Almost everyone expected Pereira and Rountree’s title fight to take place on the feet. Pereira is a former two-division Glory kickboxing champion, and Rountree spent years honing his Muay Thai in Thailand. There was some discussion prior to the fight about which fighter would be more likely to shoot for a takedown, but that didn’t happen either.

Contrary to oddsmakers’ expectations, Rountree came out strong.

The American, who is arguably one of the biggest punchers in MMA right now, arguably won the first round and dropped Pereira in the second – albeit briefly.

For a few minutes it looked like the match that so many hailed as a freebie for Pereira would be his undoing. However, the champion quickly turned the tide in round three, punishing a tiring Rountree with leg kicks and punches.

Pereira’s attack only intensified in the fourth round and prevented Rountree from reaching the fifth round. The champion topped it off with a volley of uppercuts in the final 30 seconds of the round.

“I can say this was one of the toughest fights. I expected that,” Pereira told commentator Joe Rogan after his victory was announced. “(Rountree) trained in the best places in Thailand and he showed tonight why he has so much quality.”

It was an incredible performance from Pereira, one that both reminded fight fans how dangerous he is on his feet and reaffirmed that he is fully capable of bouncing back from early setbacks.

Rountree also deserves some props. Not only did he challenge one of MMA’s pound-for-pound stars early on, but he also showed remarkable toughness when things stopped going his way, and he was wearing a blood mask by the time the fight was over .

“My thought going into this fight was just to be grateful,” Rountree told Rogan shortly before pulling an oozing string of bloody snot from his busted nose. “I was just really excited to get in here and embraced the moment.”

This is exactly what the light heavyweight champion does.

He headlined UFC 295 on short notice, knocking out Jiri Prochazka to win the vacant title. He headlined UFC 300 on short notice, knocking out Jamahal Hill to defend the title. He headlined UFC 303 on short notice, defeating Prochazka again for another title defense. On Saturday he headed another card and scored another stoppage at Rountree’s expense. And that’s all since November last year.

There are several fighters who have had particularly impressive years in 2024. Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is a good example. Welterweight champion Belal Muhammad is another.

But when it comes time to determine the one and only Fighter of the Year for 2024, there’s really no debate. It’s Pereira: the UFC’s most fearsome knockout threat and most reliable source of entertainment. At the age of 37, and after a long and arduous kickboxing career, he has had one of the best years in MMA history.

It doesn’t seem like he’ll slow down either.

When asked who he would like to fight next, the champion indicated he was willing to continue defending his title if necessary.

“I can move up to heavyweight, but this division is great,” he said, before leaving the Octagon with the belt still firmly in his grip.