly against it, feeling that with just two fights this year, Topuria hadn’t done enough to claim the title.
When is the Fighter of the Year Award Announced?
The award is typically presented toward the end of the year, with this year’s ceremony expected to occur in December, following the pattern set in 2023 when Leon Edwards and Alexa Grasso received the male and female Fighter of the Year awards, respectively.
Wins for Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria in 2024
According to official stats, Alex Pereira has won three bouts in 2024, defending his title against Jamahal Hill, Jiří Procházka, and most recently, Khalil Rountree Jr. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria remains undefeated since the start of his career, with 2024 wins against two ‘legends’: Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.