It’s been a stellar year for the new featherweight superstar from Portugal. After closing out 2023 with a tough GLORY debut loss to Berjan Peposhi, Miguel Trindade rebounded in spectacular fashion, kicking off 2024 with a stunning first-round stoppage upset over Chadd Collins—who had beaten Petchpanomrung just three months earlier and was, appropriately, last year’s breakthrough award winner.
A few months later, he put on a kickboxing masterclass against Abraham Vidales, then started preparing for perhaps the strongest Featherweight tournament of all time rivaling the 2016 K-1 65 kg World GP.
Trindade's speed and power were put on full display in the tournament as, in the hardest bracket, he stopped both top-ranked Kento Haraguchi and Chadd Collins in the first round, only to fall to the Thai champion in the final by split decision. The loss to the divisional GOAT takes nothing away from the 24-year-old's achievements in 2024 as he emphatically defeated three ranked kickboxers in arguably the strongest division in the sport. We award Miguel Trindade the "Breakthrough Fighter of the Year" award.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
KACPER MUSZYŃSKI
Despite having been unlucky with injuries, Kacper Muszyński ended the year with a perfect 5-0 record. Although he qualified for the K-1 MAX tournament via decision over top Lightweight Stoyan Koprivlenski, then defeated Zhora Akopyan in the quarter-final, Muszyński had to pull out of the tournament due to injury, and the Bulgarian fighter who he had beaten took his spotlight, then won the tournament. Even so, it was an impressive year for the Polish star as he had notable wins over Călin Petrișor, Valentin Mavrodin, Zhora Akopyan, and the then tournament winner Koprivlenski. The only challenges remaining for Muszyński in K-1 are Hiromi Wajima and the champion Ouyang Feng who was injured before the tournament and then occupied with his obligations to Wu Lin Feng in late 2024.
ALEXIS NICOLAS
The 26-year-old savateur Alexis Nicolas became the first man in eight years to defeat "the Immortal" Regian Eersel to capture the ONE 77kg title. While Eersel took the title back in their rematch, it was still a close affair and proved that the win was not a fluke. While there is an interesting matchup with Dmitry Menshikov and a possible rubber match against Eersel on the horizon, ONE has very few 77 kg kickboxers on the roster and Nicolas will eventually be held back by the lack of fight offers in the promotion.
RYUJIN NASUKAWA
In Japan, Tenshin Nasukawa's younger brother 18-year-old Ryujin Nasukawa went a perfect 5-0 in the year. After defeating Tenshi Matsumoto and taking a questionable decision win over Momu Tsukamoto, he shockingly knocked out Riku Kazushima for the RISE 51.5 kg title, his third high-level victory in the year. While he can't compare to his superstar brother at the same age, Ryujin has asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with below 53 kg.
GIORGI MALANIA
Over in China, one of the most promising young fighters in the sport, 21-year-old Georgi Malania made waves, going 6-0 and impressing with his fast hands and diverse arsenal. He notably defeated top prospect Yi Yuxuan and ranked 64 kg kickboxer Wei Weiyang to qualify for the WLF 63 kg 4-man tournament. In January he justified the nomination with explosive showings over Zhao Chongyang and Hirotaka Asahisa to win the tournament.
