Octagon Inferno: Reliving the Best UFC Fights of 2025
This retrospective covers four UFC bouts from 2025 that received attention in the promotion’s year-end fights coverage. The event records below give the verified dates, results, and finish times; the order is not a ranking.
Jiří Procházka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
At UFC 320 in Las Vegas on October 4, Procházka stopped Rountree by strikes at 3:04 of Round 3. The UFC awarded the light heavyweight bout Fight of the Night.
Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval
Van defeated Royval by unanimous decision at UFC 317 on June 28. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 for Van; both flyweights received Fight of the Night honors.
Iwo Baraniewski vs. Ibo Aslan
Baraniewski knocked out Aslan with strikes at 1:29 of Round 1 at UFC 323 on December 6. The light heavyweight bout was Baraniewski’s UFC debut.
Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta
Sadykhov stopped Motta by strikes at 4:17 of Round 2 at UFC Baku on June 21. Sadykhov fought in his home country of Azerbaijan, and both lightweights earned Fight of the Night honors.
For four prospects the UFC highlighted entering 2026, read our UFC prospect recap.
Sources:
- UFC: The Fights, 2025 UFC.com Awards
- UFC: UFC 320 results
- UFC: UFC 317 results
- UFC: UFC 323 official scorecards
- UFC: UFC Baku official results
Context and Significance
A year-end retrospective is inevitably selective: it can highlight memorable performances without claiming to define a single objective ranking. The official event records help anchor each example in its date and result, while the UFC’s awards coverage offers a second lens on which fights drew attention. Fans may value different qualities, including technical skill, dramatic momentum, or a decisive finish. The purpose here is to revisit several notable contests and give readers enough context to compare them on their own terms.
