Top 5 shocking upsets in the UFC from 2024 feat. Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski
2024 was a stellar year for the UFC. Stars were born, champions were crowned, and eras ended. Thus, it is only natural that there were upsets throughout the year, with fighters no one thought much of emerging victorious against those thought unbeatable.
In other cases, a changing of the guard no one expected to happen so soon took place in the most stunning of ways. Meanwhile, other cases saw journeymen of little renown putting a complete stop to the momentum enjoyed by high-potential prospects.
However, among the various upsets sprinkled throughout the promotion's calendar, five stand above all others.
#5. Yair Rodríguez vs. Brian Ortega 2, UFC Fight Night 237
Yair Rodríguez and Brian Ortega first faced each other on UFC on ABC 3. Their initial bout ended in anticlimactic fashion, with a shoulder injury to Ortega caused by a Rodríguez armbar. However, before its unfortunate end, 'Pantera' was having his way with Ortega on the feet, sniping and battering him with kicks.
Check out Brian Ortega submitting Yair Rodríguez:
So it stood to reason that many expected a repeat of that performance in their rematch at UFC Fight Night 237. Unfortunately, the former interim featherweight champion found far less success in their second outing. Ortega stunned the MMA fandom by outhustling the man who had previously styled on him.
Ortega scored takedowns and, in round three, forced a helpless Rodríguez to tap out to an arm-triangle choke, marking the latter's first-ever submission loss.
#4. Dan Hooker vs. Mateusz Gamrot, UFC 305
UFC 305 was supposed to be a showcase for Mateusz Gamrot, a lightweight contender long heralded as a future champion. After all, his wrestling and grappling are as elite as they come, and he's even outworked the likes of Arman Tsarukyan, who is set to fight for the divisional crown at UFC 311.
Check out Dan Hooker dropping Mateusz Gamrot:
Dan Hooker, meanwhile, has never even been regarded as a potential title challenger, let alone a future champion. He's good but not remarkable: a solid top 10 and occasional top-five lightweight. So when he faced Gamrot, he wasn't favored to win by anyone besides his friends and teammates.
As it turns out, they were right. Hooker fought tooth and nail in a Fight of the Night winner, dragging Gamrot to the brink to emerge victorious via split-decision, snapping his foe's win streak in a hard-fought upset.
#3. Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino, UFC 301
Ahead of his clash with Anthony Smith, Vitor Petrino was a highly-touted light heavyweight prospect. Heavily muscled, with a then undefeated 11-0 record with 8 finishes, he was thought of as a serious threat in the division. Smith, by contrast, was the old lion too wounded to defend himself.
Worse still, Smith was regarded as a lamb taken to slaughter. He's never been an elite fighter and is considered a journeyman, with a 38-21 record. Many predicted a Petrino finish as a foregone conclusion in their bout, but come fight night, the opposite took place.
Check out Anthony Smith submitting Vitor Petrino:
Petrino did his best to outmuscle Smith in the clinch before committing to an ill-advised takedown with his head positioned on the outside of Smith's hip. Despite Smith quickly threatening him with a front headlock, Petrino insisted on the takedown and was promptly submitted via first-round guillotine choke.
#2. Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya, UFC 305
Dricus du Plessis' grudge match with Israel Adesanya captured the attention of the MMA world. It was the South African phenom's first-ever defense of his newly-minted middleweight title, and the bout was defined by personal animosity between the two men.
Despite du Plessis being the champion and Adesanya coming off an embarrassing loss to Sean Strickland, 'The Last Stylebender' was expected to make 'Stillknocks' look foolish. Du Plessis is a chaotic striker who lunges into range recklessly with little defense. Adesanya, an elite sniper, should have countered him with ease.
Check out Dricus du Plessis submitting Israel Adesanya:
Instead of the counter-striking field day that fans had predicted on Adesanya's behalf, he was dragged into a much grittier fight. Du Plessis went on to secure a fourth-round submission win via face crank.
#1. Ilia Topuria vs. Alexander Volkanovski, UFC 298
If not José Aldo, then Alexander Volkanovski is the greatest featherweight of all time. His dominance over the division was unquestioned heading into UFC 298, but Ilia Topuria emerged as a brash, young challenger, vowing to knock him out with ease, evoking memories of Conor McGregor's featherweight invasion.
Volkanovski scoffed at Topuria's promises as evidence of arrogance, and assured the MMA world that he would humble him. Analysts, fans and fellow fighters were all on Volkanovski's side. They recognized Topuria's potential but felt it was too soon for him to face 'The Great' for the featherweight title.
Check out Ilia Topuria knocking out Alexander Volkanovski:
Few expected him to win, but Topuria was undeterred. When he and Volkanovski finally locked horns, he did as he had promised, knocking the Australian legend out cold before later doing the same to another legend months later.