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Another successful year has officially come to a close for the UFC. 2021 saw many unbelievable fights and some of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history.
Regardless of whether a fight opened a show or main evented, a Fight of the Night award helps fighters grow their fanbase. When fighters begin earning more Fight of the Night bonuses, fans begin to identify them with exciting fights. It is what separates a particular bout from the rest of the card when fans look back. There have been many such bouts that’ve even received UFC Hall of Fame inductions.
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Looking back at some of the best UFC fights of 2021, there were surprisingly more decisions that stood out. Usually, the big knockouts and submissions steal the headlines, but 2021 was a very unique year in the UFC. This list will look at the top 5 UFC fights of 2021.
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#5. Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka – UFC on ESPN 23
Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka saw two light heavyweights battling to get their names in the title picture.
Reyes had come off back-to-back title-fight losses to Jon Jones and Jan Blachowicz and was looking to get back on track. The former title-challenger was looking to return to form and get back to the top of the light heavyweight division. In his way was the former RIZIN light heavyweight champion, who was riding an impressive 11-fight winning streak with 9-straight coming via KO/TKO.
Reyes held his own early on, but Prochazka’s elite striking was the difference maker. Prochazka knocked out Reyes with a spinning-back elbow at 4:29 of the second round. It was a spectacular knockout that should definitely be in the discussion for Knockout of the Year.
#4. Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez – UFC Vegas 42
Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez saw the two featherweights go to war at the UFC Apex and put on a memorable bout.
Holloway is known for his relentless pace, but Rodriguez ended up gaining the respect of the former champion. Rodriguez did a great job mixing up his kicks, which provided more space for him to throw his spin-kicks. Even when Rodriguez was stunned, he found a way to regroup and remain active.
Holloway’s pace ended up being too much for Rodriguez later in the fight as he began to grow noticeably tired. ‘Blessed’ took advantage and was able to take Rodriguez down and control him on the ground.
The fight ended with both exchanging knees in the clinch. Holloway was awarded the unanimous decision win, with the judges scoring the fight 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
#3. Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen – UFC 267
Another fight that belongs on this list is the interim UFC bantamweight championship bout between Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. With reigning champion Aljamain Sterling out of action, the promotion booked an interim title fight to determine his next opponent.
Yan lost the title to Sterling via disqualification and looked to prove that he was still the UFC's best bantamweight.
It was a highly entertaining bout and one that proved Sandhagen is among the top fighters in the division. It was a promising first-round for Sandhagen, who utilized his movements well, but Yan eventually turned things around
In the third round, Yan landed a spinning backfist with his right hand and immediately followed up with a left hook that dropped Sandhagen. Yan continued to apply pressure to Sandhagen in the final rounds. His power was the difference maker and his significant strikes led to him picking up a unanimous decision win.
#2. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – UFC 266
After months of filming TUF, Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega were finally able to fight at UFC 266.
Volkanovski got the better of Ortega in the early rounds. However, ‘T-City’ caught the champion with a guillotine choke and nearly won the title in the third round. The champion narrowly escaped the choke and immediately began unleashing powerful ground strikes.
It looked like the doctor was going to stop the fight, however, Ortega notified him that he was able to continue. In the fourth round, Ortega nearly had a comeback for the ages when he caught Volkanovski with another submission, but the champion escaped again.
Volkanovski retained his title by unanimous decision. On paper, the judges’ scorecards didn’t really do Ortega’s performance justice as he was close to winning the fight. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 50-45, and 50-44 in favor of Volkanovski.
#1. Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler – UFC 268
Topping this list is the lightweight bout between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler at UFC 268. It’s hard to argue against this all-time classic being Fight of the Year.
What makes this bout more special is that it served as the opening bout of UFC 268. The event took place at the world-famous Madison Square Garden. Both fighters came out swinging haymakers from the opening bell until the end of the fight. It was an absolute slugfest that saw both Gaethje and Chandler have their moments.
As the fight progressed, Gaethje began to land many significant strikes that dropped Chandler. However, the former Bellator lightweight champion managed to stay in the fight. There was a loud ovation from fans in attendance, who showed their appreciation for what they had just witnessed.
Gaethje picked up a unanimous decision win and is expected to receive a lightweight title shot next year.
