5 UFC fighters that fans regretted betting on in 2021

#2. Makhmud Muradov (UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze)

UFC Middleweight Makhmud Muradov 269: Amanda Nunes v Julianna Pena

UFC middleweight Gerald Meerschaert caused one of the biggest upsets of the year when he faced Makhmud Muradov back in August. Muradov was on an incredible 14-fight winning streak heading into the fight and was expected to make quick work of Meerschaert.

Muradov was a -700 favorite while Meerschaert was an overwhelming underdog at +440.

Check out the fight here:

After getting rocked twice in the opening round, Meerschaert looked to be in trouble early. However, he got a much-needed breather when the fight was stopped due to an inadvertent low blow on Muradov. 'GM3' landed some shots of his own and even scored a takedown towards the end of the round.

In the second round, Meerschaert forced the fight to the mat again, locking in a rear-naked choke and forcing a tap inside just two minutes. Meerschaert, who was the biggest underdog on the entire card of the event he was competing in, shocked the world by stopping Muradov.

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#1. Amanda Nunes (UFC 269)

UFC women's featherweight champion Amanda Nunes

It was expected to be another easy night in office for Amanda Nunes when she fought Julianna Pena in the co-main event of UFC 269. At +1100, Nunes was likely the biggest favorite on the card. Pena was a -700 underdog heading into the fight. 'The Lioness' was also on a 12 fight winning streak before fighting Pena.

Nunes controlled the action in the initial exchanges, landing solid calf kicks. A strong jab by Nunes dropped Pena but she quickly recovered as both women indulged in a grappling match against the fence. Nunes forced the fight to the ground and took her opponent's back halfway through the first round.

As Nunes looked to find openings to land strikes or lock in a submission towards the end of the round, Pena trapped her arm and almost secured an armbar. In the second round, Pena took the fight to Nunes, walking forward despite being touched up by the women's featherweight champ.

Nunes looked startled by the pressure as Pena kept stinging her with strikes, refusing to take a step back. What was supposed to be a cakewalk was quickly turning into a nightmare for the Brazilian. It wasn't long before Pena rocked Nunes and took the fight to the ground, immediately taking her back and sinking in a rear-naked choke, forcing Nunes to tap.

Surely no one could have predicted this as Pena dethroned 'The Lioness' to become the new women's bantamweight champ.