It was a banner year for combat sports in 2024, with gate records being broken left, right and centre as major events took place.
In the UFC, they finally took live sport to the new Sphere in Las Vegas for UFC 306 as Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili went to war over five rounds. Jon Jones also returned for a crowing world title defense at Madison Square Garden, and Alex Pereira headlined the massive UFC 300 and 303 shows at T-Mobile.
And while it wasn’t strictly MMA, the boxing world took centre stage on November 15 as Jake Paul and Mike Tyson did battle in Dallas, Texas. Over 73,000 fans packed into the AT&T Stadium, with more than 108million tuning in live on Netflix.
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UFC 306 and Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson stand out among the best events of 2024
There were tonnes of great events and shows for fans to dig their teeth into, and certainly much better fights than our top contenders. Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 stands out, as do both of Ilia Topuria’s big wins at UFC 298 over Alexander Volkanovski and UFC 308 over Max Holloway.
However, in terms of sheer scale, there were two major standouts. We know that the fights themselves may not have delivered, but just think about the sheer spectacle.
Try to recall the scope of what went down at Sphere in Las Vegas. Dana White injected over $20million to make sure the venue was used to its full capacity, and delivered an absurd showcase to pay tribute to Mexican Independence Day.
And then a few months later it was Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s turns. Netflix spared no expense on a monstrous event at the AT&T Stadium, and while the main event was a damp squib, nobody will forget the co-main event between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, or the atmosphere, for a long time.
UFC 306 is Bloody Elbow’s Event of the Year for 2024
Ultimately, we are an MMA website and despite the metrics, we have to give the prize to an MMA event. That being said; UFC 306 is the 2024 Bloody Elbow Event of the Year. In second place was UFC 300, and in third Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
This is what we all had to say:
James Sweetnam:
“UFC 306 may not have delivered in terms of the main and co-main event, but the show itself was absolutely spectacular. From attending myself, I can say without doubt that The Sphere is a one-of-a-kind venue.
“The movies played before each contest were truly remarkable as the fans took a journey through Mexican history, going from the Aztec empire to the deepest depths of the jungle. At one point, the spectators were even in space, ducking as virtual comets headed in their direction.
“The event did a tremendous job of celebrating the fighting culture of the country and delivered a spectacle the likes of which the sport had never previously seen.”
Winner: UFC 306
Jordan Ellis:
“UFC 306 was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And by all accounts, I’ll never get to see something like that again as Dana White doesn’t want to return to the Sphere and no other fight promoter seems capable of pulling it off. That’s why UFC 306 is my Event of the Year.”
Winner: UFC 306
Jamie Theodosi:
“Despite people’s feelings that the card on paper was anticlimatic it turned out to be an incredible night of fights.”
Winner: UFC 300
Donagh Corby:
“I know, it’s not technically MMA, but the fight world was at a standstill on November 15 as Mike Tyson returned to the ring against Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. Over 73,000 people packed in to the stadium and 108million watched at home, encapsulating the world whether you’re a fight fan or not.
“Jake Paul has been such a thorn in MMA’s side for so long that he has to do it once more in our awards. I attended both Paul vs Tyson and UFC 309, and even with the GOAT of MMA fighting at the World’s most famous arena, the two events just didn’t compare.”
Winner: Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson
Tom Llewellyn:
“Granted, UFC 306 at The Sphere wasn’t exactly the most entertaining event of the year, but it’ll still go down as one of the biggest and most impressive combat sports shows in history.
Whilst I’d be tempted to give ‘Event of the Year’ to UFC 300 or even perhaps to the recent UFC Tampa card, between the visual spectacle and Dana White saying that UFC 306 was a ‘One and Done’, The Sphere deserves to have its own chapter.”
Winner: UFC 306
Curtis Calhoun:
“UFC 300 lived up to the hype with wild knockouts, come-from-behind wins, and three electric title fights. It featured just about everything UFC hardcore and casual fans could want from top-to-bottom.
After UFC 200 failed to live up to lofty expectations, UFC 300 set the benchmark for the promotion’s centennial events moving forward. From Max Holloway’s BMF buzzer-beating win to Alex Pereira’s wild finish in the main event, UFC 300 will live in combat sports history.”
Winner: UFC 300
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