Welcome to MMAmania’s 2025 Mid-Year Awards! Can you believe 2025 is already half done?
With six months of jaw-dropping action behind us, it’s time to celebrate the fighters, fights, and moments that have lit up the MMA world. From stunning upsets and bone-crunching knockouts to rising stars and masterful submissions, 2025 has delivered some good highlights.
Let’s dive into the best fight of the year so far.
Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images
Brandon Royval vs. Joshua Van
UFC 317
June 28, 2025
It just happened so it could be a little bit of recency bias but this fight ruled. Brandon Royval and Josh Van beat the crap out of each other for three rounds and the stakes attached were big because it was a Flyweight title eliminator.
Could Royval have used his superior grappling to secure a win? Sure but he didn’t to stand and bang with the Flyweight prospect and we all enjoyed it.
Here are a few honorable mentions:
Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov
The first UFC title fight to take place in 2025 was awesome and it was ultra competitive. Umar Nurmagomedov won the first two rounds in the UFC 311 co-main event but then Merab Dvalishvili rallied back to win the final three to secure the win and defend his Bantamweight title.
The pace between the two was relentless and fans felt it.
Sadykhov vs. Motta
Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta only lasted two rounds at UFC Baku but it was awesome and extremely violent.
Motta looked like he was on his way to upset the heavy favorite, blasting him with body shots and big combo, however, Sadykhov weathered the storm and eventually knocked Motta out with a devastating right hook.
Both Lightweights were awarded $100k for their two round war and Motta was sent to the hospital (he broke his jaw).
Hill vs. Prochazka
Jiri Prochazka has been must watch television for his entire UFC career and he continued to show why in his most recent fight against Jamahal Hill, as he went to war for three rounds until he finally knocked “Sweet Dreams” out in the third round.
Both men got battered and hurt each other several times throughout the fight, which made it an edge of your seat type fight.
Muhammad vs. Maddalena
No one on planet Earth thought the UFC 315 main event would end up being a very fun fight. No one. But Belal Muhammad, to his detriment, chose to stand and bang with Jack Della Maddalena, and it was a banger. (Belal didn’t have “Canelo hands”).
Are any of these fights the best of the year? Let us know below!
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
