2021 has been a classic year for fighting despite the difficulties surrounding travel and fan-attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UFC with its innovative and experienced team behind the marketing and promotion of this MMA behemoth have found new ways to put on spectacular fights and entertain us all. Fanduel’s MMA betting odds have been as popular as ever with UFC fans this year so let’s look at the ten most thrilling contests we have seen so far in 2021;
UFC 262: Shane Burgos vs. Edson Barboza
The fight between Burgos and Barboza came out thrillful. In the first two rounds, both fighters went back and forth. Then, in the third round, Barboza managed to knock out Burgos. Although at first Burgos seemed to absorb the punch well, a few moments later he collapsed.
UFC 266: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega
Volkanovski had an outstanding performance and controlled the bout from the start. Even though the third round was tough on him, he managed to win against “T-City” via 5 round decision.
UFC 262: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
The Oliveira vs. Chandler was a great, exciting fight that got third place on our list. In the first round, Chandler landed a powerful punch in Oliveira’s face. In the second round, with a strong punch, Oliveira left Chandler wobbling. From there for Chandler there was no coming back, Oliveira finished him and won the UFC’s lightweight belt.
UFC 257: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2
The bout between Poirier and McGregor was just enough to get into the top 10 UFC fights in 2021. Poirier defeated “The Notorious” McGregor in the main event of UFC 257. Despite getting some tough punches from McGregor, midway through the second round, the fight ended with a TKO victory for Poirier.
UFC Vegas 20: Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera 2
In 2015, the fight between Munhoz and Rivera didn’t go as Munhoz has previously imagined. So, this time “The Young Punisher” came to get redemption. Even though Rivera’s leg looked pretty bad at the end of the fight, “El Terror” didn’t give up. Munhoz won the fight due to the unanimous decision of the judges.
UFC Vegas 25: Jiri Prochazka vs. Dominick Reyes
The Prochazka vs. Reyes fight at UFC Vegas 25 ended with one of the most violent KOs in recent years. The light heavyweight fighter Prochazka took control early in the bout by bloodying Reyes’ face. However, Reyes didn’t want to give up so easily, so he made a comeback with a series of counterpunches. Unfortunately, the comeback was short-lived, as Reyes was left unconscious by Prochazka’s spinning back-elbow.
UFC Fight Island 7: Max Holloway vs. Calvin Kattar
Holloway vs. Kattar at UFC Fight Island 7 was incredible. Both Holloway and Kattar are among the best fighters in the featherweight division. Ultimately, Holloway was able to keep the pressure on for the full 25 minutes of the bout and beat Kattar.
UFC 263: Drew Dober vs. Brad Riddell
Right after the opening bell, Riddell showed that he came to the Octagon to win. Undoubtedly, both of them fired some heavy shots during the fight. But according to the scorecards, Riddell was the better fighter this time.
UFC Fight Island 8: Mike Davis vs. Mason Jones
When it comes to the Davis vs. Jones fight at UFC Fight Island 8, we can say that there was no rest given to either “Beast Boy” or “The Dragon”. During the three rounds, an impressive number of 225 strikes were landed. Due to the judges’ unanimous decision, Davis left the Octagon as a winner.
UFC Vegas 28: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Miguel Baeza
After the Ponzinibbio vs. Baeza fight at UFC Vegas 28, many people referred to the jaw-dropping battle as a possible “Fight of the Year” candidate. It’s not so surprising considering the fact that the two welterweight fighters turned the fight into a real war.
Ponzinibbio ultimately defeated Baeza by unanimous decision.