The MMA clique possibly saw the biggest KO — by the unspoken co-operation of two sluggers in 2024. Then, there was the establishment of a stoic UFC champion as perhaps the sport’s biggest driver. Some unlikely scrappers did something no expected. It just poses an important question – Who was UFC’s 2024 Breakout Fighter?
By ‘Breakout’ fighter – it just does not mean hot and happening. Subsequently, it can also mean bouncing back big or breaking out on that rebound streak. It can mean edging so close to the championship gold that it’s all but sure. Here is a look into some of those combined.
5. Shara Magomedov
Make no mistake: at 15-0-0, Shara Magomedov had nothing to rebound from or perceptions to break into. But the Team GOR MMA fighter broke through the rooster like nothing, as usual. There are those near-undefeated phenoms whose performance just sparks a compliancy to be likable. But he isn’t like those as he is a storm.
One fighter made unique history in UFC competition (Source: X)Talk of Umar Nurmagomedov, for example, and the UFC 135-pound reigning champ would say how he lacks ranked opponents on his resume. Talk of Shavkat Rakhmonov and him once touting a 100 percent finish rate is now gone. Even the best could have holes to poke. But “Shara Bullet” lives up to his rugged name and leaves less to the imagination.
At UFC 308 pay-per-view main card, Shara Magomedov scored the 11th spinning backfist knockout in history. It was the first to come from a double-spinning backfist in UFC competition! Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was among Knockout of the Year contender with his double-barrel highlight to clinch win. He is also 3-0 in the year 2024.
4. Jean Silva
Jean Silva’s two wins in 14 days (UFC 303 PPV, UFC on ESPN 59) tied the record for the third-fastest turnaround in modern competition history. Khamzat Chimaev holds the record for 10 days. The UFC/MMA clique knows all too well how famous that made the explosive Chechenya “Borz.” There’s just a different allure to doing it quick and dirty like a pure warrior.
A breakout fighter made the third-fastest turnover on a hot streak (Source: thespun.com)Look to Alex Pereira, who saved the year on multiple counts with quick camps and appearances this year. Silva is hot off a Fight of the Night TKO of Drew Dober in a short-notice lightweight bout in July. The Team Fighting Nerds featherweight from Brazil is also 3-0 this year. Think that’s impressive and worth a ‘Breakout’ fighter? He now prepares to take on Melsik Baghdasaryan at UFC Fight Night 252 in 2025.
3. Carlos Prates
It’s another Fighting Nerd and breakout fighter – Carlos Prates – to the mount. No, literally…to the mount. The Brazilian is so sure of his mettle that he lets go of that mount and pounds chance on highly-touted talent Neil Magny! Instead, he creates space and starches him for a Round 1 walk-off KO at UFC Fight Night 247. It was his first main event in his short UFC run.
One of the biggest and best UFC debuts of 2024 broke through (Source: dailymail.co.uk)Prates didn’t just find his UFC ‘breakout’ spot (yes, said it) in his ‘Neil Magny’ test (yes, said that too) where he passed the intermediate longstay challenge. Carlos Prates, Charles Johnson, and Joaquin Buckley were the only fighters with a 4-0 record in 2024!
Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) didn’t get that easy grace challenge and does not want one. He wants Jack Della Maddalena for a clash on Aussie turf at UFC 312. He is racking up bonus-earning finishes since his Contender Series days faster than UFC can give them out! There’s a reason his chain-smoking ‘Nightmare’ moniker is proper nightmare fuel.
2. Diego Lopes
UFC contender Diego Lopes touts that spirit that gets the gold. Lopes weighed in as a backup fighter – something he did again – for UFC 308 PPV main event. The Team Lobo Gym MMA is No. 3 in the UFC official featherweight listings. Lopes isn’t just some flashy breakout story of the year. He is the real deal.
A UFC featherweight knew nothing but the grind (Source: IG/es.agfight.com)His knockout of Sodiq Yusuff was a highlight moment in April’s historic UFC 300 PPV card. He went to war in a historic affair with surprise entry Dan Ige (under 4 hours’ notice) at UFC 303 PPV co-mains. After some pure shove-and-hull striking clinic, he finally outdid Ige with a UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Then, he battered former title challenger Brian Ortega to a unanimous decision sweep in the historic annual Noche UFC PPV, aka UFC 306. That’s a legendary pace to go on from a 2-1 record in ’23 and a SOTY contender at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font. This year, Lopes took all the heat and delivered on it. He is even open for Aussie legend Alexander Volkanovski next.
1. Joaquin Buckley
Joaquin Buckley has become one of the UFC’s proper welterweight contenders and success stories for 2024. Buckley (21-6 MMA, 11-4 UFC) was 2-0 at the start of 2024 after a drop down to 170 pounds. He began the year with a big finish of perennial contender Vicente Luque at UFC on ESPN 54 in March.
The top breakout fighter touts some big wins (Source: dazn.com/X)‘New Mansa’ soon campaigned for a spot at UFC on ESPN 56 in his native Missouri in May. Buckley got his wish, drawing and defeating Nursulton Ruziboev. But the buck for Buckley would not stop at one competition veteran. He’d earn and cash in on his biggest opportunity yet. Buckley would snag a third-round Performance of the Night knockout over Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.
However, why end there? After some adjustments, he swiped nearer to the cusp of title contention after going 4-0 in 2024, at UFC on ESPN 63 in Tampa. He scored one over former title challenger Colby Covington via TKO doctor stoppage. Now, if that consequently isn’t a yearly run worth noticing, then what would be? He is also a +350 favorite on the prop to be a champ next year, per DraftKings.
Honorable mentions
Breakout means breaking out of that skid shell, rebounding, or hitting back hard at that matchup that just wasn’t happening as well. Some debuts just rocked through perceptions in UFC competition. There are performances with certain high-flying knees and doctor stoppages. Team Fighting Nerds was a breakout this year.
2024 is coming off other breakout stories as well (Source: ctmmagazine.com/agfight/X)It’d be weird to not mention UFC heavyweight champ (IC) Tom Aspinall. He was the year’s breakout story after all for the World MMA Awards. Aspinall avenged his Fight Night 208 injury TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes with prime performance. He even needed under sixty seconds to knock his winds out and make a rare defense of the interim 265-pound strap.
Kayla Harrison lived up to expectations in 2024. A thrice Olympic gold, 6th dan black belt Judoka with IJF Grand Slam/Grand Prix and & World Championships, and twice PFL lightweight fame, she laid the groundwork for one of the quickest coups. She wiped out veteran Holly Holm. ‘Doug’ also swiped out then No. 2 ranked Bantamweight Ketlen Vieira.
The Nerd duo of middleweight Caio Borralho and lightweight Mauricio Ruffy had 2-0 years and were big breakout stories. Bantamweight rising star Payton Talbott also went 2-0 with two excellent stoppage victory. He could make a huge rise next year. All in all, it was a good year.
Stay Updated!
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and curated insights directly to your inbox.
