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With six months now almost gone, 2021 has undoubtedly been a stellar year thus far for the UFC.
We’ve seen a total of 20 UFC events in 2021, with some incredible shows and live crowds making a welcome return too.
So which UFC events have been the best of 2021? Without further ado, here are the top five UFC events of 2021 so far.
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#5 UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya
With three title fights at the top of the card, UFC 259 was always supposed to be one of 2021’s biggest shows. And for the most part, this event – which was one of the few UFC pay-per-views to be held behind closed doors in 2021 – delivered.
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Sure, there were a couple of downers. Aleksandar Rakic’s win over Thiago Santos in the main card’s opener wasn’t as explosive as UFC fans were hoping for. And some fans would’ve been disappointed by the fact that Israel Adesanya failed to deliver another highlight-reel knockout in the main event.
But in reality, Jan Blachowicz’s win over Adesanya cemented him as the real champ at 205-pounds, and the fight was entertaining overall. And while Aljamain Sterling’s disqualification win over Petr Yan was soaked in controversy, the fight was still pretty fantastic before that illegal knee.
Add in Amanda Nunes crushing Megan Anderson to retain her UFC featherweight crown, and Islam Makhachev coming of age with a one-sided win over Drew Dober, and overall, this was a truly excellent UFC event.
#4 UFC Fight Island 7: Holloway vs. Kattar
The UFC made its debut on the ABC network with UFC Fight Island 7: Holloway vs. Kattar, and the first event of 2021 delivered in spades. This was a truly fantastic show that featured three of the more violent finishes of 2021.
First, Punahele Soriano turned the lights out on Dusko Todorovic. Next, Alessio Di Chirico took the spotlight from Joaquin Buckley by sparking him out with a head kick. Finally, Li Jingliang ruined Santiago Ponzinibbio’s big UFC comeback by knocking him out in the first round.
And while the two fights at the top of the card went the distance, they were both excellent – an old-fashioned scrap between veterans Carlos Condit and Matt Brown was followed by a virtuoso performance from Max Holloway to outpoint Calvin Kattar.
This show might’ve been overshadowed by UFC 257 a week later, but it didn’t stop it from being one of 2021’s most memorable.
#3 UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2
UFC 260’s big selling point was the main event – a rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou for the UFC heavyweight title.
And while the initial meeting between the big men in 2018 was a bit disappointing, this one certainly wasn’t. A much-improved Ngannou knocked out Miocic in a shockingly violent second-round finish to become the UFC’s newest champion.
Elsewhere, the entire main card was largely fantastic, beginning with a 46-second knockout by Jamie Mullarkey, who wasted no time in taking out Khama Worthy. The rest of the main card saw Sean O’Malley dealing with Thomas Almeida in a great fight, and Vicente Luque ending Tyron Woodley’s UFC career in a short-lived barnburner.
Overall then, UFC 260 might not have gained the hype of, say, UFC 257, but it was definitely one of 2021’s best events overall.
#2 UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2
UFC 257 was the first UFC event to feature a proper live crowd in almost a year, and the fans who attended at Abu Dhabi’s Fight Island were treated to a classic.
The crazy main event – which saw Dustin Poirier knock out the UFC’s biggest star, Conor McGregor, in the second round – would’ve been worth the price of admission alone. But the co-main event saw a stunning debut knockout from Michael Chandler, who needed just two-and-a-half minutes to practically decapitate Dan Hooker.
And with two other nasty knockouts on the main card courtesy of Makhmud Muradov, who uncorked a flying knee, and Marina Rodriguez, this was clearly one of 2021’s best events.
Whether McGregor and Poirier’s third fight at the upcoming UFC 264 beats their meeting here remains to be seen, but overall, it’d be a surprise if the event itself outshines this one.
#1 UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2
In 2020, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal met in the main event of UFC 251. And like the event overall, the fight turned out to be one that flattered to deceive, with Usman grinding out a largely dull win.
To say their fight at UFC 261 was the opposite of that would be an understatement. Usman turned out Masvidal’s lights with a brutal punch in the second round, capping off what was a phenomenal UFC event overall. Usman’s knockout was naturally the night’s big highlight, but it was a close call.
Rose Namajunas probably had an argument for the award too, as she won the UFC strawweight title back by knocking champ Weili Zhang out with a head kick in just over a minute. UFC flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko delivered the goods too, refusing to play with her food in a one-sided TKO win over Jessica Andrade.
UFC 261’s three title fights ending in violent fashion was always going to be a huge boon for the show, but the card depth in general was fantastic. Overall, just four of the thirteen bouts on offer went the distance.
There are still six months of 2021 remaining – but it’s hard to imagine another UFC event being more memorable than this one.
