The year 2021 was the 29th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.
2021 by the numbers
The numbers below records the events, fights, techniques, champions and fighters held or performed for the year of 2021 in UFC. EventsNumber of EventsPPVContinentsCountriesCitiesFight Night Bonuses4311226182 Total $9,300,000Longest EventShortest EventHighest Income Live GateLowest Income Live GateHighest AttendanceLowest AttendanceUFC 263 3:19:32UFC 197 1:34:57UFC 264 $15,759,80015 cards at the UFC Apex No reported incomeUFC 268 20,71515 cards at the UFC Apex No crowdTitle FightsUndisputed Title FightsTitle ChangesChampions Remained in Their DivisionsNumber of ChampionsNumber of Interim ChampionsNumber of Title Defenses1866FW – Alexander VolkanovskiWW – Kamaru Usman MW – Israel Adesanya HW – Francis NgannouWFYW – Valentina ShevchenkoWFW –Amanda Nunes13211ChampionsDivisionBeginning of The YearEnd of The YearDivisionBeginning of The YearEnd of The YearHeavyweightStipe MiocicFrancis NgannouBantamweightPetr YanAljamain SterlingLight HeavyweightJan BłachowiczGlover TeixeiraFlyweightDeiveson FigueiredoBrandon MorenoMiddleweightIsrael AdesanyaIsrael AdesanyaWomen's BantamweightAmanda NunesJulianna PeñaWelterweightKamaru UsmanKamaru UsmanWomen's FlyweightValentina ShevchenkoValentina ShevchenkoLightweightKhabib NurmagomedovCharles OliveiraWomen's StrawweightZhang WeiliRose NamajunasFeatherweightAlexander VolkanovskiAlexander VolkanovskiWomen's FeatherweightAmanda NunesAmanda NunesFightsMost Knockouts at A Single EventMost submissions at A Single EventMost Decisions at A Single EventTotal Number of FightsTotal Number of Cage TimeUFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez 8UFC 267UFC 269 4UFC 263 1150996:01:48FightersNumber of FightersUFC DebutantsReleases / RetiredFighters SuspendedNumber of Fighters Missed weight(At the end of Dec 31, 2021) 612881103346Champion feats Aljamain Sterling became the first fighter to claim a championship via a disqualification when he won the bantamweight championship at UFC 259. Francis Ngannou became the first Cameroon-born UFC champion. Rose Namajunas became the first female in UFC history to have two title reigns in the same weight class with her strawweight championship victory at UFC 261. Charles Oliveira won a UFC championship after 28 bouts, the most in history before claiming a title. Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born champion. Ciryl Gane became the first French-born champion with his interim heavyweight title win. Glover Teixeira, at age 42, became the oldest first-time champion with his light heavyweight title win.Fighter feats Dustin Poirier set the record for most knockouts in lightweight history with his eighth (which would later be broken by Drew Dober in 2025) Vicente Luque set the record for most D'Arche choke submissions with his fourth. Abdul Razak Alhassan set the record for the fastest head-kick victory at 17 seconds. Marvin Vettori's 190 significant strikes set the record for the most in a light heavyweight fight. Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen's combined 318 significant strikes set the record for the most in a bantamweight bout. Chris Barnett became the first heavyweight to win by a spinning wheel kick. Shane Burgos and Billy Quarantillo's combined 357 significant strikes set the record for the most in a three-round bout. Max Holloway became the first fighter to land an overall 3,000 significant strikes with his victory at UFC Fight Night 197. Justin Tafa became the first heavyweight to miss weight after weighing one pound over the weight limit at UFC Fight Night 199. Derrick Lewis became the leader of the most knockouts in UFC history with his 13th at UFC Fight Night 199.
2021 UFC Honors awards
Starting in 2019, the UFC created year-end awards with "UFC Honors President's Choice Awards" for categories "Performance of the Year" and "Fight of the Year" being chosen by UFC CEO Dana White. The other "UFC Honors Fan Choice Awards" are for categories "Knockout of the Year", "Submission of the Year", "Event of the Year", "Comeback of the Year" and, from 2020, "Debut of the Year" in which fans are able to vote for the winner on social media.
Winners receive a trophy commemorating their achievement along with a set of tires from sponsor Toyo Tires.
2021 UFC Honors AwardsPerformance of the YearFight of the YearKnockout of the YearSubmission of the YearDebut of the YearEvent of the YearComeback of the YearWinnerJulianna Peña defeats Amanda Nunes 1 UFC 269Justin Gaethje defeats Michael Chandler UFC 268Kamaru Usman defeats Jorge Masvidal 2 UFC 261Brandon Moreno defeats Deiveson Figueiredo 2 UFC 263Michael Chandler defeats Dan Hooker UFC 257UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2Charles Oliveira defeats Michael Chandler 1 UFC 262NomineeRose Namajunas defeats Zhang Weili 1 UFC 261Max Holloway defeats Yair Rodríguez UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. RodríguezRose Namajunas defeats Zhang Weili 1 UFC 261Khamzat Chimaev defeats Li Jingliang UFC 267Terrance McKinney defeats Matt Frevola UFC 263UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. TeixeiraAnthony Hernandez defeats Rodolfo Vieira UFC 258NomineeKamaru Usman defeats Jorge Masvidal 2 UFC 261Alexander Volkanovski defeats Brian Ortega UFC 266Ignacio Bahamondes defeats Roosevelt Roberts UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. GastelumVicente Luque defeats Tyron Woodley UFC 260Alex Pereira defeats Andreas Michailidis UFC 268UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. RodríguezJulian Marquez defeats Maki Pitolo UFC 258NomineeBrandon Moreno defeats Deiveson Figueiredo 2 UFC 263Jiří Procházka defeats Dominick Reyes UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. ProcházkaJiří Procházka defeats Dominick Reyes UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. ProcházkaGlover Teixeira defeats Jan Błachowicz UFC 267Paddy Pimblett defeats Luigi Vendramini UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. TillUFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2Merab Dvalishvili defeats Marlon Moraes UFC 266NomineeCharles Oliveira defeats Dustin Poirier UFC 269Petr Yan defeats Cory Sandhagen UFC 267Ref
2021 UFC.com awards
2021 UFC.COM AwardsNoThe FightersThe UpsetsThe SubmissionsThe NewcomersThe KnockoutsThe Fights1Kamaru UsmanJulianna Peña defeats Amanda Nunes 1 UFC 278André Muniz defeats Ronaldo Souza UFC 262Casey O'NeillKamaru Usman defeats Jorge Masvidal 2 UFC 261Justin Gaethje defeats Michael Chandler UFC 2682Charles OliveiraAnthony Hernandez defeats Rodolfo Vieira UFC 258Anthony Hernandez defeats Rodolfo Vieira UFC 258Manon FiorotJiří Procházka defeats Dominick Reyes UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. ProcházkaAlexander Volkanovski defeats Brian Ortega UFC 2663Ciryl GaneGerald Meerschaert defeats Makhmud Muradov UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. ChikadzeVicente Luque defeats Tyron Woodley UFC 260Michael ChandlerCory Sandhagen defeats Frankie Edgar UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. VolkovMax Holloway defeats Yair Rodríguez UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodríguez4Rose NamajunasTerrance McKinney defeats Matt Frevola UFC 263Brandon Moreno defeats Deiveson Figueiredo 2 UFC 263Chris CurtisRose Namajunas defeats Zhang Weili 1 UFC 261Petr Yan defeats Cory Sandhagen UFC 2675Islam MakhachevJan Błachowicz defeats Israel Adesanya UFC 259Amanda Nunes defeats Megan Anderson UFC 259Erin BlanchfieldIgnacio Bahamondes defeats Roosevelt Roberts UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. GastelumJiří Procházka defeats Dominick Reyes UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Procházka6Max HollowayDustin Poirier defeats Conor McGregor 2 UFC 257Vicente Luque defeats Michael Chiesa UFC 265Loopy GodínezFrancis Ngannou defeats Stipe Miocic 2 UFC 260Edson Barboza defeats Shane Burgos UFC 2627Brandon MorenoBeneil Dariush defeats Tony Ferguson UFC 262Islam Makhachev defeats Drew Dober UFC 259Terrance McKinneyTerrance McKinney defeats Matt Frevola UFC 263Ricky Turcios defeats Brady Hiestand UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Chikadze8Glover TeixeiraMontserrat Ruiz defeats Cheyanne Vlismas UFC on ESPN: Brunson vs. HollandClay Guida defeats Leonardo Santos UFC on ESPN: Font vs. AldoBruno SilvaChris Barnett defeats Gian Villante UFC 268Santiago Ponzinibbio defeats Miguel Baeza UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai9Marina RodriguezKennedy Nzechukwu defeats Carlos Ulberg UFC 259Khamzat Chimaev defeats Li Jingliang UFC 267Paddy PimblettDerrick Lewis defeats Curtis Blaydes UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. LewisT.J. Dillashaw defeats Cory Sandhagen UFC on ESPN: Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw10Julianna PeñaNorma Dumont defeats Aspen Ladd UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. DumontJulian Marquez defeats Maki Pitolo UFC 258Pat SabatiniDustin Poirier defeats Conor McGregor 2 UFC 257Charles Oliveira defeats Michael Chandler 1 UFC 262Ref
Releases and retirements These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions: