5 UFC stars who didn't fight in the first half of 2021

#4 Ex-UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have lost her most recent outing against Weili Zhang, but her stellar performance left fans wanting to see more. Unfortunately, though, she has yet to return after her classic 'Fight of the Year' barnburner with the former UFC women's strawweight champion.

We're now in the action-packed championship rounds of Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk, airing on ESPN as part of #UFCNight pic.twitter.com/Yv2P5kn5vy

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 29, 2020

Her absence could be because she has been picky about her opponents as of late. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the Polish star revealed the only two individuals she deems worthy of fighting: Rose Namajunas and Zhang.

"Let’s see what’s gonna happen next. Let’s see who Rose is willing to fight next, because I’m only interested in big fights. I know that people are saying that I lost and I should take some lower-ranking girls, but I’m not really interested after putting on ‘Fight of the Year’ with Zhang Weili.”

Right now, it's highly unlikely that Jedrzejczyk will be given another title shot against Namajunas as she's coming off a loss. Not to mention that the reigning champ has already defeated her twice.

Zhang, on the other hand, could become available if Carla Esparza gets selected as the next strawweight title challenger.

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#3 Top-ranked UFC welterweight Colby Covington

Top-ranked UFC welterweight Colby Covington

While all signs appear to be pointing towards a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, the assumed number-one contender is adamant that the reigning welterweight champ is avoiding him. Speaking with Mike Heck on an episode of What the Heck, Covington said:

“They’re just waiting on Marty (Kamaru Usman). Ever since he beat that fragile dude, ‘Street Judas’ [Jorge] Masvidal, he’s been running. But he just found out there’s nowhere left to hide. He’s going to have to face being inside that octagon sooner than later."

“So as soon as his balls stop shrinking and he comes back to earth, he can fight me again. But the thing is, he’s off the grid. He’s probably got his phone on airplane mode, he’s denying all the UFC’s calls. He doesn’t want to sign the contract. He’s just hoping some alien invasion happens where he can pick some other lightweight washout to fight.”

Covington got his first crack at Usman's title at UFC 245 two years ago. He gave the champ a run for his money but fell short, losing via TKO in the final round. 'Chaos' last saw action in September 2020, scoring an impressive stoppage win over former champion Tyron Woodley.