5 best UFC debutants in 2021

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#4. Casey O'Neill

O'Neill debuted with a TKO win at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis

While Casey O'Neill may have managed to stay under the radar in her debut year in the UFC, she has already put together an impressive resume. 'King Casey' racked up three victories and is already ranked No.15 in the flyweight division.

O'Neill began her UFC career with a TKO win over Shana Dobson in February, before flexing her versatility with a submission win over Lara Procópio in June.

Her most impressive result came in October when she secured a TKO win over Antonina Shevchenko, sister of current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.

O'Neill's next bout will come on February 12th when she faces the popular Roxanne Modafferi in what will be a retirement fight for 'The Happy Warrior'. Should O'Neill pick up another win there, look for more fans to start talking about this rising star.

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#3. Alex Pereira

Pereira debuted with a TKO win at UFC 268

Alex Pereira's debut at UFC 268 was one of the most highly anticipated in recent memory. Pereira has already built a name for himself in the kickboxing world and holds two victories in the sport over current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

'Po Atan' entered the UFC off the back of just four professional MMA bouts. However, his inexperience wasn't noticeable as he scored a flying knee knockout victory over Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268.

The history between the Brazilian and Adesanya could benefit Pereira in a massive way. 'Po Atan' likely will not have to string together too many wins inside the octagon before fans and media will begin calling for a rematch between the two kickboxing standouts.