Islam Makhachev, UFC 302 official weigh-in Credit score: Dylan Napoleone/Cageside Press
Our 2024 Submission of the Yr award got here all the way down to a two-horse race, one which highlighted effort and end result as a lot as sheer technical talent. So, no buggy chokes (sorry to Cage Warrior’s Mitchell Goode) or inverted something. Stevie Ray even landed a “Scottish” Tornado underneath the PFL banner, and didn’t make the lower. Right here’s who did.
Submission of the Yr 2024
Eddie Regulation: Khamzat Chimaev subs Robert Whittaker. A number of good choices within the class, however it’s exhausting to look previous Chimaev breaking all types of enamel and busting the jaw of former UFC middleweight champ Whittaker. Extra importantly reminding everybody why you’d be clever to assume twice earlier than accepting a bout towards “Borz.”
Jay Anderson: Khamzat Chimaev’s jaw-crushing submission of Robert Whittaker. “Borz” in some way made himself even scarier along with his face-crank on the previous middleweight champ.
Gabriel Gonzalez: Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier. The complete struggle was simply chic with an outstanding effort from a grizzled veteran in Poirier and a superb efficiency by a dominant drive in Makhachev. However Makhachev demonstrated why he’s the person of the second, besting the problem of Poirier on the toes and on the bottom and ending the struggle off with a vicious submission to cease a fighter recognized for having no give up in him with a brutal d’arce.
Bryson Hester: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker. Fairly simple decide for sub of the 12 months as Khamzat Chimaev shocked actually everybody with simply how simply he put Robert Whittaker away. The choke/face crank was nasty, the harm mentioned submission did to Whittaker’s jaw was much more graphic. What a end, what a press release by Chimaev.
Patrick McCorry: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier. The ankle decide, into the d’arce choke, simply lovely.
Cade Morehouse: Submission of the 12 months is Islam Makhachev over Dustin Poirier. The magnitude of that struggle was large and for Dustin to exit on his defend and provides Islam that type of a struggle was loopy. Not solely did Islam need to undergo adversity however he discovered a strategy to show why he’s the champion and completed the struggle so as to add yet one more nice title to his resume.
Brett Cagle: Dricus Du Plessis Submits Israel Adesanya by way of Face Crank. Though this wasn’t essentially the most technical or loopy submission we noticed in 2024 it could have been essentially the most impactful. South African champion Dricus Du Plessis captured gold with a extremely disputed choice win over Sean Strickland. Submitting an all-time nice like Israel Adesanya solidified his standing as a reputable champion within the eyes of many.
Mathis Desjardins: Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier [UFC 302]. The context round this struggle is what makes this my submission of the 12 months. It was broadly thought to be Poirier’s final likelihood at an undisputed title, and he got here in as a large underdog. This struggle was anticipated to appear like the primary spherical did, however Poirier pressured Makhachev to go deep into his bag of tips to drag off that D’arce choke within the fifth spherical.
Finish Consequence: Khamzat Chimaev obtained three votes, however Islam Makhachev simply edged him with another. Light-weight champ Makhachev will get our 2024 Submission of the Yr award because of this!
