UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier picked a fight between two of the UFC’s brightest young stars for his ‘Fight of the Year’ selection.
It was another wild year for the UFC inside the Octagon. Fans, pundits, and fellow fighters were treated to some of the craziest brawls in UFC history, including some featuring up-and-coming stars.
Daniel Cormier was front-and-center to see some of the greatest fights of the year, including Bloody Elbow‘s pick from UFC 302. After retiring from fighting in 2020, Cormier has become one of the UFC’s top voices, often alongside the likes of Jon Anik and Joe Rogan on the broadcast team.
While one of Cormier’s longtime teammates made a serious case for ‘Fight of the Year’, the former two-division world champion showed love to a UFC 306 undercard clash that stole the show at the Sphere.
Daniel Cormier tabs Zellhuber vs. Ribovics as 2024 FOTY
During a recent episode of Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier named Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics as his ‘Fight of the Year’ pick.
“I’m not falling victim to the name. As pundits, fans, and people who watch the sport, we fall in love with the name…I’m going with the fight between Zellhuber and Ribovics at UFC 306,” Cormier said. “Remember how bad Daniel Zellhuber had him hurt early? And how bad Ribovics had hurt Zellhuber late?
“The grit, the determination that these two young men showed on Mexican Independence Day to show why they were put on that Sphere card. It was all stand-up, barely any wrestling, was as good of a fight as any we saw all year. I’m not falling victim to the Blockbuster [narrative].”
After three rounds of nonstop action, Ribovics walked away with a split decision win on the judges’ scorecards. Despite the loss, Zellhuber left the Sphere with a $50k 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’s third consecutive win, and he’s riding a ton of momentum heading into 2025. He’s set to face the experienced Nasrat Haqparast in his next UFC booking on March 1st.
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Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics headline promising lightweight division future
As for the talented Zellhuber, the loss at UFC 306 snapped a three-fight winning streak, including victories over Christos Giagos and Francisco Prado. The former Dana White’s Contender Series standout has looked sharp since a UFC debut loss to Trey Ogden.
As of this writing, Zellhuber has yet to be 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 of the 155lb division remains elite, it’s full of veteran names like Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, and Zellhuber/Ribovics could play a massive role in moving the division into the future.