Khamzat Chimaev hands down had to be the no-brainer choice for MMA Junkie’s 2020 “Newcomer of the Year.”
Although there was plenty of fresh blood thriving in the UFC in 2020, no fighter made a bigger splash than Chimaev (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The 26-year-old became a rising star in the MMA world and managed to land on the UFC’s official welterweight rankings in just a span of five months.
Chimaev made his UFC debut on short notice at UFC on ESPN 13 in Abu Dhabi, smashing veteran and former BAMMA middleweight champion John Phillips to then submit him with a D’arce choke in the second round.
Phillips had more than 30 professional fights while Chimaev had just six. It was a big jump in experience for a UFC debut. And yet, Chimaev fought composed and dominated Phillips all the way to the finish.
But a successful UFC debut wasn’t enough as Chimaev, in Khabib Nurmagomedov-esque English, let everybody know he wanted more.
“I want to fight next week, today, tomorrow, doesn’t matter – I’m so hungry,” he said. “I wait here. If you have fight, give me fight. I’m going to be champion here.”
And just as he requested, UFC president Dana White booked him in a welterweight fight against newcomer Rhys McKee 10 days later at UFC on ESPN 14. It was a one-sided beatdown, and Chimaev was swinging the hammer. Chimaev broke the record for quickest turnaround between non-tournament UFC wins, finishing McKee in the first round.
Later in September, Chimaev moved back up to 185 pounds and fought long-time veteran Gerald Meerschaert. The fight ended in just 17 seconds as Chimaev knocked out Meerschaert with a sharp right hand.
The UFC tried to get Chimaev a fourth fight in 2020, throwing him in the headlining act of UFC Fight Night 183 against top-five welterweight contender Leon Edwards. However, the fight fell through as Edwards dropped out with COVID-19.
There’s no denying Chimaev’s performances and wins were beyond impressive, but his charisma and trash talk shining through was what made him a quick fan favorite. “Borz” had around 50,000 Instagram followers prior to his UFC debut, and he now finishes the year with about 1.2 million. He’s easily among the most popular UFC fighters today.
Chimaev was the new sensation of 2020, and that’s why he’s MMA Junkie’s “Newcomer of the Year.”
Honorable mention
Jamahal Hill
Jamahal Hill should be 3-0 in his start with the UFC, but the devil’s lettuce got him in trouble.
Hill (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) defeated Darko Stosic, Klidson Abreu and former UFC interim title challenger Ovince Saint Preux in his 2020 run, but unfortunately his Abreu victory was turned into a no contest after testing positive for marijuana.
“Sweet Dreams” looked good in his 2020 start in the UFC and even picked up the attention of former UFC light heavyweight champion and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history – Jon Jones.
Brandon Royval
Brandon Royval is one of the many Contender Series products who’s found success in the UFC. He might actually be the most successful Contender Series alumnus of 2020 if you go by rankings. Royval (12-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) sits at No. 6 in the UFC’s official flyweight rankings.
Royval had solid submission wins over notable names such as Tim Elliott and Kai Kara-France. He did lose to Brandon Moreno, but Moreno is arguably the best contender in the division. “Raw Dawg” definitely had a nice 2020.
Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria didn’t make the rankings, but he promises to be a top fighter at featherweight.
“El Matador” outpointed Youssef Zalal and stopped Damon Jackson in brutal fashion in his first year with the UFC. At just 23 years of age and unbeaten in his MMA career, Topuria (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is easily one of the best prospects in the UFC and looks to be a future title contender.
MMA Junkie’s 2020 ‘Newcomer of the Year’: Khamzat Chimaev becomes smash hit
