As 2025 shortly approaches its finish, it is time to title some award winners from the final calendar yr. Web sites, analysts, followers, and fighters make their picks recognized, and former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad listed his picks in key classes.
Knockout of the 12 months
2025 noticed some vicious knockout finishes contained in the octagon. There have been one-hitter-quitters, head kicks, spinning elbows. There have been knockouts in each conceivable approach, however for Muhammad one stood above the remainder.
“First up, we’ll speak about Knockout of the 12 months. My choose, I am going with Diego Lopes in opposition to Jean Silva. Spinning elbow. It was a warfare. He obtained rocked,” Muhammad stated on his YouTube channel. “Man, anytime Diego is in a combat, anytime he is within the cage it is simply nothing however chaos. It is both he is getting hit or he is hitting.”
“Jean Silva went into that combat extremely popular. Assured if he would have gained that combat, he would have gotten a title shot. And I believe the best way Diego gained that combat with the thrill, the group loves him, I believe that knockout earned him a title shot.”
Submission of the 12 months
Knockouts are nice, however forcing an opponent to give up by way of submission is equally satisfying. There have been loads of submission finishes to select from and Muhammad settled on one from UFC 320.
Submission of the 12 months, I believe I’ll go totally different, proper? Everyone’s going to go together with the Jean Silva in opposition to Bryce Mitchell, however I’ll go together with Youssef Zalal subbing [Josh] Emmett who’s been within the recreation a very long time, been on the high, fought for the belt, and obtained him with an armbar within the first spherical is loopy,” Muhammad stated.
“You do not actually see armbars anymore within the UFC. So, you get him to do it in opposition to a man like Emmett, you get my award.”
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Fighter of the 12 months
There’s often a consensus on the subject of who’s awarded Fighter of the 12 months, and 2025 was no totally different. Muhammad went with who most individuals picked, Merab Dvalishvili.
“Fighter of the 12 months, I imply, you may’t deny Merab, proper? To have 4 title fights, 4 title matches in a yr is loopy. For him to need to attempt for greatness, attempt for historical past, you may’t be mad at him,” Muhammad stated. “The schedule was loopy. The hardest guys within the division. I am nonetheless going to provide it to Merab.”
“Islam [Makhachev] obtained double-champ standing, Poatan (Alex Pereira) obtained his belt again. However I assumed Merab, you may’t deny the schedule, man. That was a loopy schedule. I believe I’ll give it to him (Dvalishvili). I believe he nonetheless earned it.”
