2021 in UFC


The year 2021 was the 29th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, 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.

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.com awards

Releases and retirements

These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions:
  • Aalon Cruz - Released in May - Lightweight
  • Al Iaquinta - Retired in November - Lightweight
  • Alan Jouban - Retired in May - Welterweight
  • Adam Yandiev - Released in March - Middleweight
  • Aleksandra Albu - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
  • Alex Chambers - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
  • Alexander Yakovlev - Released in June - Lightweight
  • Alexey Kunchenko - Signed with PFL - Welterweight
  • Alistair Overeem - Released in March - Heavyweight
  • Ali Alqaisi - Released in February - Bantamweight
  • Anderson dos Santos - Released in August - Bantamweight
  • Andrew Sanchez - Released in October - Middleweight
  • Antônio Carlos Júnior - Released in February - Middleweight
  • Anthony Birchak - Released in May - Bantamweight
  • Anthony Ivy - Released in February - Welterweight
  • Anthony Rocco Martin - Moving to other promotion in January - Welterweight
  • Antônio Arroyo - Released in October - Middleweight
  • Antônio Braga Neto - Released in September - Middleweight
  • Bartosz Fabiński - Released in May - Middleweight
  • Bethe Correia - Retired in October - Women's Bantamweight
  • Bharat Khandare - Released in November - Featherweight
  • Bojan Mihajlović - Released in February - Light Heavyweight
  • Brok Weaver - Released in March - Lightweight
  • Carlos Condit - Retired in September - Welterweight
  • Carlton Minus - Released in February - Lightweight
  • Chris de la Rocha - Released in February - Heavyweight
  • Christian Aguilera - Released in May - Welterweight
  • Cláudia Gadelha - Retired in December - Women's Strawweight
  • Cole Williams - Released in February - Welterweight
  • Dan Hardy - Released in May - Welterweight
  • Darren Stewart - Released in August - Middleweight
  • Demian Maia - End of contract - Welterweight
  • Diego Sanchez - Released in April - Welterweight
  • Dmitry Sosnovskiy - Released in February - Heavyweight
  • Don Madge - Signed with PFL - Lightweight
  • Drako Rodriguez - Released in August - Bantamweight
  • Emil Weber Meek - Released in June - Welterweight
  • Emily Whitmire - Released in September - Women's Flyweight
  • Felicia Spencer - Retired in December - Women's Featherweight
  • Gabriel Silva - Released in March - Bantamweight
  • Geraldo de Freitas - Released in March - Bantamweight
  • Gian Villante - Retired in November - Heavyweight
  • Gökhan Saki - Released in February - Light Heavyweight
  • Impa Kasanganay - Released in December - Welterweight
  • Irwin Rivera - Released in January - Bantamweight
  • Jamey Simmons - Released in August - Bantamweight
  • Jacob Kilburn - Released in February - Featherweight
  • Jerome Rivera - Released in August - Flyweight
  • Jimmie Rivera - End of contract - Bantamweight
  • Jimmy Flick - Retired in April - Flyweight
  • Joe Ellenberger - Released in July - Lightweight
  • John Allan - Released in November - Light Heavyweight
  • Johnny Eduardo - Released in October - Bantamweight
  • Jordan Espinosa - Released in March - Flyweight
  • Jordan Griffin - Released in May - Featherweight
  • José Alberto Quiñónez - Released in March - Bantamweight
  • Joseph Benavidez - Retired in September - Flyweight
  • Junior Dos Santos - Released in March - Heavyweight
  • Justin Jaynes - Released in August - Featherweight
  • Justine Kish - Released in April - Women's Flyweight
  • Kai Kamaka III - Contract ended in August - Featherweight
  • KB Bhullar - Released in May - Middleweight
  • Kevin Lee - Released in November - Welterweight
  • Khama Worthy - Released in November - Lightweight
  • Lara Procópio - Released in July - Women's Flyweight
  • Laureano Staropoli - Released in November - Middleweight
  • Liana Jojua - Released in November - Women's Flyweight
  • Liliya Shakirova - Released in September - Women's Flyweight
  • Lívia Renata Souza - Released in November - Women's Strawweight
  • Luis Peña - Released in October - Lightweight
  • Luke Sanders - Released in May - Bantamweight
  • Marion Reneau - Retired in July - Women's Bantamweight
  • Markus Perez - Released in February - Middleweight
  • Martin Day - Released in February - Bantamweight
  • Maurice Greene - Released in May - Heavyweight
  • Megan Anderson - Contract ended in March - Women's Featherweight
  • Michel Prazeres - Released - Welterweight
  • Mike Perry - Signed with BKFC - Welterweight
  • Mike Rodríguez - Released in October - Light Heavyweight
  • Mirsad Bektić - Retired in July - Featherweight
  • Modestas Bukauskas - Released in October - Light Heavyweight
  • Nicco Montaño - Released in August - Women's Flyweight
  • Nik Lentz - Retired in January - Featherweight
  • Omari Akhmedov - Released in July - Middleweight
  • Paul Felder - Retired in May - Lightweight
  • Peter Barrett - Released in February - Featherweight
  • Randa Markos - Released in November - Women's Strawweight
  • Raphael Pessoa - Released in July - Heavyweight
  • Ray Rodriguez - Released in April - Bantamweight
  • Rhys McKee - Released in January - Welterweight
  • Ronaldo Souza - Released in May - Middleweight
  • Roosevelt Roberts - Released in August - Lightweight
  • Roque Martinez - Released in June - Heavyweight
  • Ryan Benoit - Released in August - Flyweight
  • Sarah Alpar - Released in October - Women's Flyweight
  • Sarah Moras - Released in February - Women's Bantamweight
  • Shana Dobson - Released in March - Women's Flyweight
  • Spike Carlyle - Released In February - Featherweight
  • Stefan Sekulić - Released in July - Welterweight
  • Stefan Struve - Retired in February - Heavyweight
  • Suman Mokhtarian - Released in February - Featherweight
  • Syuri Kondo - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
  • Teemu Packalén - Retired in November - Lightweight
  • Thomas Almeida - Released in October - Bantamweight
  • Tyron Woodley - Contract ended in April - Welterweight
  • Vanessa Melo - Released in February - Women's Bantamweight
  • Vince Cachero - Released in March - Bantamweight
  • Vinicius Moreira - Released in February - Light Heavyweight
  • Yancy Medeiros - Released in August - Welterweight
  • Yorgan De Castro - Released in April - Heavyweight

    Debut UFC fighters

The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2021: