Another action-packed month of MMA is behind us, and MMA Junkie presents the best fights of March 2025. Here are five nominees, in chronological order, and the winner of MMA Junkie`s Fight of the Month award for March.
Let us know if you agree with our choice by voting at the bottom of the post.
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Nominees
- Nominee: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics at UFC Fight Night 253
- Nominee: Ozzy Diaz vs. Djorden Santos at UFC 313
- Nominee: Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomas at UFC Fight Night 255
- Nominee: Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri at UFC on ESPN 64
- The winner: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313
- Cast Your Vote!
Nominee: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics at UFC Fight Night 253
Nasrat Haqparast (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Esteban Ribovics (14-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) delivered an exciting lightweight battle in the middle of the main card.
Haqparast, the underdog, secured his fifth consecutive victory, four by decision, against Ribovics, who earned Fight of the Night honors for the second time in a row.
Nominee: Ozzy Diaz vs. Djorden Santos at UFC 313
Ozzy Diaz (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) defeated Djorden Santos (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in an action-packed light heavyweight match.
Diaz and Santos achieved the eighth-highest number of combined strikes in UFC middleweight history – 270 in total, with Diaz slightly ahead at 136-134. Their strike distribution was also remarkably even.
Nominee: Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomas at UFC Fight Night 255
Shauna Bannon overcame adversity to secure her first UFC finish against Puja Tomar.
Shortly after being knocked down by a left high kick, Bannon (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) executed an armbar from her back, submitting Puja Tomar (9-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in the second round of their strawweight bout.
Nominee: Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri at UFC on ESPN 64
Fueled by the support of the Mexican crowd, Loopy Godinez (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) secured a unanimous decision victory over Julia Polastri (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in their strawweight fight, enduring a late rally from her opponent.
Despite dominating most of the exciting contest, Godinez was forced to defend as Polastri went all-out towards the end. It wasn`t enough to win, but it energized the fans.
The winner
The winner: Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313
Another Justin Gaethje versus Rafael Fiziev fight, another classic.
Gaethje defeated Fiziev in their hastily arranged rematch, earning a unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 from all judges. The lightweight bout served as the UFC 313 co-main event.
Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) previously beat Fiziev (12-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) by majority decision in a Fight of the Night at UFC 286 in March 2023. This fight mirrored their first encounter, with both fighters exchanging heavy strikes for the full 15 minutes.
Gaethje landed the most impactful blow of the fight in the second round, ducking a jab and evading an uppercut before countering with an uppercut that dropped Fiziev. Fiziev narrowly avoided a finish.
Fiziev started strong in the third round, but Gaethje – who promised a vintage performance reminiscent of his WSOF days before UFC 313 – applied relentless pressure with volume and power punches, wearing down his opponent as the round progressed. Gaethje finished the fight strongly, which impressed the judges.
