Every year, we see a handful of fighters who seem to come from out of nowhere, breaking through to new competitive heights and fame. Whether they take the form of a crossover curiosity winning a world title, as Alex Pereira did in 2022, or a well-known veteran who manages a shocking mid-career reinvention, like 2019 winner Jorge Masvidal, those breakthroughs are a reminder of the wonderful unpredictability of mixed martial arts, a challenge to our assumptions as fans and an inspiration to the next year’s crop of would-be superstars.
This year, there were plenty of examples of new as well as familiar names leveling up in stardom and competitive achievement.