2021 is half over, and the UFC fighters have already been involved in some classic bouts. With so many great fights to look at, it's hard to choose the best fights of the year so far, but we've narrowed down our favorites to the following five as the best to date.
Our first fight on this list was not only one of the best fights of the year but also ended with what is sure to be a KO of the year contender once 2021 is over.
The fight started with up-and-coming light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka taking control very early in the fight by bloodying Dominick Reyes' face near the start of the first round. Reyes did keep is composure and began to make a comeback by landing a series of counterpunches and dazing Prochazka with a strong left hand that left Prochazka dazed.
The comeback didn't last long as Jiri Prochazka hit Reyes with a right elbow that was followed up by a spinning back-elbow that left Reyes unconscious and gave Prochazka the victory via the brutal KO.
The fight between Mike Davis and Mason Jones makes our list for different reasons than the Prochazka vs. Reyes fight that ended in a brutal knockout.
Mike Davis and Mason Jones went after each other for the length of the entire fight with a flurry of offense with no rest given to either opponent. In the end, a total of 225 strikes were landed over the course of three rounds, and the judges gave the fight to Davis by unanimous decision. The unanimous decision, however, does not indicate that Davis dominated Jones as the scorecards across the board gave Davis the advantage of 29 to 28.
Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns: UFC 258
The Usman versus Burns fight at UFC 258 had the makings of what could evolve into a heated rivalry between two former teammates, and this fight did not disappoint.
Burns took control of the fight early on, landing significant strikes and stalking Usman while looking for an opportunity to finish him off as soon as possible, but Usman stood his ground and kept his head. Once Kamaru recovered, he showed why he was the favorite and turned all the momentum in his favor. After two knockdowns in the second round, Kamaru Usman finished off Gilbert Burns 34 seconds into the third by knocking him to the mat with a jab and landing a series of punches on the prone challenger forcing the official to declare Usman the winner by TKO.
Beneil Dariush vs. Diego Ferreira: UFC Vegas 18
The next fight on our list involves two lightweight fighters who may get overlooked in the prolific 155-pound division. Beneil Dariush and Diego Ferreira both came into UFC Vegas 18 on a winning streak, and both were deserving a high caliber match to help improve their rankings.
Both fighters came out looking for an early edge at the opening bell, but neither man gave ground as this was a competitive fight throughout without a winner being declared after three rounds. Once the final bell had rung, and these two fighters did all they could to achieve a win, it was left up to the judges who ruled in favor of Dariush over Ferreira by a razor thin margin.
Max Holloway vs Calvin Kattar: UFC Fight Island 7
The last fight on our list features two of the top fighters in the featherweight division. Max Holloway was coming off back-to-back title fight losses against Alexander Volkanovski, while Calvin Kattar had the reputation as a top contender in his own right.
This fight is remembered not only for the intensity of the fight but the brashness of Max Holloway as he pressed to bounce back after his previous two losses. Holloway showed off his boxing prowess for the full 25 minutes of the fight and was even heard shouting "I'm the best boxer in the UFC" during the fight. Not to take away anything from Kattar's performance that night, but Holloway looked to want it more and was eventually awarded a unanimous decision by the judges.
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