Silva held center early in the UFC 324 main card opener, barely moving while Allen worked from the outside, starting off the action with a kick. Allen was far more mobile, circling, firing a probing leg kick while Silva appeared to bide his time, hand cocked. The first punch from the Brazilian targeted the body, and he'd go there again later. Jean Silva did flip the script, going high with a kick, while Allen borrowed from Silva's playbook by targeting the body.
It's time once again for our annual Year-End awards, and this year we're leading with a new category: Story of the Year. The MMA media business is often a reflection of the sport itself (as it should be), one in which anything can happen. In the cage and out of the cage, MMA rarely has a shortage of storylines. Hence introducing a "Story of the Year" category in our Year-End awards.