Aspinall Names Topuria 2025 Fighter of the Year

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has named lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria as his Fighter of the Year for 2025, praising the Spaniard-Georgian's dominant performance in a single bout that defined his year. Aspinall shared his picks on his YouTube channel shortly after UFC 323 concluded on December 8, highlighting Topuria's knockout victory over Charles Oliveira as both the standout fight and the best finish of the year.

Topuria captured the vacant lightweight championship with a second-round knockout of Oliveira at UFC 317 in June, marking his transition from featherweight where he had reigned supreme. The 28-year-old, known as El Matador, had previously claimed the featherweight belt by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024 and defended it against Max Holloway later that year, handing the Hawaiian his first career knockout loss. Despite competing only once in 2025, Topuria's emphatic win elevated him to two-weight champion status and solidified his reputation as one of the sport's most explosive strikers.

Aspinall, who attended the Oliveira fight live, described the moment as unforgettable. "The fighter that stands out for me is Ilia Topuria," he said....