UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier chose a fight between two of the UFC's brightest young stars for his 'Fight of the Year' selection.
It's been another wild year for the UFC in the Octagon. Fans, experts and fellow fighters were treated to some of the craziest brawls in UFC history, including some featuring rising stars.
Daniel Cormier has been at the center of some of the biggest fights of the year, including the pick of Bloody Elbow from UFC 302. After retiring from fighting in 2020, Cormier has become one of the UFC's top voices, often alongside Jon. Anik and Joe Rogan on the broadcast team.
While one of Cormier's old teammates made a serious case for Fight of the Year, the former two-division world champion showed his love for a UFC 306 undercard clash that stole the show at the Sphere.
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Daniel Cormier labels Zellhuber vs. Ribovics as 2024 FOTY
During a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier mentioned Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics as his pick for 'Fight of the Year'.
“I don't fall victim to the name. As experts, fans and people who watch the sport, we fall in love with the name…I'm joining the Zellhuber vs. Ribovics fight at UFC 306,” Cormier said. “Remember how bad Daniel Zellhuber hurt him early on? And how badly had Ribovics hurt Zellhuber late?
“The courage, the determination that these two young men showed on Mexican Independence Day to show why they were on that Sphere map. It was all stand-up, hardly any wrestling, it was as good a fight as we've seen all year. I'm not going to be a victim of Blockbuster [narrative].”
After three rounds of non-stop action, Ribovics walked away with a split-decision victory on the judges' scorecards. Despite the loss, Zellhuber left the Sphere with a $50,000 post-fight bonus from UFC CEO Dana White for his efforts after their fight won 'Fight of the Night' honors.
The win at UFC 306 was Ribovics' third straight, and he has huge momentum heading into 2025. He is set to meet the veteran Nasrat Haqparast in his next UFC booking on March 1.
Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics highlight the promising future of the lightweight division
As for the talented Zellhuber, the loss at UFC 306 snapped a three-fight winning streak that included victories over Christos Giagos and Francisco Prado. Dana White's former Contender Series standout has looked sharp since a UFC debut loss to Trey Ogden.
At the time of writing, Zellhuber has not yet been booked for his next UFC fight, but an announcement could be made in the coming weeks.
Zellhuber and Ribovics are part of a strong youth movement in the UFC lightweight division. While the top 155-pound division is still elite, it is packed with experienced names like Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, and Zellhuber/Ribovics could play a huge role in moving the division into the future.
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