Changing of the guard: Every new UFC champion crowned in 2024
UFC title fights throughout 2024 were filled with dramatic moments, exciting finishes and huge upsets.
Titles changed hands often over the past 12 months, creating a brand new landscape for the majority of the divisions heading into the new year.
Take a look at the names and numbers of the new champions (in order of lightest to heaviest weight class) who enter 2025 with UFC gold around their waist:
Inside the numbers
UFC titles changes seven times during 2024. The record in a single calendar year is 12, which occurred in 2016. Titles changed hands 11 times in 2017 and 2024.
Six out of 11 weight classes across men's and women's divisions crowned a new champion. The UFC record is eight, which occurred in 2016 and 2017.
Two fighters became two-time champions in 2024, matching 2004 and 2023. The record is four, which occurred in 2022.
One fighter began and finished the year as an interim champion. That fighter also recorded an interim title defense.
One fighter became champion and lost the title in 2024.
Three fighters attempted to defend their newly acquired title: Ilia Topuria retained the featherweight title by knocking out Max Holloway, Dricus Du Plessis retained the middleweight title by submitting Israel Adesanya, and Raquel Pennington lost a split decision to Julianna Peña.
Valentina Shevchenko, women's flyweight
The Valentina Shevchenko-Alexa Grasso saga continued in 2024.
Shevchenko's first title reign ended after seven title defenses when the pair first met at UFC 285 in March 2023. Their rematch at Noche UFC last September resulted in a split draw, allowing Grasso to retain the title. A historic third meeting took place at UFC 306, the second Noche UFC event in September, which was a visual production marvel at Sphere in Las Vegas.
Entering the fight as a slight underdog, Shevchenko looked like the dominant champion of her first title reign. She shut down Grasso at every turn throughout the fight, outgrappling the now-former champ, while making her appear hesitant to pull the trigger over 25 minutes. Shevchenko earned unanimous 50-45 scores across the board to reclaim the women's flyweight title in her only appearance of the year.
Julianna Peña, women's bantamweight
After losing her title to Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 in July 2022, Julianna Peña was sidelined due to injury. "Gutted" she was unable to compete the following year, Peña returned in an opportunity to reclaim UFC gold.
In the co-main event of UFC 307 in October, Peña faced Raquel Pennington, who attemped to defend the women's bantamweight crown for the first time. The fight was a back-and-forth affair, leaving the judges split in their decision. It was one of the most debated outcomes of the year, but Peña walked away with the title to become a two-time champion.
Merab Dvalishvili, bantamweight
The UFC bantamweight title was the focal point of the largest UFC production ever put on at Sphere in Las Vegas. After building a 10-fight winning streak, Merab Dvalisvhili finally got his chance to become champion in the main event of UFC 306 against Sean O'Malley.
Not only did Dvalishvili dominate the fight, he had fun in the process. Behind his aggressive grappling and constant movement on the feet, Dvalisvhili was able to prevent O'Malley from mounting momentum to change the course of the fight after clearly winning the first two rounds of the fight. O'Malley was able to turn it on in the final round, but by then it was too late to overcome the 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 unanimous scores for Dvalishvili, who realized his championship dream.
Ilia Topuria, featherweight
Undefeated at 13-0 and on the heels of Fight of the Night victory his first UFC main event, Ilia Topuria got his crack at UFC gold in February.
In the main event of UFC 298, Topuria faced Alexander Volkanovski, who was returning to the division to defend his featherweight title after attempting to capture a second title at lightweight. Topuria proved it was his time.
A right hook floored Volkanovski in the second round, and the celebration for Spain began. As he walked away from his downed opponent, the realization of the accomplishment hit Topuria, displaying a look of near disbelief.
In October, Topuria put his newly-acquired title on the line against another GOAT of the featherweight division, Max Holloway. Once again, Topuria proved why the hype behind him is justified. This time, it was a left hook that spelled the beginning of the end, as he crushed Holloway with powerful punches in the third round, becoming the first to knock out the former champ.
Knocking out two of the division's historical best is why Topuria won MMA Junkie's Male Fighter of the Year for 2024.
Belal Muhammad, welterweight
After 10 appearances without a loss, Belal Muhammad became an undeniable challenger for the UFC welterweight title.
His crowning moment came at UFC 304, in a rematch against Leon Edwards. The pair first met at UFC Fight Night 187 in March 2021. The fight only reached the second round and was declared a no contest due to an accidental eye poke from Edwards. Muhammad went back to work, winning his next five fights to earn another shot at Edwards, but this time the stakes were much higher with the division's championship on the line.
Muhammad capitalized on his long journey to a title shot by smothering Edwards in a dominant performance. The final judges' tallies read 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46, crowning Muhammad the new UFC welterweight champion in his only appearance of 2024.
Dricus Du Plessis, middleweight
After finishing Robert Whittaker in a Performance of the Night at UFC 290, Dricus Du Plessis put himself in a position to challenge for the UFC middleweight title.
In January at UFC 297, the South African faced Sean Strickland in the main event, with the division's gold on the line. It was a close, gritty battle over 25 minutes. Two judges determined Du Plessis was more effective, crowning him the new middleweight champ by split decision.
Du Plessis' work in 2024 wasn't done there. In August at UFC 305, Du Plessis headlined against former champion Israel Adesanya, entering as a slight underdog. Much like the Strickland fight, Du Plessis found himself in another hard-fought battle. However this time around, Du Plessis found a way to keep the judges out of it by submitting Adesanya in Round 4.
And still
These fighters entered the year as champion, and maintained their position heading into 2025.
Zhang Weili – Women's strawweight
Zhang fought once in 2024, winning a unanimous decision against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300. The victory was her second strawweight title defense of her second title reign.
Alexandre Pantoja – flyweight
Pantoja fought twice in 2024. At UFC 301 in May, he won a unanimous decision against Steve Erceg to record his second flyweight title defense. At UFC 310 in December, he submitted former Rizin champion Kai Asakura to record his third title defense.
Islam Makhachev – lightweight
Makhachev fought once in 2024, winning the UFC 302 main event by submitting Dustin Poirier. The victory marked his third title defense.
Alex Pereira – light heavyweight
Pereira fought thee times in 2024. At UFC 300 in April, he recorded his first title defense by knocking out Jamahal Hill. At UFC 303 in June, Pereira knocked out Jiri Prochazka for his second title defense. At UFC 307 in October, he stopped Khalil Rountree to mark his third defense.
Jon Jones – heavyweight
Jones fought once in 2024, winning the UFC 309 main event in November by stopping Stipe Miocic to record his first heavyweight title defense.
Tom Aspinall – heavyweight (interim)
Aspinall fought once in 2024. As the interim champion, he defended his piece of the heavyweight title by stopping Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Changing of the guard: Every new UFC champion crowned in 2024
