It is the time of year to give thanks for all your MMA blessings to your preferred space god, ancient deity, or drug of choice and rejoice because 2021 has been a pretty good year in the sport. There are surely things in the fight game to be annoyed and perturbed about, but let’s save that for an MMA Festivus piece in December. No this is an MMA thanksgiving celebration, and here are five things we should be grateful to have had from cage fighting in 2021.
The 5 reasons to feel blessed on this MMA Thanksgiving
5. Dana White
If you haven’t noticed in some of my previous posts, UFC President Dana White’s views on American society and COVID-19 mandates are not my cup of joe. However, disagreements aside, you can’t help but respect what he and the promotion has done during an ongoing global pandemic that has no end in sight.
Last year was far from hiccup-free, and fighters testing positive for coronavirus became an event tradition. But the UFC still endured and offered up a full slate of events after the shutdowns of March and April. This year though, the promotion seemed back in their 2019 groove as they scored two separate million buys pay-per-view events — thanks to Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier — and record revenue as they welcomed fans back to many events.
Financials aside, the organization also offered up a ton of fun fights like Michael Chandler versus Justin Gaethje and Alexander Volkanovski versus Brian Ortega. New faces like Adrian Yanez and Rafael Fiziev seem primed to land on “breakout fighter of the year lists,” and for the most part, we got many of the fights we wanted. Although my still heart still hurts a booking between Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou couldn’t get made.
I may not share Mr. White’s views on life, love, and business, but he guided another year of memorable moments for fans and media types to be quite thankful for.
4. Nick Diaz returns to fill possible void left by Nate
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Nate Diaz’s run in the UFC is coming to an end. Now, that doesn’t mean we won’t see the “BMF” title challenger return to the Octagon eventually, but once the final fight on his current deal is fulfilled, Diaz is going to be a free bird that will likely land a fat payday against YouTuber turned pugilist Jake Paul. And I can’t blame him, the man has shed more than enough blood and sweat for the company to deserve a few million-dollar checks before his combat sports days are done.
Knowing that, aren’t you thrilled that his brother Nick is back in the UFC fold? Granted, his September return at UFC 266 after six years away was not a signature moment. And he made Robbie Lawler look better than he has in years. Yet, the idea that a Diaz brother will still compete in the Octagon despite Nate’s eventual departure does warm my heart.
A world without at least one Diaz brother in the UFC is one I can’t stand to bear, but in 2021, the best sibling understudy in MMA returned to the UFC. And the MMA universe will be better for it in the new year and beyond.
3. We have one more great title fight left in 2021
This year was full of major championship matchups. However, one of the best is still to come next month at UFC 269, when lightweight champion Charles Oliveira faces top contender Dustin Poirier.
The 155-pound division has long been the deepest class in the UFC, and MMA in general. Many of the best pound-for-pound talents in the world have often come from the weight class, and the last year has been no different. The headliners of December’s pay-per-view event are both on our MixedMartialArts.com UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. Which should indicate the level of talent facing off in a few weeks.
Brazil’s Oliveira is one of the hottest fighters in the sport after winning nine straight in one of the toughest divisions on the planet. Poirier too is streaking and has become one of the most popular fighters in the game by taking the mantel from Khabib Nurmagomedov to become the preeminent McGregor conqueror in the promotion.
Scoring back-to-back wins on “Notorious” is a noteworthy task, but “Do Bronx” is a dangerous and different beast altogether. And MMA fans should be thankful these two will go toe-to-toe and decide who is the new best lightweight in the world very soon.
2. Bantamweight is the new UFC glamour division
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As mentioned above, lightweight has long been the most talent-rich weight class in the UFC, and the sport. However, that seemed to officially switch in 2021 when bantamweight stepped to the forefront in a major way.
The top-15 of the division is overflowing with world-class fighters and Octagon legends. The current 135-pound class has four men — TJ Dillashaw, Dominick Cruz, Jose Aldo, and Frankie Edgar — that are first-ballot UFC Hall-of-Famers. And two of them are in title contention right now.
The division also has some of the very best strikers in the entire organization in guys like interim champion Petr Yan, Dillashaw, and Corey Sandhagen. Not to mention, a couple of elite grapplers in current division king Aljamain Sterling and his teammate Merab Dvalishvili.
Several of the previously mentioned names scrapped this year and created a few of the best fights of 2021, and next week we have another potential candidate for “fight of the year” when Rob Font and Aldo — the fourth and sixth-ranked fighters in our Top-10 — battle in the UFC Vegas 44 main event.
In 2021, bantamweight became the best division in the UFC, and I am thankful for watching it all happen.
1. MMA is Healthy with Options
The sport is as healthy as it has ever been, and that is a great thing for fighters, fans, and media.
Of course, the UFC still holds a large share of the MMA fan market, but there are more good options to watch cage fights than ever before. Bellator continues to churn out entertaining Grand Prix tournaments and big fights. ONE Championship offers the most diverse combat sports product among the big promotions in the industry. Combate Global quietly continues to grow its underappreciated fan base as it pulls in over 400,000 average viewers for the promotion’s events on Univision and Paramout+. The PFL returned with season three and gave more athletes some of the best paydays of their lives.
Plus, organizations like KSW, BRAVE CF, and UAE Warriors have only gotten stronger as they push their brands to new heights globally.
MMA is as strong and deep as it has ever been and endured a pandemic that could have easily crippled and forever changed the industry. Now, is a special time in the sport’s history as fighters have strong employment options outside the UFC, fans have more choices, and media members are given more to cover. And I am very thankful for that.
What are some of the things you are thankful for from MMA in 2021?
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