5 best UFC debuts of 2021

#2. Alex Pereira (against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268)

Alex Pereira is one of the most decorated and accomplished kickboxers in the world. The Brazilian is undoubtedly an exciting addition to the UFC's middleweight division.

Pereira has gained a reputation for possessing an incredible amount of power and has produced some vicious knockouts in the kickboxing ring. Furthermore, he remains the only man to have knocked out the reigning UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

Pereira began competing in MMA in 2015 and accrued a 3-1 record before being signed by the UFC. He made his promotional debut at UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2 in New York City, where he took on Andreas Michailidis. ‘Po Atan’ displayed his defensive abilities on the mat in the first round and knocked Michailidis out with a sensational flying knee in the second.

Following Pereira’s victory, analysts and fans started to fantasize about a potential match-up between the flashy Brazilian and Israel Adesanya.

Stylistically, it would be a sight to behold, as two elite strikers squaring off with no intention of shooting for a takedown will definitely produce fireworks. There is an extremely engaging storyline as well, with Adesanya most likely looking to avenge his KO loss to Pereira in kickboxing.

Speaking to MMAFighting.com after his debut, Pereira had this to say about Adesanya:

“I’m not worried, man. He’s the one that should be worried, right? He knows about my potential and knows I’ll get [to the top]. When I go somewhere, I do it to become the best, just like it was in kickboxing. I’ll do everything I can to get there, and maybe he won’t even be there when I do — [if that’s the case] what do I want with Adesanya? Nothing. Is he the champion? Cool, he’s the one I want. He’s no longer the champion? I want the one that is.”

In a video posted to his YouTube channel FREESTYLEBENDER, Adesanya gave his take on Pereira’s victory. He said:

“Good job, Pereira. That was nice. One thing I notice is everyone always holds on to that win he has over me like it’s the be all end all. I hope he does well. I hope he does well through the ranks. In the next four fights, I hope to see him. They’ll show you the knockout, but they won’t show you what happened before the fight. They won’t show you what happened before the finish. I hurt him, but I only throw these [raises fist] because I was infiltrated by other people’s thoughts. But that was when I was younger. Not anymore. It’s different now. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Watch Adesanya’s reaction to Pereira's knockout below:

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#1. Michael Chandler (against Dan Hooker at UFC 257)

Michael Chandler’s move to the UFC was one of the most talked-about topics among the MMA community towards the end of 2020.

The former Bellator lightweight champion was announced as a back-up fighter for the main event of UFC 254: Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje. However, both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje made weight and competed for the UFC lightweight belt, with ‘The Eagle’ emerging victorious.

Subsequently, Chandler was booked to make his promotional debut against Dan Hooker at UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 in January. He made a resounding statement in his UFC debut, securing a sensational TKO-victory over Hooker in the co-main event.

Soon after the bout, Chandler cut a promo with a pro-wrestling style post-fight interview to put the entire lightweight division on notice. He called out the likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov in emphatic fashion. Speaking to Jon Anik, ‘Iron’ had this to say:

“Conor McGregor, surprise surprise! There’s a new king in the lightweight division. Dustin Poirier, your time is coming and Khabib, if you ever do see fit to grace us with your presence back here in the UFC octagon in your quest for 30-0 you got to beat somebody, so beat me! If you can! God Bless! See you at the top!”

His victory over Hooker saw him get booked to take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. Very rarely do we see a fighter fight for a belt just two bouts into his promotional run, yet Chandler managed to pull it off. He has emerged as one of the most entertaining and likable fighters on the roster ever since.