5 best breakout performances in the UFC in 2021

#2. Giga Chikadze (against Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze)

UFC featherweight Giga Chikadze plied his trade in the kickboxing world for almost a decade before transitioning to MMA. Nicknamed ‘Ninja’, Chikadze has emerged as one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFC since joining the promotion.

The Georgian made an appearance on season 2 of Dana White’s Contender Series, but lost to Austin Springer on the night. In response, he fought two more fights outside the UFC and won both by submission. This prompted the UFC to sign him anyway and he made his promotional debut at UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Cannonier.

Chikadze defeated Brandon Davis in his UFC debut. He then put together a six-fight winning streak, comprising a head-kick KO of Jamey Simmons and a memorable liver-kick that effectively finished Cub Swanson.

The hype surrounding the 33-year-old Georgian continued to build as he was booked to fight UFC veteran Edson Barboza in a UFC Fight Night main event.

The mouth-watering matchup between the two lethal strikers was a sight to behold. Chikadze, however, proved to be truly elite in the stand-up realm as he secured a stunning third round TKO victory.

Like his teammate Beneil Dariush, he too could be one fight away from a title shot. Following his win over Barboza, Chikadze had this to say:

“Honestly, I’m here to fight the best fights. The biggest names. If it’s a title shot, I would love to cover the title short and be a replacement fight. If not, I would love to fight some Hawaiian [referring to Max Holloway]. He knows my name.”

Watch Chikadze’s full post-fight interview below:

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#1. Khamzat Chimaev (against Li Jingliang at UFC 267)

Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly the hottest prospect in the UFC right now.

The Russian-born Swedish phenom made waves in the MMA community with a couple of dominant performances on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Subsequently, 'Borz' took on UFC veteran Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night: Covington vs. Woodley. Chimaev knocked Meerschaert out just 17 seconds into the bout, establishing himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in years.

Despite Chimaev's incredible 3-0 start in the promotion, there wasn't much talk of him competing for a championship as he was still unranked. The three opponents he faced were unranked as well with two of them no longer being a part of the UFC.

His red-hot start was halted after he contracted COVID-19. A lengthy bout with the virus disheartened the Chechen fighter, who even considered retirement as a result of the effects of the virus.

Following his recovery, he was booked to fight No.11-ranked Li Jingliang at UFC 267 on Fight Island. Many believed that the durable Chinese welterweight, who had never been finished in the UFC, would pose a threat to Chimaev and that the bout would be a conclusive litmus test to show whether he was a legitimate title contender.

Chimaev secured a double-leg takedown and effortlessly choked out Jingliang in the first round.

There was no doubt after the bout that Khamzat Chimaev is a real threat to Kamaru Usman's reign as the UFC welterweight champion. His background in sambo-style wrestling, coupled with his underrated striking and relentless approach to fighting, will prove to be a real handful for anyone in the 170 lbs and 185 lbs divisions.

In his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, 'Borz' seemingly put the entire division and roster on notice.