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Rewatch the 2025 Fight of the Year between Joshua Van and Brandon Royval ahead of Van’s title fight against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.
The best UFC fight of 2025, according to a broad consensus from major MMA outlets (including UFC.com‘s official awards, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, and fan discussions), was Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval at UFC 317 in June.
This flyweight bout stood out for its relentless pace, non-stop striking exchanges, dramatic momentum shifts, and high-level skill on display. Van, stepping in on short notice (just three weeks after his previous fight), replaced an injured Manel Kape and upset the former title challenger Royval via unanimous decision in a thrilling back-and-forth war that many called an instant classic in the flyweight division. It earned widespread acclaim as the clear Fight of the Year, appearing unanimously in top spots across year-end rankings and awards.
Other highly praised contenders included:
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (intense bantamweight title fight with elite wrestling and striking)Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal Muhammad (unexpected stand-up war in a welterweight title bout)Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (brutal light heavyweight slugfest)Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili rematch (technical masterpiece late in the year)
But Van vs. Royval topped most lists for its pure entertainment and excitement.
