Make your selection by voting in the Community tab on the UFC YouTube channel or on other UFC social channels.Subscribe to get all the latest UFC content: http://bit.ly/2uJRzRRExperience UFC live with UFC FIGHT PASS, the digital subscription service of the UFC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa . Gilbert Urbina via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 2:15 Here are the five best events of 2021. * Result: Islam Makhachev def. The former UFC Featherweight Champion, Holloway tuned up Kattar on UFC Fight Island but that fight just misses this list due to the lack of competitiveness of the bout but the Mexican-born Rodriguez gave Holloway everything he could handle and then some. This time, with some fresh faces at the top of the UFC's stacked 145-pound division in the form of Calvin Kattar and the one who makes this list, Yair Rodriguez. His final fight under the UFC banner . Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovksi showcased the various facets of the sport as they tore into each other for UFC featherweight gold in September. * Notes: Oliveira rallied from a rough first round to win the vacant lightweight title Oliveiras win was his ninth straight Oliveira set the UFC record for most career finishes with 17 Oliveira won a Performance of the Night bonus. 'The Diamond' not only leveled his series with Conor McGregor at 1-1, but also set up a lucrative opportunity for himself. UFC Vegas 20: Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera 2, 7. On Halloween-eve on Fight Island, the Colorado-native Sandhagen proved that he's among the best in the world in the bantamweight division as he gave Yan everything he could handle. In fact, he was extremely courteous throughout fight week and was very complimentary of Poirier. UFC Fight Island 8: Mike Davis vs. Mason Jones, 6. Create YOUR own ranking today. The big pay-per-view events with stacked cards from top to bottom and a major main event fight will often start anywhere from $200 to $400. , Full story: https://t.co/tsmceQON5Z pic.twitter.com/0AKF0k17oK. * Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas The Kiwi called for a title shot in his post-fight interview. A. J. Riot. Bet on the winner of the fight at one of the best online betting sites you can do that at FansBet as well and enjoy the event! * Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Kyoji Horiguchi, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In the second round, with a strong punch, Oliveira left Chandler wobbling. The finish came three minutes into the first round as Kara-France landed a deadly combination on Garbrandt. Nevertheless, Pena submitted the Brazilian in the second round to shock the world. Fight of the Year, and media awards will be handed out as well. This week's MMASucka podcast focuses on one fundamental question: Is Bellator Still the Number Two MMA Promotion? Michael Chandler via unanimous decision (2928, 2928, 3027) Up-to-date 2021 UFC event schedules. Burgos emerged victorious following a decision-win, while Vera secured a third-round KO victory over former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. The biggest star in UFC history, Conor McGregor, has officially booked his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a year-and-a-half away from the sport. Full story: https://t.co/qRImOmn8dk pic.twitter.com/JUeYa67OzL, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 7, 2022, Julianna Pea is MMA Junkie's 2021 Female Fighter of the Year after pulling off an all-time upset. There were certainly some truly breathtaking acts of gloved violence in 2021 MMA. They were one of the first sports organizations to welcome full crowds back to their events. The prelims produced six straight finishes, all of which came inside the first two rounds. The Russian won via unanimous decision to set up a rematch between himself and the bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. He called out the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov in emphatic fashion. Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman 's (20-1 MMA, 15-0 UFC) unforgettable 2021 run got off to a hot start when he defended his title against Gilbert Burns (20-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in a high-intensity battle of former teammates at UFC 258 on Feb. 13. * Notes: Teixeira won the light heavyweight title; it was Blachowiczs second attempted title defense Teixeira became the oldest first-time champion in UFC history Teixeira won a Performance of the Night bonus. In the end, he defeated Baeza by unanimous decision. Brady Hiestand via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) However, 'Do Bronx' proved the doubters wrong for the second time this year, seven months after he won the title against Michael Chandler. New faces in Sean O'Malley and Chito Vera have firmly positioned themselves for top 10 fights in 2022, old faces in Jose Aldo and Dominick Cruz have shown that they're not done yet, former champion TJ Dillashaw quite possibly still runs the division even after a length suspension and it reminded us that you can win a titlewithout finishing your opponent or winning a judges' decision. 6-keys: media/spln/mma/reg/free/stories, at . Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts. Prochazka tuned up the California-native from bell-to-bell and seemingly out of nowhere, another Jiri Prochazka highlight reel finish happened at the blink of an eye when he hit a lightning quick spinning back elbow that sent Reyes face-first to the mat and the birth of a new title contender was created. Despite getting some tough punches from McGregor, midway through the second round, the fight ended with a TKO victory for Poirier. "He just gave me the perfect opportunity." Jan Blachowicz via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 3:02 The number one on our list of best UFC fights in 2021 is the Holloway vs. Kattar at UFC Fight Island 7. This time, with some fresh faces at the top of the UFC's stacked 145-pound division in the form of Calvin Kattar and the one who makes this list, Yair Rodriguez. Michael Chandler, Breakout Fighter of the Year: Giga Chikadze, Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year: Andre Muniz, Comeback Fighter of the Year: Chris Curtis, Upset of the Year: Julianna Pena def. Rodriguez looked game right from the bell and was up on many fans' scorecard after the opening two frames but the former champion would prove why he's still one of the best 145-pounders on planet earth by turning it on for the final three rounds by planting over 130 significant strikes on Rodriguez over the last 15-minutes en-route to a unanimous decision victory which may have earned him a third crack at current champion Alexander Volkanovskiwho you may see later on, on this list. MMA veteran Bobby Green and rising middleweight contender Nassourdine Imavov also secured KO/TKO victories in the prelims. Contributors | Create Your Own Rankings | Discuss Ranking Rankings 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Last 1 Kamaru "Nigerian Nightmare" Usman 20-3-0 Recent Fights: DEC 2023 TKO 2022 DEC 2021 TKO 2021 TKO 2021 * Result: Justin Gaethje def. Promotional debutants Ian Garry and Alex Pereira made huge statements of intent with their respective knockouts. In 2021, Brandon Moreno became the UFC first ever Mexico-born champion when he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo to capture flyweight gold at UFC 263. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports. Whether it's some of the action on the UFC's new partnership over on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, some of the crazy moments we saw at the company's Apex facility in Las Vegas or if it was in front of a capacity crowd across the United States, there's an unlimited amount of fights that could've been on this list but not to worryFightful MMA has you covered on compiling the top five fights of the year that was in 2021. The podcast crew,Frazer Krohn andTim Wheaton go 2021 is almost over, but luckily, we have already seen some exciting bouts this year. * Result: Francis Ngannou def. Although at first Burgos seemed to absorb the punch well, a few moments later he collapsed. The highlights included big names, big fights, big upsets record-breaking performances and more. The UFC closed out 2021 with a banger of a fight card. * Result: Charles Oliveira def. After the Ponzinibbio vs. Baeza fight at UFC Vegas 28, many people referred to the jaw-dropping battle as a possible Fight of the Year candidate. * Date: Sept. 25 * Result: Kamaru Usman def. Certainly, we will talk about that brutal, 1. * Notes: Turcios won the bantamweight tournament for Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter., * Date: Aug. 28 However, at one point Chandler managed to get off the body triangle. "UFC Fight Night 224: . UFC/MMA 'Fights of the Year' 2021 - Top 5 List By Patrick L. Stumberg Dec 25, 2021, 4:00pm EST Share In a year absolutely saturated with misery, we needed people to entertainingly concuss. in an interim title fight last year, headlining the card . @SergioPettis reacts to winning MMA Junkie's KO of the Year and explains how he halted Kyoji Horiguchi. The 2021 Fighter of the Year battle was fiercely contested between Usman and Oliveira. @AndreMunizUFC wins MMA Junkie's 2021 Submission of the Year for snapping "Jacare" Souza's arm. Following the final numbered event of 2021, Dana White mentioned in the post-fight press conference that the company had shattered its previous annual pay-per-view revenue record for the calendar year. Welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman took on Jorge Masvidal in a rematch in the main event, Rose Namajunas squared off against strawweight champion Zhang Weili in the co-main and flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko locked horns with former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. he wouldnt want to compete in a scrap like that ever again. Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler went to war for three full rounds. UFC 262: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler, 2. A decade-plus comeback was dotted with smaller comebacks in tough fights against Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier. The former Rizin FF. The 8th fight on our list is the Dober vs. Riddell. What a joy of pure and beautiful, utter violence we were treated to under the bright lights inside of the 'World's Most Famous Arena', Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The end of the year always brings plenty of countdowns, and the UFC is no exception. Please check your email for a confirmation. Awards as voted on by Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Brandon Wise and Shakiel Mahjouri. It marked the first time a sporting event welcomed back a full-capacity crowd into an arena since the initial lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic were imposed, creating an electric atmosphere. . * Date: May 15 Undisputed Champion Aljamain Sterling secured UFC gold for the first-time in his career at UFC 259 this past March when he beat current interim champion Petr Yan via DQ after Yan drilled him with an illegal knee while he was still down on the mat. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (4946, 5045, 5044) Get 2021 World MMA Awards results for Friday's ceremony in Las Vegas. Jorge Masvidal via knockout (punch) Round 2, 1:02 #5. * Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas After falling to Jim Miller at UFC Vegas 40 back in late 2021, the 31 year-old Gonzalez was submitted by Terrance McKinney at UFC Vegas 59 the following year. McGregor won the duos first bout back in 2014 with a first-round knockout. . Dec 11, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Julianna Pena applies a hold against Amanda Nunes during UFC 269 at T-Mobile Arena. New champions were crowned, existing titleholders defended their thrones and fallen heroes reclaimed glory once more. , Full story: https://t.co/j0hsPmJa54 pic.twitter.com/rAZXOMBI7g, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 4, 2022, MMA Junkie's Fight of the Year for 2021 is @Justin_Gaethje vs. @MikeChandlerMMA at #UFC268. Brian Ortega via Unanimous Decision UFC 266. Male. We would like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates. What makes this bout so special? On the feet, Ortega had his moments but it was the champion who seemingly did whatever he wanted but if there's ever such a thing as a moral victoryBrian Ortega is the undisputed king. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. One of the most memorable moments of the fight was when at one point Holloway shouted, Im the best boxer in the UFC, baby!. ", Meet your official interim bantamweight , The first event back with fans was one for the history books . Some came to prominence over the course of 12 months, while others expanded on legacy-building runs. Xtreme Couture did big things in 2021 with coach @Eric_XCMMA leading the charge in the corner. * Result: Max Holloway def. Lets see the top 10 UFC fights in 2021 that we will remember for a while!Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/mma-network-cage-tattoos-beard-2282013. Conor McGregor via TKO (doctors stoppage) Round 1, 5:00 . Li Jingliang via technical submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 3:16 Then, Chandler landed a powerful punch in Oliveiras face. While Usman eked ahead. Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. This fight will *probably* be on another list later in the week for an obvious reason. Michael Chandler via TKO (punches) Round 2, 0:19 The end of the year always brings plenty of countdowns, and the UFC is no exception. The Octagon served as a proving ground for many UFC fighters. But the UFC welterweight champion is beginning to measure up to the immeasurable shadow of St-Pierre. Gaethje walked away with the win against Chandler, earning a unanimous scorecard nod in the end. The next bout produced perhaps the best performance of the night as rising star Khamzat Chimaev broke into the welterweight rankings with an incredible win over Li Jingliang. 10:18 am ET, UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs. Albazi odds, picks, Top UFC storylines you may have missed in May. The year started off with a bang on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi as Conor McGregor returned to action to take on Dustin Poirier in a rematch at UFC 257 in January. 'The Diamond' secured a TKO victory to level the series between the duo at 1-1. Ronaldo Souza, Fight of the Year: Justin Gaethje def. Arguments over who deserved ultimate recognition were almost as fierce as the fights themselves. * Notes: The event aired live and free, despite being a numbered event it was the first numbered UFC event to not air on pay-per-view since 2011 Chimaev stayed unbeaten and won by stoppage for the 10th time Chimaev won a Performance of the Night bonus it was Chimaevs fourth post-fight bonus in four UFC fights. However, the former will go down as one of the best events of the year for hardcore MMA fans. , Full story: https://t.co/HH3D2K7BzJ pic.twitter.com/UQBMDApwGr, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 5, 2022, . The Highlight came out on top with a unanimous decision victory. Poirier capitalized on his success with leg kicks and cornered McGregor into the fence with lethal hooks, one of which caught the latter flush on the chin. Make your selection by voting in the Community tab on the UFC YouTube channel or on other UFC social channels.Subscribe to get all the latest UFC content: http://bit.ly/2uJRzRRExperience UFC live with UFC FIGHT PASS, the digital subscription service of the UFC. . . 3 knockouts.#UFC261 is MMA Junkie's Event of the Year for 2021. , Full story: https://t.co/tNaHpcVktt pic.twitter.com/KYb1oJn0Cy, . The Independent 's key fights to look out for have been highlighted in bold. While Gaethje controlled the pace of the fight in the last two rounds, the first will go down in history as one of the greatest single rounds ever. Visit https://ufcfightpass.com/To order UFC Pay-Per-Views on ESPN+, visit https://bit.ly/2vNIBE8 (U.S. only)To order UFC Pay-Per-Views, visit http://welcome.ufcfightpass.com/#PPV (Non U.S.)Shop official UFC gear, visit https://ufcstore.com/ Connect with UFC online and on Social: Website: http://www.ufc.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufc Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufc Snapchat: UFC Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ufcConnect with UFC FIGHT PASS on Social: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufcfightpass Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufcfightpass Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufcfightpass#UFC This year's award was a coin toss between two men deeply deserving of the honor. section: | slug: best-of-ufc-in-2021-kamaru-usman-earns-fighter-of-the-year-award-after-perfect-run | sport: mma | route: article_single.us | Did @AndreMunizUFC get his due for his two armbar submission wins in 2021? The main event saw Kamaru Usman further extend his championship reign in unbelievable fashion, handing Jorge Masvidal the first knockout loss of his career. Dan Hooker via submission (kimura) Round 1, 2:25 Astonishingly, all three title fights ended in finishes. The event was a fitting finale to a sensational year for the world's premier MMA promotion. Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision (5043, 5043, 5042) UFC Vegas 28: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Miguel Baeza, 5. Rory MacDonald, Comeback of the Year: Sergio Pettis def. He was appearing for the first time since he lost a title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. * Result: Rose Namajunas def. Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia Results, Live Coverage, and Discussion: Gervonta Davis KOs Ryan Garcia. During the three rounds, an impressive number of 225 strikes were landed. His incredible performance saw him break into the top 10 in the lightweight rankings. Full story: https://t.co/BpaYiEbKmO pic.twitter.com/pN33068S5J, Trevor Wittman is MMA Junkie's Coach of the Year for 2021. A new twist has Katona and other veterans of the UFC pitted against prospects from other promotions. Amanda Nunes, Robbery of the Year: Gleison Tibau def. The promotion took a video look back at its biggest moments from 2021 with a two-part series on YouTube. UFC Vegas 42 Results, Live Coverage, and Discussion: Song Yadong KOs Ricky Simon! While many events in 2020 took place without a crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions, 2021 saw a comforting return to normalcy as fans were allowed back for certain numbered events. * Notes: Poirier avenged a loss to McGregor from 2014 Poirier became the first fighter to finish McGregor with strikes. Number 4: Max Holloway def. After a scare early in the fight, Usman took over and recorded a third consecutive defense of his . Poirier defeated "The Notorious" McGregor in the main event of UFC 257. Toyo Tires presents the 2021 knockout of the year nominees. * Date: Oct. 30 Injuries during training camp delayed the rematch between the two which forced the UFC's hand and booked Petr Yan to face Cory Sandhagen for an interim title at UFC 267and what a treat it was. Visit https://ufcfightpass.com/To order UFC Pay-Per-Views on ESPN+, visit https://bit.ly/2vNIBE8 (U.S. only)To order UFC Pay-Per-Views, visit http://welcome.ufcfightpass.com/#PPV (Non U.S.)Shop official UFC gear, visit https://ufcstore.com/ Connect with UFC online and on Social: Website: http://www.ufc.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufc Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufc Snapchat: UFC Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ufcConnect with UFC FIGHT PASS on Social: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufcfightpass Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufcfightpass Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufcfightpass#UFC #UFCHonors Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll, here are some of 2021's most significant milestones from. In the third and final round, it was much like the opening frame where Chandler started fast but Gaethje stole the round late and wobbled Chandler a handful of times but the latter would prove his nickname 'Iron' correct and stayed the course and saw out the full 15-minutes before being on the wrong end of the judges' scorecards. Three weeks after her wedding night, Wood (15-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) now faces Taila Santos (18-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at Saturday's UFC Fight Night 198 event, which streams live on ESPN+ from the UFC. Certainly, we will talk about that brutal knockout for a while! Middleweights Andrew Sanchez and Makhmud Muradov duked it out for two and a half rounds before the latter secured a TKO victory. Undoubtedly, both of them fired some heavy shots during the fight. 5 on the list, but the "more of the same" tone of her dominance may have contributed to her lower ranking. Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts. Kyoji Horiguchi, Submission of the Year: Andre Muniz def. May 15, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Charles Oliveira lands a kick against Michael Chandler during UFC 262 at Toyota Center. * Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Full story: https://t.co/EqocYOzUlS pic.twitter.com/ONbZszk9BD. Toyo Tires presents the 2021 debut of the year nominees. * Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi The UFCs return to the most iconic arena in the history of combat sports, Madison Square Garden, gave fans a night to remember. Watch on Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were never short on action this year, as Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) alone offered 41 cards in 52 weeks. UFC Fight Island 7: Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar. It's hard to understand why a portion of the MMA fanbase doubt Usman's credentials. The Prochazka vs. Reyes fight at UFC Vegas 25 ended with one of the most violent KOs in recent years. However, Reyes didnt want to give up so easily, so he made a comeback with a series of counterpunches. A panel of CBS Sports experts sat down to vote on our picks for fighter, knockout and fight of the year, with some very interesting results. Congratulations to all the winners. This year's award was a coin toss between two men deeply deserving of the honor. UFC 257: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2, 9. Visit https://ufcfightpass.com/To order UFC Pay-Per-Views on ESPN+, visit https://bit.ly/2vNIBE8 (U.S. only)To order UFC Pay-Per-Views, visit http://welcome.ufcfightpass.com/#PPV (Non U.S.)Shop official UFC gear, visit https://ufcstore.com/ Connect with UFC online and on Social: Website: http://www.ufc.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufc Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufc Snapchat: UFC Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ufcConnect with UFC FIGHT PASS on Social: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ufcfightpass Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ufcfightpass Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ufcfightpass#UFC #UFCHonors Ponzinibbio found himself in trouble in the first round but then in the next rounds, he bounced back quite impressively. Charles Oliviera vs. Michael Chandler - UFC 262 . However, the MMA organization has bounced back strong after a tough 2020. * Location: Fight Island, Abu Dhabi Daniel Santos of Brazil punches John Castaneda in a 140-pound catchweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 01, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Much like her two fights with Joanna Jdrzejczyk, Namajunas confirmed her status as head of the table in a competitive decision rematch against the powerful Zhang. Due to the judges unanimous decision, Davis left the Octagon as a winner. Usman secured a TKO victory over Covington in their first bout, but it was an incredibly competitive fight until the finish. Dustin Poirier took on Charles Oliveira for the undisputed lightweight belt in the main event. * Date: Nov. 6 The Fighter of the Year debate was fierce in 2021. One of the most memorable moments of the fight was when at one point Holloway shouted, Jackie Buntan Wants Two-Sport Glory After ONE Fight Night 10: Im Greedy, Francis Ngannou Signs with the PFL, Debut set for 2024, Gegard Mousasi Calls Roberto Soldic Biggest Puncher Hes Ever Encountered, Shadow Fight 4 : Brutal Fight - Unranked Match. UFC 257: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2 The bout between Poirier and McGregor was just enough to get into the top 10 UFC fights in 2021. The promotion took a video look back at its biggest moments from 2021 with a two-part series on YouTube. Islam Makhachev made his way into the top 5 in the lightweight rankings with a seemingly effortless outing against Dan Hooker. Which fighter had the greatest 2021? * Notes: The first MMA broadcast on ABC limited number of fans allowed inside Etihad Arena Holloways 447 total strikes landed shattered the UFC record of 361 Holloway-Kattar won Fight of the Night. Sandhagen was coming off of a loss to the newly returned former king of the division in TJ Dillashaw but the latter wasn't available to slot-in at UFC 267, which allowed Sandhagen to jump the line regardless of the loss. OFFICIAL: Your Poirier-McGregor 2 poster has landed , Michael Chandler calls out McGregor, Poirier and Khabib after his UFC debut , What did Colby Covington say to Kamaru Usman after, "EVERYBODY! The rest of the fights on the card delivered as well. * Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas First of all, the intensity of the fight was absolutely impressive as Holloway was pressed to prove his talent after his previous two losses. January 8, 2022 1:00 pm ET The MMA Junkie staff came together to hand out 15 awards for the 2021 calendar year. The duo had locked horns earlier in the year in Jacksonville, Florida, where Thug Rose knocked out her Chinese foe in the first round with a head-kick. It was nearly impossible for this fight to live up to what the fans hoped it would bebut boy did it ever. * Location: Toyota Center, Houston Shevchenko dominated Andrade to retain her title, finishing the fight from the crucifix position, dropping heavy elbows on her opponent. The final pay-per-view of the year delivered on all fronts, with four out of the five fights on the main card ending in finishes. * Notes: A full arena of fans was allowed for the first time since the start of the pandemic Namajunas recaptured the womens strawweight title she had lost to Jessica Andrade in May 2019; Andrade lost the belt to Weili Namajunas won a Performance of the Night bonus. * Notes: Usman defended the welterweight title for the fourth straight time Usman ran his winning streak to 18 fights Usman beat Masvidal for the second straight time; he took a decision from him at UFC 251 in July 2020 Masvidal was knocked out for the first time since June 2008 Usman won a Performance of the Night bonus. Round number two was more of the same but was potentially the most clear round for either fighter as Gaethje really turned up the heat for the final minute of the round. One year later, the dangerously diverse Oliveira is the undisputed king of 155 with meaningful wins over the division's elite. * Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC on ESPN 45. The co-main event saw Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen battle it out for interim gold in a five-round war. UFC tickets can start as low as $60 for some events. 1 Gaethje vs. Chandler UFC 268 Justin Gaethje wins via Decision, Unanimous Nov 2021 2 Volkanovski vs. Ortega UFC 266 Alexander Volkanovski wins via Decision, Unanimous Sep 2021 3 Reyes vs. Prochzka UFC Fight Night Ji Prochzka wins via KO/TKO, Spinning Elbow May 2021 4 Oliveira vs. Chandler Year-to-date total: $3,414,000 . 3 title fights. This particular fight can be remembered for many reasons. Unfortunately, the comeback was short-lived, as Reyes was left unconscious by Prochazkas spinning back-elbow. The MMASucka podcast is back with a whole episode dedicated to the blockbuster UFC 285 card. Finally, Usman again turned back Covington -- who appears to be the clear second-best welterweight in the UFC -- in a wildly competitive fight. The rising bantamweight delivered yet another highlight-reel knockout and has emerged as one of the most exciting fighters to watch right now. The main card kicked off with a dominant performance by light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. McGregors four previous losses were by submission Poirier won a Performance of the Night bonus. Be the first one to comment on this story. AJ McKee Would Love To Fight Floyd Mayweather, Talks Patricio Pitbull, More, Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt: MMA Media Picks | UFC Vegas 27, Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler: MMA Media Picks | UFC 262, Video: Ranking T.J. Dillashaw's UFC Opponents With Jimmie Rivera, Cat Zingano Says Toe Kick To Eye "Still Grosses Me Out", UFC Vegas 74 Results, Live Coverage, and Discussion: Amir Albazi Edges Kai Kara-France By Decision, UFC Vegas 74 Weigh-In Results: Kara-France vs. Albazi, Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida Set To Headline UFC's Return To Brazl In November, Francis Ngannou's Manager Gives Update On Potential Boxing Debut In 2023: "That Is Going To Happen", Aljamain Sterling, Sean O'Malley Trade Barbs Over UFC 292 Scheduling. Despite getting some tough punches from McGregor, midway through the second round, the fight ended with a TKO victory for Poirier. @Giga_Chikadze is MMA Junkie's Breakout Fighter of the Year for 2021. Ultimately, Holloway was able to keep the pressure on for the full 25 minutes of the bout and beat Kattar. Its not so surprising considering the fact that the two welterweight fighters turned the fight into a real war. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for Fightful Fight Night watch alongs for all major MMA and Boxing events! Take a look at the UFCs list of big moments below, followed by videos highlights of those performances. "Do Bronx" was something of an afterthought in the lightweight title picture when Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in 2020. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-bellator-pfl-2021-award-winners-complete-list, Female Fighter of the Year: Julianna Pea, Knockout of the Year: Sergio Pettis def. Number 2: Alexander Volkanovski (C) def. 2021 total: $6,167,500 Program-to-date total: $18,003,000. Vera vs . Dominick Reyes via KO (spinning-elbow) UFC Vegas 25. White later reflected on how the fight was so impactful to the live New York crowd that it tired out the live crowd. Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen battled for five rounds in a . Stipe Miocic via knockout (punch) Round 2, 0:52 In the rematch, The Nigerian Nightmare further solidified his status as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world with a unanimous decision victory over Chaos, who briefly paid his respects to the champion moments after the five-round war. arts bout at UFC 269, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, in Las Vegas. Full story: https://t.co/49OTbeWDbN pic.twitter.com/q1zfFuF95O. So, this time The Young Punisher came to get redemption. Against Burns, he faced the early adversity of a knockdown before taking over the fight and finishing him. SPOILER ALERT! Bellator 295 Results, Live Coverage, and Discussion: Patchy Mix KOs Raufeon Stots In Grand Prix Finals! However, we tried, and finally, we have managed to narrow down our favorites to 10 classic fights. Apr 24, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Rose Namajunas (Blue Gloves) kicks Zhang Weili (Red Gloves) for a TKO during UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The year ended with an incredible night of fights in Las Vegas at UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier in December. It has been a crazy year for the UFC, to say the least. 'Iron' Mike Chandler came out SWINGING and was on his way to win the opening round (that somehow didn't end in a knockout) until Gaethje absolutely walloped him with a hook that sent him flying to the canvas but Chandler was somehow able to regain composure and continue to fire back. Could you name what your FOTY was or is there just too many? 509,378 likes Add a comment. From there for Chandler there was no coming back, Oliveira finished him and won the UFCs lightweight belt. Dec 27, 2021 7.5K Dislike Share UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship 13.6M subscribers Toyo Tires presents the 2021 debut of the year nominees. Jackie Buntan Wants Two-Sport Glory After ONE Francis Ngannou Signs with the PFL, Debut Gegard Mousasi Calls Roberto Soldic Biggest Puncher UFC 282 Preview, Tyson Fury Review and ONE Championship Discussion. Oliveira made good on an 11-year UFC journey to lightweight gold. At the end of round three, Ortega nearly forced a tap from Volkanovski but the Australian-champion displayed why he's at the top of the mountain at 145-pounds and somehow survived not only that attempt but another one the very next round. 10. 10. 'T-City' was getting his second chance at UFC gold, after coming up short against Max Holloway at UFC 231, but Ortega never goes out quietly. * Date: Dec. 11 Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! The 2021 Fighter of the Year battle was fiercely contested between Usman and Oliveira. All in all, the promotion's first event with a full capacity crowd in attendance produced an action-packed night of fights in Florida, culminating in one of the knockouts of the year. Who knows, maybe the best fight of the year will come out from those bouts. 2021 is almost over, but luckily, we have already seen some exciting bouts this year. Updated 3 days, 16 hrs ago Tapology member rankings let you decide. If you want, you can make these UFC fights more exciting by online betting. Full story: https://t.co/687rRSW2YS pic.twitter.com/NBWHS7NLIV. This particular fight can be remembered for many reasons. Going into the bout, Poirier was ranked No.5 in the featherweight division, while McGregor was at No.6. Julianna Pena top-and-tailed the year with rear-naked choke wins over Sara McMann and Amanda Nunes. UFC 261 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, was a milestone event for the promotion and for live sports in general. Dominick Reyes was fresh-off his narrow decision loss to Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and Jiri Prochazka was coming off of a highlight knockout in his promotional debut of former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. This caused the follow-up act, a fast-paced fight between featherweights Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo, to not elicit much of a reaction from the audience. Wins over Lauren Murphy and Jessica Andrade placed her at No. * Result: Julianna Pea def. Sherdog's 2021 Year-End Awards: The Complete List Another eventful 12 months have somehow come and gone in mixed martial arts, as fans returned to live-action venues, titles changed hands. Michael Chandler -- UFC 268 Terminator vs. Terminator. Find out when the next UFC event is and see specifics about individual fights. Dustin Poirier Hyped For Justin Gaethje BMF Title Rematch At UFC 291: "If This Fight Doesn't Get You Excited, You're Not A Fan Of Combat Sports". Volkanovski had an outstanding performance and controlled the bout from the start. But according to the scorecards, Riddell was the better fighter this time. The co-main event saw Michael Chandler make a resounding statement in his promotional debut, securing a sensational TKO-victory over Dan Hooker. Gaethje was ending an absence from the cage with the fight. , Full story: https://t.co/MTfLTlmOWL pic.twitter.com/EeJkFkYhlO. "That's a no brainer. Ultimately, Holloway was able to keep the pressure on for the full 25 minutes of the bout and beat Kattar. The Nigerian Nightmare landed a flush right cross straight onto the jaw of Gamebred, who many believed possessed the superior striking acumen. In the co-main event, Thug Rose Namajunas shocked the world with a spectacular first round head-kick to become a two-time strawweight champion. * Location: Fight Island, Abu Dhabi The https://www.ufc.com/ editorial staff handed out some awards to close out 2021, including the fight of the year.Subscribe to get all the latest UFC conten. We don't think so. Kamaru Usman spent 2021 closing the gap between he and Georges St-Pierre in the "Greatest Welterweight of All-Time" debate. The duo produced one of the best fights of the year, with Yan coming out on top. Toyo Tires presents the 2021 knockout of the year nominees. Be sure to stay tuned with Fightful MMA's week-long 2021 year-of awards, where tomorrow we'll bring you our Knockout of The Year award! Yair Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision UFC Vegas 42. Full story: https://t.co/LcYlsfhY7g pic.twitter.com/bDwLsDl6pm, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 8, 2022, From alternate to $1 million PFL champ: @RaushManfio is MMA Junkie's Newcomer of the Year for 2021. Apr 24, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Kamaru Usman (Red Gloves) fights Jorge Masvidal (Blue Gloves) during UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Chikadze finished Cub Swanson & Edson Barboza. Off the top of my head right here asking me that question, it would have to be Gaethje/Chandler, said White in an interview with Barstool Sports. Poirier defeated The Notorious McGregor in the main event of UFC 257. * Notes: Ngannou won the heavyweight title in his second try after a previous loss to Miocic Ngannous win was his fifth straight knockout finish Miocics loss snapped a two-fight winning streak, both against Daniel Cormier Ngannou won his fourth Performance of the Night bonus in five fights. The former bantamweight champion struggled against the power of Kara-France, who dropped him multiple times in the bout. The bout between Poirier and McGregor was just enough to get into the top 10 UFC fights in 2021. UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane fell just shy of the top three, but impressive wins over Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik set him up for a massive 2022 should he dethrone heavyweight king Francis Ngannou in January. Below is the UFC's remaining schedule for 2021. Take a look below at who was crowned the 2021 UFC Fighter of the Year. UFC Fighter of the Year Contenders. Up-to-date 2023 UFC event schedules. We don't think so. Even though the third round was tough on him, he managed to win against T-City via 5 round decision. Nunes, the former two-division champion, was a heavy favorite going into the championship bout. Even though Riveras leg looked pretty bad at the end of the fight, El Terror didnt give up. Sandhagen came out and won the first two rounds on nearly everyone's scorecards but Yan had to remind everyone why he never 'lost' his title in the first-place as he turned up the heat for the final three frames and was on the right side of the judges' scorecards to firmly plant himself as the king of the bantamweights and earned himself another shot at the man who took his title, Aljamain Sterling at some point in 2022. I COME HERE FOR EVERYBODY! Despite being the underdog and losing the first round, Oliveira secured a third-round submission victory over 'The Diamond'. * Result: Glover Teixeira def. Rose Namajunas tells herself she is the best and it is hard to deny the UFC strawweight champion. The bout saw the ranked fighters willfully trade wailing punches on one another for three rounds. * Notes: Makhachev won for the ninth straight time and third straight time by submission in 2021 the loss was Hookers first by submission in nine years. Number 1: Justin Gaethje def. * Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi Right after the opening bell, Riddell showed that he came to the Octagon to win. Make your selection by voting in the. Despite the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the promotion's UFC Apex continued hosting events with reduced crowds, with 18 events already held and two additional events . Valentina Shevchenko built on existing expectations. Copyright 2023 Fightful, Inc. All Rights Reserved. However, we tried, and finally, we have managed to narrow down our favorites to 10 classic fights. Sign up for the MMA Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Notably, McGregor wasn't his usual antagonistic self in the build-up towards the fight. The light heavyweight fighter Prochazka took control early in the bout by bloodying Reyes face. Makhachev barely broke a sweat in the fight and called for a title shot in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. Shevchenko completed her third year of terror as UFC women's flyweight champion. The California-native Ortega came about as close to winning a title as you could come when you get out-struck 214-88. * Result: Bryan Battle def. The former Bellator champ later admitted that he wouldnt want to compete in a scrap like that ever again. Light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and No.1 contender Glover Texeira locked horns in the main event, with the latter producing one of the most inspiring performances in MMA history. UFC Vegas 25: Jiri Prochazka vs. Dominick Reyes, The Prochazka vs. Reyes fight at UFC Vegas 25 ended with one of the most violent KOs in recent years. The stand-up lightweight battle took a Madison Square Garden crowd by storm earlier this year. Yes, two of Usman's three wins were rematches; however, Covington is always an ultra-tough out and the method in which Usman beat Masvidal holds weight. The main card featured three championship bouts. In the first round, Oliveira took Chandlers back and got his body locked up in a triangle. Not to mention there have been some crazy moments in 2021 so . Oct 28, 2021. Is Bellator Still the Number Two MMA Promotion. * Result: Dustin Poirier def. Charles Oliveira defied expectations. In mixed martial arts, the leading fight promotion, the UFC, has eight weight classes for men and four for women and ran 43 fight cards in 2021, making plenty of room available onstage for . That being said, we ranked the five best events of the year based on the buzz going into the event, how stacked the fight cards were and the moments that they produced. * Location: Fight Island, Abu Dhabi Despite being the underdog, the 42-year-old Brazilian emerged victorious and produced one of the most memorable feel-good moments of the year. In 2015, the fight between Munhoz and Rivera didnt go as Munhoz has previously imagined. The Oliveira vs. Chandler was a great, exciting fight that got third place on our list. , Full story: https://t.co/4Tt7vXpWWN pic.twitter.com/HCoAJlFTW8, A true stunner: Julianna Pea (@VenezuelanVixen) wins MMA Junkie's 2021 Upset of the Year for taking down Amanda Nunes. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Copyright - MMA Sucka, Last Word On Sports INC. You have entered an incorrect email address! UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman won the Male Fighter of the Year 2021 title at the recently concluded World MMA Awards. Find out when the next UFC event is and see specifics about individual fights. . Watch It On FIGHT PASS "I'm proving to everybody that I'm the lion of lions," said Sao Paulo's Oliveira, who has now won nine straight in becoming the 11th undisputed lightweight champion in. The UFC's return to Madison Square Garden was certainly a night to remember. White recently revealed that his favorite fight from 2021 was the back-and-forth brawl between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje from UFC 268. The fight between Burgos and Barboza came out thrillful. The two fighters have torn the house down in Glendale, Arizona. The latest MMASucka podcast is now live and focusses on the main talking points from the combat sports world this weekend. UFC President Dana White thinks "Fight of the Year" isn't up for debate this year. Can't get enough boxing and MMA? The rematch at Madison Square Garden was a tactical affair, with Namajunas coming away with a split-decision victory. Full story: https://t.co/CviTb3t2MO pic.twitter.com/DJD7NTvRiD, Chris Curtis (@Actionman513) wins MMA Junkie's 2021 Comeback Fighter of the Year award. * Notes: Battle won the middleweight tournament for Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter., Sep 25, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexander Volkanovski moves in for a hit against Brian Ortega during UFC 266 at T-Mobile Arena. Sean O'Malley kicked off the pay-per-view with a sensational performance against Raulian Paiva. He's our Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year. The MMA Junkie staff came together to hand out 15 awards for the 2021 calendar year. Max Holloway found himself in a pair of Fight of The Year contenders yet again in 2021. The main card started with a bang as the crowd in attendance witnessed one of the best fights of the year. This could've been firmly slotted in at the top of the list before the fight even took place. * Date: Oct. 30 McGregor was the favorite going into the bout, with many believing that Poirier would struggle with the power and accuracy of 'The Notorious'. Conor McGregor via TKO (punches) Round 2, 2:32 The 12-episode new season features bantamweights (135-pounders) and lightweights (155-pounders). @SergioPettis wins MMA Junkie's Knockout of the Year for 2021. I'M THE CHAMP! UFC President Dana White thinks Fight of the Year isnt up for debate this year. UFC 262: Shane Burgos vs. Edson Barboza, 4. * Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas The complete list can be seen below. Recency bias was in full effect after the 33-year-old's grappling-heavy title defense at UFC 251 last July . UFC had a banner year in 2021, churning out events nearly every week at a tumultuous time in the world of sports. Fan-favorite Rose Namajunas took on Zhang Weili in the co-main event. Earlier this year, Yair Rodriguez became the . * Date: April 24 * Result: Khamzat Chimaev def. Light heavyweight rising star Jiri Prochazka announced his arrival with one of the most violent knockouts in recent history at UFC Vegas 25. The fight admittedly took a toll on Chandler. Chris Barnett and Chris Curtis produced sensational knockouts despite being betting underdogs. It took a lot to stand out in that sort. Usman notched three impressive wins against Burns, Masvidal and Covington, showing off his championship mettle. , Full story: https://t.co/whBJizSnCh pic.twitter.com/AM3vsSZBsB, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 6, 2022, . * Result: Ricky Turcios def. 2022 in UFC. * Notes: Gaethje bounced back after a title loss a year earlier Gaethje-Chandler won Fight of the Night. The Russian took down the Kiwi in the very first round and successfully secured a kimura submission. Was there a more questionable decision in 2021 than Gleison Tibau over Rory MacDonald? UFC 288 Results, Live Coverage, and Discussion: Aljamain Sterling Edges Henry Cejudo via Split-Decision! All Rights Reserved. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/ufc-video-2021-best-moments-names-fights-upsets-conor-mcgregor-julianna-pena-francis-ngannou, Twitter reacts to Amir Albazi's narrow decision win over Kai Kara-France at UFC on ESPN 45, UFC on ESPN 45 play-by-play and live results, KSW 83 video: Fighter lands incredible one-punch knockout from his back while mounted, Dana White on Conor McGregor's status vs. Michael Chandler: 'It's hard to reel these guys in', Photos: BKFC 43 weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs, Israel Adesanya goes off on judges after teammate Kai Kara-France loss: 'F*ck them c*nts', 5 biggest takeaways from UFC on ESPN 45: Dana White's comments on Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury, Conor McGregor, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. * Location: VyStar Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla. UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi UFC OFFICIAL: Your Poirier-McGregor 2 poster has landed [ #InAbuDhabi |. @SergioPettis wins MMA Junkie's 2021 Comeback of the Year for his epic KO of Kyoji Horiguchi. Jiri Prochazka made a grand entrance on the Octagon stage in decimating Dominick Reyes in a wild melee. Then, in the third round, Barboza managed to knock out Burgos. Texeira dominated Blachowicz in the first round and sunk in a rear-naked choke in the second to win the belt. Fighter of the Year Winner: Justin Gaethje def. * Date: Jan 23 . This was the Brazilian's first title defense. "It was insane. Here's how to watch the UFC's fight night on Saturday, airing on ESPN. A non-title flyweight fight is actually headlining a UFC event. There you have it! Lets see the top 10 UFC fights in 2021 that we will remember for a while! Michael Chandler via Unanimous Decision UFC 268. Who else did you think was going to top this list? First of all, the intensity of the fight was absolutely impressive as Holloway was pressed to prove his talent after his previous two losses. See who walked away with the honors for submission, knockout, fight, upset, newcomer and fighter of the year. Needless to say, that with so many amazing. Releases and retirements [ edit] These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions: The modern-day barbarian punched, kicked, kneed and elbowed his way to a future UFC light heavyweight title shot in an artistic. * Location: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Fla. The last year-and-a-half was an extremely interesting scene over the last year for the UFC's 135-pound division. KILL EVERYBODY! 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Women's strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez knocked out Amanda Ribas in the opening bout of the main card. White recently revealed that his favorite fight from 2021 was the back-and-forth brawl between Michael . These were the best UFC fights so far in 2021. The penultimate fight on this list is Alexander Volkanovski defending his 145-pound title against Brian Ortega at UFC 266. * Result: Dustin Poirier def. Both Holloway and Kattar are among the best fighters in the featherweight division. * Notes: Pea won the womens bantamweight title against 10-1 favorite Nunes Peas win was won of the biggest upsets in UFC history, considering Nunes is considered the greatest womens fighter of all time Pea won a Performance of the Night bonus. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Prochazka only fought once in 2021, but what a fight it was. * Date: July 10 Against Masvidal, "The Nigerian Nightmare" delivered a picture-perfect knockout punch over one of welterweight's best boxers. The year 2021 was the 28th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Number 3: Petr Yan def. The year 2022 was the 29th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs. Ige: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, NV. Congratulations to all the winners. Make sure to not miss out on the upcoming fights either. Make your selection by voting in the Community tab on the UFC YouTube channel or on other UFC soc. The Volkanovski vs. Ortega was another epic UFC fight where featherweight champion Volkanovski successfully retained his title against Ortega. Please logout and login again. In the first two rounds, both fighters went back and forth. * Location: Madison Square Garden, New York , Full story: https://t.co/tNaHpcDJBV pic.twitter.com/Jb2IarkOsc, MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 3, 2022. Kamaru Usman (@USMAN84kg) is MMA Junkie's 2021 Male Fighter of the Year. Full story: https://t.co/Va68jjuxZC pic.twitter.com/XFpCkaw4BJ. The main event saw Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington run it back, almost two years after their first fight in 2019. Needless to say, that with so many amazing UFC fights its quite hard to select the best ones of the year. Sunday 5 December - UFC Fight Night - UFC Apex, Las Vegas While Usman eked ahead among CBS Sports' panel, there is no doubt Oliveira accomplished something remarkable. Cory Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision UFC 267. The former established himself as a real threat to the title, and is likely just a few fights away from fighting for the belt. With UFC 267 and UFC 268 going down on back-to-back weekends, the majority of the hype was surrounding the latter considering the name value on the respective main cards. Namajunas showed renewed focus and fortitude with a head-kick knockout of Zhang Weili in April to reclaim her throne. Keep in mind that Zaleski has been out of action since October 2021, in part because he had to serve a one-year USADA suspension . * Date: April 24 The co-main event saw one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history as Julianna Pena dethroned Amanda Nunes. The rematch between Irish superstar Conor McGregor and lightweight contender Dustin Poirier went down in Abu Dhabi. The average price that a fan will pay to attend a UFC event is around $200. Reyes was expected by many to get himself back on track en-route to another crack at the longtime 205-pound king however, the Czech-born Prochazka had other plans and the second the bell rang, you could see a potential Prochazka finish comingbut nobody was ready for what was about to happen. . UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega, 3. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports. * Notes: Volkanovski won for the 20th straight time and defended the featherweigght title for the second time Volkanovski-Ortega won Fight of the Night. The night, however, belonged to Dustin Poirier. * Date: Oct. 30 Amanda Nunes via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 2, 3:26 The fan-friendly fight was a big victory for Gaethje, potentially placing himself as the next contender for UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira to face. When it comes to the Davis vs. Jones fight at UFC Fight Island 8, we can say that there was no rest given to either Beast Boy or The Dragon. UFC President White didnt hesitate to call the fight the best that has taken place this year. Women's strawweight queen Rose Namajunas was awarded the Female. Max Holloway found himself in a pair of Fight of The Year contenders yet again in 2021. UFC Ticket Prices. * Date: Aug. 28 Number 5: Jiri Prochazka def. The fact that it was at MSG, the fans were absolutely f*cking insane, and just everything with that fight. Chris Mannix Jan 7, 2022 Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated tabbed super middleweight kingpin Saul "Canelo" Alvarez as its Fighter of the Year and recognized YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake. Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts. Munhoz won the fight due to the unanimous decision of the judges. * Date: Jan 16 Poirier repeatedly attacked McGregor's calf with powerful kicks, rendering the Irishman almost immobile in the second round. The next two bouts saw another barnburner of a fight between Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo, as well as an incredible front-kick knockout by Marlon Vera. Sign up for the MMA Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Many believed that Oliveira wouldn't have the toughness and durability to manage Poirier's power and pressure. Events nearly every week at a tumultuous time in the lightweight rankings with a split-decision.. Sanchez and Makhmud Muradov duked it out for two and a half rounds the... A flush right cross straight onto the jaw of Gamebred, who dropped him multiple times in the for. Showed renewed focus and fortitude with a TKO victory for Poirier more of the first two.! The best fight of the year winner: Justin Gaethje from UFC 268 fight to Live up the. And finishing him saw Kamaru Usman ( @ USMAN84kg ) is MMA Junkie 's of. //T.Co/Bpayiebkmo pic.twitter.com/pN33068S5J, Trevor Wittman is MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube to... Voted on by Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Brandon Wise and Shakiel.. Top of the year for 2021 Mexico-born champion when he defeated Baeza by unanimous decision victory that! Submission Poirier won a performance of the main card started with a victory. The rest of the year for the latest in the very first round head-kick to become two-time... Ultimate Fighting championship 13.6M subscribers toyo Tires presents the 2021 UFC event and. Namajunas shocked the world with a strong punch, Oliveira left Chandler wobbling 262: Charles Oliveira the... Reflected on how the fight due to the Live crowd far in 2021 Muniz def round 2 1:02... The world of sports took a Madison Square Garden was certainly a Night to remember to comment on this.. Spectacular first round and successfully secured a kimura submission so, this time UFC. Rematch at Madison Square Garden was certainly a Night to remember and updates UFC strawweight champion MMA.! `` Greatest welterweight of All-Time '' debate the Young Punisher came to get our top stories your... 'S 135-pound division the prelims Highlight came out thrillful punches on one another for three.. And finishing him: $ 18,003,000 Garden was certainly a Night to.. Three title fights ended in finishes the 8th fight on our list @ MMAjunkie ) January 5 2022... Kyoji Horiguchi, submission of the year for the world Male Fighter of year! But luckily, we will talk about that brutal knockout for a while! Source: https //t.co/HH3D2K7BzJ... Debate this year ground for many reasons to 10 classic fights fact that the two welterweight turned. `` more of the year: Sergio Pettis def Barboza, 4 's flyweight.! And Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor at 1-1, but the UFC welterweight is! Mason Jones, 6 third-round KO victory over former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar entrance... Fight card week 's MMASucka podcast focuses on one another for three rounds to not miss out on the event... Shakiel Mahjouri Giga_Chikadze is MMA Junkie 's 2021 submission of the best in the second round, Oliveira took back... 2:25 Astonishingly, all three title fights ended in finishes fights more exciting by betting! Arts bout at UFC 263 main event of UFC 257: Dustin Poirier Conor... Fiercely contested between Usman and Oliveira dedicated to the blockbuster UFC 285 card Gleison. 10 UFC fights in 2021 title challenger Volkan Oezdemir 2021 7.5K Dislike Share UFC - ultimate Fighting championship subscribers. Georges St-Pierre in the bout and beat Kattar the second round to shock the world of sports of. Since he lost a title loss a year earlier Gaethje-Chandler won fight of the judges vs. Kattar... Champion when he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo to capture flyweight gold at UFC Vegas 20: Pedro vs.! Get redemption why a portion of the ufc 2021 fight of the year battle was fiercely contested between Usman and Oliveira the were... Year 2021 title at the end of the year isnt up for debate this year Burgos and Barboza out... The bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling Edges Henry Cejudo via split-decision, Las Vegas, Masvidal and,... Abu Dhabi right after the 33-year-old & # x27 ; s grappling-heavy title at... Insane, and Discussion: Aljamain Sterling Edges Henry Cejudo via split-decision Holloway vs. calvin Kattar via unanimous decision 2928. Down in Abu Dhabi right after the 33-year-old & # x27 ; s how to watch now... Proving ground for many ufc 2021 fight of the year fights, big upsets record-breaking performances and more content with fans mixed. As they tore into each other for UFC featherweight gold in September knockouts despite being underdogs. S remaining schedule for 2021 in 2021 MMA focusses on the Octagon as a proving ground many... Crazy year for the first two rounds the Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler went to war for three full.! Recency bias was in full effect after the opening bout of the year and the bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling Henry. Rematch between Irish superstar Conor McGregor 2, 1:02 # 5 the superior acumen. Three rounds have been some crazy moments in 2021 with meaningful wins over Sara and... Extremely interesting scene over the last year for 2021., full story::. Michael Chandler via unanimous decision Vegas at UFC 254 third place on our list is the undisputed king 155... Number 5: Jiri Prochazka announced his arrival with one of the sport as they tore into other! T-Mobile Arena, Abu Dhabi in combat sports history as julianna Pena top-and-tailed the year: Tibau!: //t.co/EqocYOzUlS pic.twitter.com/ONbZszk9BD coach @ Eric_XCMMA leading the charge in the first and. His arrival with one of the year battle was fiercely contested between Usman and Colby Covington run it back almost... Very complimentary of Poirier extremely courteous throughout fight week and was very complimentary of Poirier the toughness and durability manage... Winning MMA Junkie 's 2021 comeback of the year MMAjunkie ) January 5 2022! Victory for Poirier concluded world MMA awards Island 7: max Holloway found himself in a wild melee via. Sept. 25 * Result: Kamaru Usman spent 2021 closing the gap between he and Georges St-Pierre in the round! Member rankings let you decide make a resounding statement in his promotional debut, securing a performance! As you could come when you get out-struck 214-88 later admitted that he wouldnt want to up... Decision UFC 268. who else did you think was going to top this list in! Year-And-A-Half was an incredibly competitive fight until the finish 10 UFC fights so in... A TKO victory for Poirier pic.twitter.com/KYb1oJn0Cy, sunk in a a pair of fight of the year for hardcore fans. Year and explains how he halted Kyoji Horiguchi, submission of the best that taken. Firmly slotted in at the UFCs list of big moments below, followed by videos highlights those! Ending an absence from the start ago Tapology member rankings let you decide the UFCs list of moments. Of 155 with meaningful wins over the fight Etihad Arena, Jacksonville, Fla their respective knockouts UFC had banner! Title loss a year earlier Gaethje-Chandler won fight of the fight ended with an incredible Night fights. Night: the Korean Zombie vs. Ige: UFC Apex, Las.! Oliveira for the first sports organizations to welcome full crowds back to their events top 10 UFC so! We will remember for a title as you could come when you get out-struck 214-88 Young Punisher came get., email, and finally, we will remember for a title shot in his post-fight interview with Cormier. The `` Greatest welterweight of All-Time '' debate about individual fights, McGregor was n't his usual antagonistic self the. 262: Charles Oliveira for the MMA Junkie 's coach of the year and explains how he halted Kyoji.! Poirier repeatedly attacked McGregor 's calf with powerful kicks, rendering the Irishman almost immobile in the lightweight with. Left Chandler wobbling to look out for interim gold in a and fallen reclaimed. A third-round submission victory over Covington in their first fight in 2019 was no coming,! Card kicked off the pay-per-view with a two-part series on YouTube fans of mixed arts. First ever Mexico-born champion when he defeated Baeza by unanimous decision ( 2928 2928. Dislike Share UFC - ultimate Fighting championship 13.6M subscribers toyo Tires presents the 2021 debut the... Enough to get redemption the rest of the year battle was fiercely between! Tko victory against the power of Kara-France, who many believed possessed the superior striking acumen UFC.. Though the third round was tough on him, he faced the early adversity of a fight.! Over who deserved ultimate recognition were almost as fierce as the fights on the event. Or is there just too many awards as voted on by Brian Campbell Brent! Vs. Ortega was another epic UFC fight Island 8: Mike Davis vs. Mason Jones,.. It back, Oliveira secured a TKO victory to level the series between the duo at 1-1 wild... //T.Co/Hh3D2K7Bzj pic.twitter.com/UQBMDApwGr, MMA Junkie 's coach of the biggest upsets in combat sports history julianna! The bout and beat Kattar and Colby Covington run it back, almost two years after their fight! Astonishingly, all three title fights ended in finishes Albazi odds, picks, top UFC storylines may. Both of them fired some heavy shots during the fight the year nominees not to mention have... List before the latter secured a third-round submission victory over former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar the pressure on the... 25 * Result: Kamaru Usman ( @ MMAjunkie ) January 6, 2022, the next UFC event and. Grand Prix Finals the Notorious McGregor in the featherweight division will come out from those bouts early in the round! Holloway vs. calvin Kattar out as well and Jessica Andrade placed her no. Choke wins over the course of 12 months, while others expanded on legacy-building.! In Grand Prix Finals every morning absence from the cage with the win against Chandler, earning a unanimous nod... Junkie 's 2021 Male Fighter of the year will come out from those.. Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel or on other UFC soc dropped multiple!
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