As 2024 draws to a close, Tiebreaker Times and The MMA Superfan take a moment to reflect on an extraordinary year for Philippine mixed martial arts.
Unlike past years, where established household names dominated the spotlight, the last 12 months have seen a remarkable shift.
This time, the up-and-comers have taken center stage, shouldering much of the industry’s heavy lifting.
With these future trailblazers making their ascent up the scene’s hierarchy, it’s only fitting to celebrate their efforts and achievements through this year’s honor roll.
Prospect of the Year: Ezekiel Isidro
Submission Sports Philippines, one of the pioneer MMA teams in the country, has introduced a promising prospect to lead the group into the next generation – Ezekiel Isidro.
Isidro brings a deadly combination of striking power and no-frills grappling, two key elements for success in the sport.
At a young age, he has already earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and claimed podium finishes in national and regional Muay Thai tournaments.
This strong foundation contributed to an early career milestone when he picked up a unanimous decision victory over the highly touted Marwin Quirante in September 2023
In 2024, “EZ-Kill” made a single appearance, scoring a hard-fought unanimous decision against Jacis Macasinag under the URCC banner this past September to push his professional record to 2-0.
While his talent is undeniable, Isidro must make 2025 a more productive year if he hopes to fully harness his potential and follow his teammate, Eros Baluyot, on the international fighting circuit.
WTF Moment of the Year: Joshua Pacio vs. Jarred Brooks II
Joshua Pacio stands out as the lone bona fide Filipino MMA superstar on this list, but not for the reasons many might expect.
While 2024 showcased a host of unforgettable performances, one moment left fans and analysts alike puzzled – and, unfortunately, Pacio found himself at the center of it.
Last March, Pacio faced Jarred Brooks in a rematch for the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship. The clash ended with “The Passion” regaining his title, but not in the way he would have wanted.
The match-up took an unexpected and shocking turn when “The Monkey God” inadvertently spiked Pacio’s head onto the canvas during a takedown attempt. The impact knocked the Lions Nation MMA co-founder unconscious, resulting in the American’s disqualification in the first round.
Under ONE Championship’s Global MMA Rule Set, slamming an opponent on the head, neck, or spine is strictly prohibited. As a result, Pacio was declared the winner.
Fortunately, the two rivals will have the chance to settle the controversy from their second encounter, as they are slated to duke it out in a trilogy bout at ONE 171 in Qatar on February 20.
Coach of the Year: Nhong Laurio
Every successful athlete owes much to a visionary coach, and 2024 has undeniably been a breakout year for Nhong Laurio of AJJ Sprawl.
Laurio is the mastermind behind Marwin Quirante’s sensational four-fight winning streak across three different promotions, a feat that has positioned “The Green Goblin” as one of the brightest prospects in Philippine MMA today.
Given Laurio’s pivotal role in Quirante’s meteoric rise, all eyes will be on him in 2025 to see if he can once again deliver his trademark coaching brilliance.
Breakout Fighter of the Year: Jahn Serbo
The star-studded Lions Nation MMA stable debuted its “Young Lions” unit in 2024, and Jahn Serbo seized the opportunity with impressive flair.
“The Prince” established an immediate presence, authoring a first-round submission victory over Arsenio Balisacan at the maiden Zeus Combat League event in May. There, he clinched the win with a triangle choke, compelling the ONE Friday Fights veteran to tap out.
His mastery of the same submission hold garnered him the biggest triumph of his burgeoning career when he subdued Fernando Venus in the second round to capture the inaugural ZCL strawweight championship in October.
As 2025 approaches, the future looks exceptionally bright for Serbo.
Local Event of the Year: ZCL 2: Supremacy
Zeus Combat League proved its ability to follow up a bombastic debut with the success of its second offering, “ZCL 2: Supremacy,” held in October.
Taking place at the SM North Edsa Sky Dome in Quezon City, the live event featured nine action-packed matches, including five title fights.
Of the nine bouts, seven ended by finish – five via knockout and two by submission.
The night’s headliner saw McLeary Ornido ascend to the throne as the promotion’s first-ever bantamweight king, turning in a second-round demolition of grizzled veteran Carlo Laurel.
Apart from Ornido, Jahn Serbo, Ef Sevilla, Mhar John Manahan, and Hero Manguray were also crowned as inaugural champions in their respective divisions.
ZCL 2: Supremacy has unquestionably set a new benchmark for how things should be done in a local setting.
Local Promotion of the Year: Zeus Combat League
Under the leadership of retired fighter Burn Soriano, Zeus Combat League set out to disrupt the status quo in Philippine MMA – and that’s exactly what the new promotion achieved with its first two events in 2024.
Notably, two competitors from its debut extravaganza in May managed to punch their tickets to the weekly ONE Friday Fight series, which serves as the entry level to ONE Championship.
Meanwhile, ZCL’s October card crowned its first five divisional titleholders.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Soriano-led ZCL is expected to give its local counterparts a run for their money.
Fight of the Year: Hero Manguray vs. Joris Jonker
ZCL 2: Supremacy has netted its well-deserved spot on this list for a reason, and one of the key factors is the grueling showdown between Hero Manguray and Joris Jonker for the inaugural ZCL welterweight championship.
Over the course of five rounds, both men kept the crowd on the edge of their seats in a back-and-forth joust that showed no signs of either man yielding an inch.
Manguray appeared to have the upper hand with his imposing top game and multiple submission attempts. However, Jonker continuously disrupted his rhythm, finding openings for offense both on the ground and in the stand-up exchanges
Until the final bell, the battle remained neck-and-neck, with each fighter constantly pressuring the other, desperately jockeying for a dominant position in hopes of swaying the judges in their favor.
In the end, Manguray walked away with his hand raised and a gold-plated belt fastened around his waist, beating Jonker via a razor-thin unanimous decision.
Submission of the Year: Eros Baluyot SUB2 Changy Kara-Ool
Eros Baluyot made a statement in his bid to elevate his MMA career, putting forth a performance that exhibited his elite skills and unwavering composure under pressure.
The two-time IBJJF world champion squared off against Russia’s Changy Kara-Ool in a strawweight MMA tilt at ONE Friday Fights 87 last November. True to form, he emerged triumphant in signature fashion – by submission.
However, the path to victory was anything but straightforward. Kara-Ool dominated the striking trades early, keeping Baluyot on the defensive in the first round.
Just when it seemed the Russian was gaining control, Baluyot flipped the script in the second stanza, capitalizing on a mistimed body kick to bring the fight to his world – the ground.
Once the bout hit the mat, the Submission Sports Philippines member displayed masterful grappling. Methodically positioning himself, he neutralized Kara-Ool’s resistance, expertly setting up his finishing move.
Noticing an opening, Baluyot locked in a tight heel hook, leaving Kara-Ool with no choice but to tap.
The win marked a significant breakthrough for Baluyot, earning him his first overseas MMA victory and preserving his unblemished record at 5-0.
Knockout of the Year: Kimbert Alintozon KO1 Estrada Donga-as
Another noteworthy bout from ZCL 2: Supremacy made it to this list, highlighting the emphatic manner in which Kimbert Alintozon dispatched Team Lakay’s Estrada Donga-as.
The flyweight duel may have been brief, but it was anything but sweet for Donga-as. Alintozon wasted no time with his offense, landing two solid blows that pushed his opponent back to the cage fence.
Tragically for Donga-as, he walked right into Alintozon’s devastating left hook, which knocked him out cold the moment it connected.
While Alintozon’s astounding one-punch finish may be difficult to watch, it will undoubtedly be a highlight in knockout reels for years to come.
Fighter of the Year: Marwin Quirante
If there’s one mixed martial artist who truly shined bright like a diamond in 2024, it’s none other than Marwin Quirante.
The 22-year-old Marawi native may not have been on everyone’s radar this year, but he certainly made a name for himself with a series of explosive performances that demand attention going forward.
“The Green Goblin” achieved four consecutive wins, all by finish, during the year. His campaign started with a rear-naked choke submission of Lions Nation MMA’s Aaron Posawen at Zeus Combat League’s inaugural event this past May.
Just three months later, Quirante stunned fans with an 18-second knockout of Awan Aqib under the BRAVE Combat Federation umbrella, clobbering a clean front kick to the chin.
He then directed his career path to ONE Friday Fights, where he displayed complete domination in his promotional debut last October, forcing Phan Thanh Tung to throw in the towel before the second round.
Nhong Laurio’s prized pupil ramped up his momentum in November with a second-round submission of Musa Musazade, a stellar outing that raked in a $10,000 bonus from company head honcho Chatri Sityodtong.
With 2025 on the horizon, Quirante will be a fighter to watch closely as another scintillating win in ONE Friday Fights could propel him to a $100,000 contract and a seat on the main roster of ONE Championship.
