Terrence Crawford’s achievements are simply too significant to overlook.
As 2025 nears its end, the awards season is underway for MMA and boxing, with fans, fighters, and analysts voting in categories like Knockout of the Year and Fight of the Year.
The most prestigious award each year is given to the top athlete in each sport. In MMA, Merab Dvalishvili is the clear favorite for Fighter of the Year in 2025 after making history with four successful defenses of the UFC bantamweight title. The Georgian narrowly secured the Bloody Elbow award, but boxing’s awards are more complex. Two leading contenders in the pound-for-pound debate have strong cases, though for very different reasons.
When it comes to the best boxer of the year, Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue stand out. This sparked a debate between valuing individual landmark moments versus consistent overall performance. Crawford made history in one iconic fight, while Inoue has accumulated wins unmatched by anyone at his level.
Inoue has already notched three victories in 2025 and may add a fourth before the year concludes. After defending his undisputed super bantamweight title a fifth time by defeating Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Inoue is set to face Alan David Picasso in Riyadh on December 27. Despite this, even with a potential fourth win, surpassing Crawford’s impact seems unlikely.
In September, over 41 million viewers watched Crawford’s historic victory on Netflix as he defeated Canelo Alvarez in a main event co-promoted by UFC President Dana White and Turki Alarcik. Moving up two weight classes, Crawford pulled off a stunning upset and became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to win undisputed championships in three weight divisions.
This monumental achievement outweighs Inoue’s consistent fight record, earning Crawford the title of Bloody Elbow’s 2025 Boxer of the Year.
Fans remain divided over the Fighter of the Year debate, with many supporting Crawford for his historic win and others championing Inoue’s busy and dominant year. Supporters of Crawford emphasize his unmatched impact and historic feat, while Inoue’s advocates highlight his frequency of fights and consistent dominance at a high level.
Fan Take: This award race highlights the ongoing tension in combat sports between valuing momentous landmark victories versus steady excellence. For fighting fans, it sparks lively debate about what truly defines greatness, a conversation that drives passion and engagement in the sport.
