REAL COMBAT MEDIA 2025 MMA AWARDS
Welcome to the 2025 Real Combat Media MMA Awards, where our staff voted on who was the ‘best of the best’ for this historic year in MMA . 2025 was the final year for the UFC on ESPN, and the organization ended its PPV model while negotiating a new deal with CBS Paramount+ for 2026. There may be better choices in other promotions; no other promotion, besides the UFC, currently has achieved the significance and reach that the UFC has in the mainstream. Check out the winners and video below, and comment below on who your award winners are for 2025.
Real Combat Media 2025 MMA Male Fighter of the Year:
To be the man, you have to beat the man, and that is what Peter Yan was able to do in 2025, which is why he is the winner of Real Combat Media’s MMA 2025 Fighter of the Year. At UFC 323 on December 6, 2025, Yan avenged his 2023 loss while impressively stopping Merab’s 14-fight win streak by neutralizing Dvalishvili’s wrestling and winning a five-round Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47).
Real Combat Media MMA 2025 Female Fighter of the Year:
Kayla Harrison, 35, (19-1) submitted Julianna Peña via kimura in the second round to win the UFC women’s bantamweight title on June 7th, 2025. This fight earned her a Performance of the Night award. The reason she is winning the award is that Pena was the fighter who defeated the legend, Amanda Nunes, in 2021 after years of dominating the sport. Harrison is scheduled to fight her former training partner, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 324.
Real Combat Media MMA 2025 Fight of the Year:
Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval wins the award. This high-paced flyweight war featured 425 landed strikes and solidified Van’s status as a top contender. Due to its record-setting striking output, high pace, and dramatic moments, including a late knockdown that secured Van’s victory by unanimous decision. This epic flyweight war was lauded for its technical skill, heart, and sheer volume, etching itself into UFC history as a classic. Check out the fight below.
Real Combat Media MMA Knockout of 2025:
Lerone Murphy wins this award. In a year dominated by spinning attacks, Murphy’s finish stood out as the most precise execution of the technique against a highly regarded Aaron Pico to ruin his UFC debut. The 34-year-old is (17-0-1).
Real Combat Media MMA Knockout 2nd Place of 2025:
Other notable KOs included Mauricio Ruffy’s wheel kick against Bobby “King” Green at UFC 313.
Real Combat Media MMA Submission of the Year:
Jean Silva wins the award. Silva’s “ninja choke” finish of Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314 was widely celebrated as the year’s best submission.
Real Combat Media MMA 2025 Event Of the Year
UFC 317 wins this award since this card featured Ilia Topuria capturing the lightweight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira, and the aforementioned Van vs. Royval fight of the year classic.
Other 2025 Significant News in MMA:
The Paramount Era: The UFC signed a historic 7-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount+, signaling the end of its long-term partnership with ESPN and a shift away from the traditional Pay-Per-View model in the U.S..
Vacated Titles: 2025 saw a trend of champions vacating belts to seek second titles, including Islam Makhachev (who became a two-division champion by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at welterweight), Ilia Topuria, and Zhang Weili.
Heavyweight Transition: Jon Jones officially retired from MMA, leading the UFC to promote Tom Aspinall from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion.
Beyond the UFC
PFL/Bellator Merger: 2025 served as the final integration year for former Bellator stars into the PFL system after the merger. Costello van Steenis provided the year’s biggest upset by submitting the previously undefeated Johnny Eblen in the final seconds of their PFL Middleweight title fight.
ONE Championship: Tye Ruotolo successfully defended his grappling title and launched a flawless 10-0 transition into MMA, while Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu rose to become the ONE Bantamweight World Champion.
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