Rewatch the 2025 Struggle of the Yr between Joshua Van and Brandon Royval forward of Van’s title struggle towards Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 323.
The most effective UFC struggle of 2025, in accordance with a broad consensus from main MMA retailers (together with UFC.com‘s official awards, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports activities, and fan discussions), was Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval at UFC 317 in June.
This flyweight bout stood out for its relentless tempo, continuous hanging exchanges, dramatic momentum shifts, and high-level talent on show. Van, stepping in on brief discover (simply three weeks after his earlier struggle), changed an injured Manel Kape and upset the previous title challenger Royval through unanimous determination in an exhilarating back-and-forth conflict that many referred to as an immediate basic within the flyweight division. It earned widespread acclaim because the clear Struggle of the Yr, showing unanimously in prime spots throughout year-end rankings and awards.
Different extremely praised contenders included:
Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (intense bantamweight title struggle with elite wrestling and hanging)Jack Della Maddalena vs. Belal Muhammad (sudden stand-up conflict in a welterweight title bout)Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (brutal mild heavyweight slugfest)Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili rematch (technical masterpiece late within the 12 months)
However Van vs. Royval topped most lists for its pure leisure and pleasure.
