Top 5 fighters of 2020

Another year has come and gone, and with that, tons of fights in the UFC, Bellator, and beyond.

Who made the biggest mark in 2020? Here's a look at theScore's five best fighters of the year.

5. Gilbert Burns

Burns didn't step into the Octagon in the second half of the year, but his victories in March and May cemented him as one of the most accomplished fighters in 2020.

As the No. 13-ranked welterweight, "Durinho" knocked out former title challenger Demian Maia in the first round at UFC Brasilia, the last event before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the promotion's operations.

That win set up a marquee main event against Tyron Woodley. Burns dominated the former champion over five rounds in one of the year's best performances.

At that point, the Brazilian was ranked No. 1 in the division and earned a title shot against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251. Unfortunately, Burns tested positive for COVID-19 a week before the bout.

The fight was rescheduled for December, but it was again pushed back because the champion needed more time to recover from an injury. Usman-Burns is now expected to take place in early 2021.

Burns might've lost some of his luster from earlier in 2020, but there's no denying his brilliance. He started the year as an up-and-coming welterweight who only moved up to the division in 2019. Now he's one win away from having the UFC belt wrapped around his waist.

4. Khamzat Chimaev

Chimaev is easily the top newcomer of 2020, but he also has to be on this list.

As a complete unknown, "Borz" made his UFC debut in July at one of the Fight Island events. He wasn't even scheduled to compete until stepping in on a week's notice against John Phillips.

Chimaev dominated the middleweight fight, earning a rare 10-7 scorecard in the first round and then submitting Phillips in the second. The strike differential was incredibly impressive as Chimaev landed 43 significant strikes, and Phillips connected with just one.

Then the Russian-born Swede made history by fighting 10 days later, mauling Rhys McKee on the ground en route to a first-round TKO win in a welterweight contest.

Chimaev finished his breakout campaign with a thunderous 17-second knockout over veteran middleweight Gerald Meerschaert in September. That set up a highly-anticipated welterweight clash against No. 3-ranked contender Leon Edwards for Dec. 19, but the fight was called off after Edwards tested positive for COVID-19.

People are already comparing Chimaev to Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history. We'll have to wait and see whether Chimaev hits that level of success, but he's undoubtedly shaping up to be a top contender for years to come - and that's after being on the UFC roster for only five months.

3. Jan Blachowicz

Blachowicz is probably the most surprising inclusion on this list. It's not that he doesn't deserve to be here, but most people wouldn't have expected him to accomplish what he did in the past 365 days.

The 37-year-old started his 2020 campaign with a devastating knockout win over top light heavyweight Corey Anderson. He was the underdog in the fight, and there was this notion that Anderson would likely be next for then-champion Jon Jones. Blachowicz showed that counting him out was a mistake, flattening Anderson in the first round.

Jones relinquishing the 205-pound belt in August set up a vacant title fight between Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes. No one doubted Blachowicz deserved the opportunity, but there were questions about whether he was even the UFC's second- or third-best light heavyweight, not including Jones.

However, Blachowicz proved the doubters wrong again in the UFC 253 co-main event in September, upsetting Reyes with a devastating second-round knockout.

Blachowicz is the light-heavyweight king heading into 2021, and that's something most fans wouldn't have predicted at the start of the year.

2. Kevin Holland

Holland grew into a rising star during his historic 2020 run.

"Trailblazer" is the third fighter in modern UFC history to go 5-0 in a calendar year after Roger Huerta in 2007 and Neil Magny in 2014. Holland completed the feat in record time, earning all five wins in a 210-day stretch, according to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn.

While his first four victories were against lesser competition, Holland's most recent triumph stands out. The middleweight up-and-comer knocked out perennial contender Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza with a vicious right hook during a scramble at UFC 256 on Dec. 12.

The win over Souza pushed Holland to contention and made him a lock for this list. His incredible activity rate - which, if history repeats itself, won't be matched for six or seven years - was a bonus.

This time last year, the charismatic 28-year-old was coming off a disappointing submission loss to Brendan Allen. Now he's a top-10 contender, appears only to be moving toward the top, and has a legitimate chance to become something special.

1. Deiveson Figueiredo

No one did 2020 better than Figueiredo - and really, it's not even close.

Figueiredo had a rough start to the year, missing weight for a vacant flyweight title bout against Joseph Benavidez in February. He went on to win by knockout, but there was even more controversy due to an accidental clash of heads that occurred moments before the finish.

That result set up an immediate rematch with Benavidez. This time, Figueiredo beat the scale, making him eligible to win the vacant belt. The Brazilian steamrolled Benavidez, hurting the veteran contender multiple times on the feet before choking him unconscious late in the first round.

The UFC's third flyweight champion arrived, and the "Figgy Smalls" era started.

Figueiredo cemented his status as 2020's "Fighter of the Year" by defending his title twice in a 21-day span, breaking the record for the quickest turnaround for a UFC title fight.

He submitted Alex Perez in less than two minutes at UFC 255 in November and then fought Brandon Moreno to a majority draw in one of the best fights of the year at UFC 256.

It's important to note what Figueiredo did for the flyweights. The 125-pound division has never sparkled more than it does now, and that's largely due to the champ's entertaining style and impressive 2020 campaign.

Henry Cejudo might have saved the division, but Figueiredo propelled it to glory - and for that, he should be recognized.

Honorable mentions: Glover Teixeira, Charles Oliveira, Brandon Moreno, Robert Whittaker, Curtis Blaydes