What a year it was for MMA's breakout stars in 2024.

Some propelled themselves from the unknown to world titles, other shot through their divisions so quick they left nothing but wafts of cigarettes in their wake. One channeled the legendary microphone machismo of the great Chael Sonnen, while another brought an energy so unique that it made us longer-in-the-tooth viewers feel their age.

For many years, people could not fathom how the UFC would continue to stay relevant without their marquee names. When Quinton "Rampage" Jackson knocked out Chuck Liddell in 2007, it was thought the company would slump due to decline of their mohawk-sporting megastar. A decade later, the same was said about Conor McGregor when he broke away from the sport for his boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather.

Breakout fighters show us that there is no end to the conveyor belt of talent that can gain the eyeballs of the masses. Just when we think we have seen it all, these young whippersnappers emerge, seemingly from nowhere, and remind us why we love the sport so much.

Without further ado, here are Uncrowned’s breakout MMA fighters of 2024.

1. Carlos Prates

The man they call “The Nightmare” proved to be exactly that for every welterweight who was unlucky enough to cross his path in 2024.

In four fights, Carlos Prates banked four knockouts as well as taking home a Performance of the Night bonus for each of his outings in the Octagon. The Brazilian's rangy physique and brutal stopping power have some people comparing him to light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, and should his form stay intact in the new year, it won’t be long before we see him sporting gold around his waist to match his fellow countryman’s.

The fact that Prates openly talks about smoking cigarettes has added to the lore that is growing around him. After stopping Li Jingliang in Perth, one of the big takeaways from his post-fight press conference was that he was incredibly disappointed by Australia’s pricing on coffin nails.

Smoker or not, he is blazing a trail through the ranks at 170 pounds, making him one of the most exciting fighters to watch in 2025.

2. Diego Lopes

I still remember the first time Diego Lopes showed up on our radars, accepting a short-notice bout with the immovable Movsar Evloev in 2023. With every minute that went by, the Lobo gym product earned our respect, and it feels like that continued well beyond him collecting his sole UFC loss that night, making him one of the most beloved fighters at 145 pounds.

Lopes had an incredible 2024, beginning with his appearance at UFC 300. Sodiq Yusuff felt like a significant jump in opposition coming off his win over Pat Sabatini, but Lopes took less than 90 seconds to put him away.

It was always going to be hard to steal the headlines after Dan Ige stepped up on three hours' notice to face him at UFC 303, but now a victory over perennial contender Brian Ortega has him knocking on the door of title contention in 2025. Should he meet the might of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, it will undoubtedly be one of the most fan-friendly fights of the year.

3. Dakota Ditcheva

Remember that yarn I was spinning about Chuck Liddell in the introduction? Well, I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people had the same kind of feelings about PFL when Kayla Harrison parted ways with the company in January.

Then along came Dakota Ditcheva.

The Manchester striker enjoyed several showcase bouts with PFL dating back to 2022, but it was thought that she would run into some trouble with the global tournament format, which would force her to fight the best the promotion could offer at 125 pounds.

Wrong.

Ditcheva’s four-fight, four-stoppage campaign has her right in the mix for Female Fighter of the Year. And yes, it’s rare for someone to be in the mix for Fighter of the Year and considered a breakout star — but what is rare is also wonderful.

With the strength of schedule and the emphatic nature of her victories — none more impressive than her stoppage of one-time UFC title challenger Taila Santos — Ditcheva is one of the hottest names in the sport heading into 2025.

4. Sharaputdin Magomedov

For my money, “Shara Bullet” is the closest thing we’ve seen to a white hot prospect from Russia since Khamzat Chimaev came on the scene in 2020. Granted, he may not have the same ceiling as Chimaev — who we believe will finally fight for UFC gold in 2025 — but he is every bit as intriguing.

Like Chimaev, he has the appearance of a villain from a James Bond movie due to him boasting only one functioning eye. To add to that, he breaks the mold of the grapple-savvy product from Dagestan given that it appears he has no legitimate interest in wrestling once the cage door locks behind him.

Magomedov banked three wins in 2024, but his final offering against decorated Muay Thai fighter Armen Petrosyan took the biscuit. His double spinning backfist knockout is a spectacle that will live long in the memory of fight fans, and with a dance booked against fellow spectacular striker Michael “Venom” Page on Feb. 1, we may be picking our jaws off the floor again very soon.

5. Paul Hughes

There was no shortage of the “who the f*** is that guy” meme when Paul Hughes was given the status of the hottest free agent in MMA after fighting out his contract with Cage Warriors in April. When both he and Ian Machado Garry were with the European promotion, there was an ongoing debate in Ireland as to who the most talented product from the country was.

In 2024, Hughes reminded us why.

Fresh off his PFL/Bellator debut win over Bobby King, the phrase “too much too soon” was worn out in the weeks leading into his clash with former champion A.J. McKee. But Hughes was poetry in motion in the Saudi fight, not only showcasing his potent hands but also his stellar wrestling defense. Having turned down the UFC to join the PFL ranks, it was hard not to be impressed by his ballsy proclamations.

His reward for his win over McKee comes in the form of a Dubai showdown with Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov on Jan. 25. Should he have his hand raised, he’ll see is championship prophecy with the promotion fulfilled.

Honorable Mentions:

• Michael Morales

• Jean Silva

• Payton Talbott

• Oban Elliott

• Charles Johnson