The UFC 2025 year in review delivered everything combat sports fans crave: comeback stories, dominant champions, shocking upsets, and enough controversy to fuel debate for months. Dave Simon, AJ D’Alesio, and Fred Garcia closed out Ringside Report MMA’s final episode of the year by dissecting who truly earned Fighter of the Year honors, why the early 2026 schedule already has fans concerned, and what Alex Pereira’s 80-second demolition of Magomed Ankalaev means for the sport.
This wasn’t your typical year-end clip show. The crew dove deep into the metrics, the matchups, and the moments that defined a wild twelve months in the octagon. Spoiler alert: they couldn’t agree on a single Fighter of the Year, and that disagreement reveals everything about why 2025 was so damn competitive.
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UFC 2025 Year in Review: The Fighter of the Year Debate
Dave’s Pick: Alex Pereira’s Redemption Story
When Dave Simon announced his Fighter of the Year selection, it came with an emotional weight that transcended statistics. Alex Pereira entered 2025 coming off a decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev, prompting many to wonder whether the 38-year-old’s run was over.
“I thought, he’s 38. That’s probably it,” Dave admitted. “He lost a decision. It was a close fight. But it was like, oh, maybe he’s not quite there. Maybe it’s over.”
Then came October and the rematch that changed everything.
“And then he has the rematch with Ankalaev, and he knocks him out cold in the first round. It’s just like, oh my god, he’s back,” Dave continued. “He’s still that guy.”
The 80-second knockout wasn’t just impressive—it was soul-crushing. AJ painted the picture vividly: “I can still see Ankalaev’s face. It’s like his spirit was taken out. Like the Shama took his spirit. You can almost see it—’I don’t want to do this again.'”
Dave’s reasoning came down to impact over volume: “What Islam did was dominant. What Pereira did was more dominant. It’s cool to win a decision and to out-wrestle a guy for 25 minutes. It’s cooler to finish him in 80 seconds.”
AJ’s Choice: Islam Makhachev’s Double Champion Run
AJ initially leaned toward Merab Dvalishvili before the Georgian lost to Petr Yan. But Islam Makhachev’s decision to move up to welterweight and dominate Jack Della Maddalena for the 170-pound title ultimately won him over.
“When you look at who has been dominant, you can’t deny it, man. Islam is the guy. Double champion came out,” AJ explained. “Islam, I believe, is almost like a given in my opinion right now.”
The Dagestani’s two-weight dominance—beating Renato Moicano and then capturing the welterweight strap—represents the kind of historical achievement that typically defines Fighter of the Year conversations. Yet even AJ acknowledged the Moicano fight wasn’t the most impressive opponent selection.
The Dark Horse: Joshua Van’s Perfect 4-0 Run
Dave made sure Joshua Van received proper recognition in the UFC 2025 year-in-review discussion, and the numbers back him up.
“If you want to talk about volume of victory in 2025, and that led to a championship, you’ve got to talk about Joshua Van,” Dave argued. “He beat Raoni Barcelos, Bruno Silva, Brandon Royval, and Alex Pantoja to win the championship. 4-0 in 2025.”
The key stat that keeps Van in the conversation: “Nobody had a 4-0 record. The only guy on this list who had four fights was Merab, and he went 3-1. Joshua Van went 4-0 and won the belt at the end.”
At just 24 years old, Van’s trajectory mirrors Jon Jones’s early career dominance. The manner of his title victory—Pantoja breaking his own arm—took some shine off the moment, but as AJ noted: “A win is a win, right?”
UFC 2025 Year in Review: Female Fighter of the Year
The women’s division produced a cleaner consensus in the UFC 2025 year-in-review debates. Valentina Shevchenko’s campaign earned unanimous praise from the Ringside Report crew.
“Valentina fought twice, defended the title twice, beat Manon Fiorot and Zhang Weili, and dominated them,” Dave summarized. “To me, she’s my female Fighter of the Year.”
What makes Shevchenko’s year particularly impressive is the comeback narrative. She lost her flyweight title to Alexa Grasso, fought through a trilogy (loss, draw, decision win), and then returned to crushing anyone who challenged her.
“I’m impressed with champions that can lose the belt, take it back, and then just continue dominance,” Dave explained. “And Valentina Shevchenko is doing so at 37 years of age, which is old for an MMA fighter.”
Fred initially suggested Kayla Harrison, citing her star power and her championship win over Julianna Peña. Still, Dave sold him on Shevchenko’s body of work: “You sold me on Valentina, because to come back after losing her title and to still be dominant champion, I might have to change for Valentina myself.”
Mackenzie Dern also earned recognition for her two wins and strawweight title victory over Virna Jandiroba. Still, the hosts ultimately agreed that Shevchenko’s sustained excellence at the highest level edges out all competition.
Fight of the Year: Why 2025 Didn’t Have a Clear Winner
Unlike the Female Fighter of the Year discussion, the Male Fight of the Year discussion revealed 2025’s biggest weakness: no single bout captured the imagination like the sport’s greatest wars. This became a recurring theme throughout the UFC 2025 year-in-review conversation.
“I think Fight of the Year is tough because of all those fights, not a single one really stands out as being that much better than another,” Dave observed. “I don’t think there was a clear-cut Fight of the Year.”
The candidates included:
- Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov — Dave called this “one of the most impressive wins that anybody had this year,” given Umar’s undefeated status and Nurmagomedov’s pedigree
- Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier III — A trilogy fight between two legends that delivered exactly what fans expected
- Jiri Prochazka vs. Jamahal Hill — AJ called it “probably one of the best” for sheer violence and stakes
- Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili — The most recent contender, with Merab fighting through a broken hand and norovirus
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes — Fred’s ChatGPT-researched suggestion that earned mixed reactions
Dave put it in historical perspective: “I remember those of us who are old enough to remember Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua. Like, when those guys had that fight, it was like, well, that’s the Fight of the Year. There’s no way anyone will ever have a better fight than that. It was crazy. But we didn’t have one of those this year.”
2026 Already Looks Concerning
The UFC 2025 year-in-review naturally led to early 2026 discussions, and Dave wasn’t happy with what he saw on the schedule.
“UFC is starting 2026 with some pretty weirdo main events that don’t mean much,” he criticized. “They’re doing Justin Gaethje-Paddy Pimblett UFC 324 for this fake lightweight title. UFC 325 is Volkanovski versus Diego Lopes, when Volkanovski should be fighting a bunch of other people instead of Lopes. And now UFC 326 is being headlined by this BMF title.”
His frustration centered on the sport’s drift from legitimate competition: “I’m not expecting the number four and five in a division fighting for an interim championship. I’m not expecting the number nine and eight in a division fighting for a belt that doesn’t even exist.”
Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira for the BMF title at UFC 326 drew particular criticism. While nobody doubts it’ll be entertaining, the hosts questioned whether “fun fights that’ll make money” should headline pay-per-views over legitimate title fights.
“It’s just the way the UFC is booking early 2026 is very strange, very un-UFC, very unsportsmanlike,” Dave concluded. “It’s not about the sport in 2026. It’s about fun fights that’ll make money—but muddied in all that is who’s actually number one. We’re not finding out. It’s annoying.”
Fred offered a counterpoint on the BMF title: “Instead of having a BMF title, why not just have BMF matches where you’re like, these two guys are fighting for a BMF trophy? It’s not really a title because it doesn’t mean anything, man.”
Breaking News: Former UFC Fighter Alex Garcia Arrested
The show opened with shocking news that caught AJ completely off guard. Former UFC welterweight Alex Garcia, known as “The Dominican Nightmare,” was arrested in Montreal with an astounding amount of contraband.
“They apparently seized five kilos of heroin, 20 liters of GHB, three firearms, two vehicles, 306,000 in cash, and 102 kilos of cocaine,” Dave reported. “And Garcia was arrested in Montreal.”
The news hit close to home for the Ringside Report crew. AJ knew Garcia from the local gym scene, and Fred joked about their shared Dominican heritage: “I don’t think I want to claim him as a cousin no more.”
Dave reflected on his personal interactions: “I’ve met Alex Garcia several times. Always a very nice guy, friendly guy, good fighter, powerful, heavy hands, had some good fights in the UFC.”
The story underscores the financial struggles many fighters face post-career, though Dave was quick to note: “Just because you sell drugs doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: The Crew’s Pre-Fight Take
With Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua happening the night after the show, the hosts weighed in on whether it could be a coronation for boxing traditionalists or the most shocking upset in combat sports history.
“I can’t believe Jake Paul’s fighting this guy tomorrow night,” Dave marveled. “Anthony Joshua was so much bigger than him. And he’s really good at boxing. He’s like real. He’s a real heavyweight championship-level fighter.”
The odds told the story: Anthony Joshua came in at -950, though Fred expected an even wider line.
AJ defended Paul’s credentials despite being the obvious underdog: “He’s 12-1, man. And he’s actually fought pretty well at times. He’s got the balls, dude. He’s done it. When other people were talking, he was walking.”
The consensus? It would either be watching Jake Paul get demolished by a legitimate heavyweight or witnessing something historic. “We’re either going to see Jake Paul get beaten up by Anthony Joshua, or something crazy is going to happen,” Dave summarized. “Either way, it’s fun.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
Despite concerns about early scheduling, the UFC 2025 year-in-review highlighted several fighters to watch as the new year approaches.
Joshua Van, at 24, has a decade of potential dominance ahead of him. Erin Blanchfield, at just 23, could challenge for women’s titles for years. The Dagestani pipeline shows no signs of slowing, with prospects like Umar Nurmagomedov and Hamzat Chimaev continuing to develop.
“There’s gonna be a lot of changeovers in 2026, I think,” AJ predicted. “You should see the new prospects. It’s insane, dude.”
Ringside Report MMA will return January 8th, 2026, with full predictions for the new year. The wrestling show, Wrestling Uncensored, continues Friday nights at 10 PM ET—including December 26th and January 2nd, since those don’t fall on holidays.
Final Verdict on the UFC 2025 Year in Review
What made 2025 special wasn’t one dominant fighter—it was the depth. Alex Pereira’s redemption knockout, Islam Makhachev’s champ-champ run, Joshua Van’s perfect 4-0 march to gold, Valentina Shevchenko’s ageless dominance, and Merab Dvalishvili’s willingness to fight anyone and everyone made for a year when reasonable people could disagree on the best of the best.
That disagreement is healthy. It means the sport is thriving, the talent pool is deep, and there’s no shortage of stories heading into the new year. The UFC 2025 year in review proves one thing above all else: this sport has never been more competitive at the highest level.
Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year from the Ringside Report crew. See you in 2026.
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