MMA 2025 Year in Review: Upset of the Year

"In a sport where anything can happen, upsets are absolutely going to happen. No one gave Matt Serra much of a chance against Georges St-Pierre, but for one night, Serra was the best welterweight on the planet. In 2025, we didn't really see any upsets on that level, but there were certainly some big ones. So here's our take on 2025's Upset of the Year!"

"Eddie Law: Brendan Allen def. RDR - Allen took a major risk accepting a short-notice fight against de Ridder, who was surging and likely one win away from a title shot. Four rounds later, RDR's corner was forced to throw in the towel as Allen dominated the action and stole all of his momentum. With the upset, Allen positioned himself just a fight or two away from a crack at UFC gold."

"Gabriel Gonzalez: Raoni Barcelos Over Payton Talbott. At the time, it felt like Talbott was being given another incrementally difficult challenge in his rapidly growing UFC career when he was booked to fight the unheralded Barcelos. Instead, Barcelos wrote his own script, outwrestling Talbott for the victory and one of the biggest upsets of the year early into 2025. In the end, it worked for both men as Barcelos' profile grew while Talbott appeared to grow from the experience in his subsequent performances."

"Jay Anderson: I looked at three candidates for upset of the year, and eliminated one quickly. Costello van Steenis vs. Johnny Eblen was an upset, but van Steenis is a high-caliber fighter who had been flirting with the top of the Bellator/PFL middleweight division for a while. That left Brendan Allen vs. Reinier de Ridder, and Payton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos. Allen is no slouch and it seems like his lack of self-promotion gets him overlooked more than anything."

Several notable upsets shaped MMA in 2025, altering contender momentum and fighter profiles. Brendan Allen accepted a short-notice fight against Reinier de Ridder, dominated four rounds, and earned a stoppage when de Ridder's corner threw in the towel, pushing Allen toward a potential title shot. Raoni Barcelos upset rising prospect Payton Talbott by controlling the fight with superior wrestling, elevating Barcelos' profile while Talbott used the experience to rebound. Costello van Steenis defeated Johnny Eblen but was viewed as a less surprising upset due to van Steenis' established high-caliber standing in the division.

Read at Cageside Press