The world wasn’t ready for Hasbulla’s formal introduction to the UFC when he sat in a chair alongside the cage last year, at UFC 267, and accompanied Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev inside the octagon. We were not to know then, but Hasbulla’s stardom would propel him to him being signed with the UFC. Also, he punched Daniel Cormier!
UFC 267 in October 2021 featured light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz against 42 year underdog Glover Texeira. It was the night of the underdog, as Glover Texeira went on to become the oldest champion in UFC history.
Khamzat Chimaev was always considered a phenom, but last year’s rag dolling of Li Jingliang in Abu Dhabi put the star firmly on the map and made sure that the world sit up and take notice of a true future champion.
The Fight Island card in early 2021 saw the first of two TKO losses Conor McGregor has ever suffered in the UFC. Eagerly anticipating his return after a year long absence, fans saw the very best of McGregor’s striking in Round 1. However, it was not his night, as he fell prey to Dustin Poirier’s exquisite boxing.
2020 marked the end of probably the most desirable career among all mixed martial artists. At UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov beat Justin Gaethje in the last fight of his illustrious career – the reason for which being him having achieved everything the UFC had to offer him and an unwillingness to continue, given his father’s demise.