5 big UFC stars who failed to win a single fight in 2021
2021 was a phenomenal year for a number of UFC fighters. But for a few others, the year proved to be far more challenging than they might’ve expected.
While several UFC stars lost in big fights during 2021, a handful came out even worse, failing to pick up a single victory despite fighting in the octagon more than once.
Dustin Poirier avenges his 2014 loss to Conor McGregor with a TKO win at #UFC257 https://t.co/KQhqZZ1zxa
Whether these fighters can recover from such a bad year or see a permanent slide in their fortunes, is a question that will only be answered in 2022. But right now it is safe to say that they'd want to forget last year quickly.
On that note, here is a look at five big UFC stars who failed to win a single fight in 2021.
#5 Kevin Holland – UFC middleweight
While he didn’t win a UFC title, middleweight contender Kevin Holland had a more successful 2020 than most other fighters.
‘The Trailblazer’ fought in the octagon on a remarkable five occasions and picked up five straight wins. He capped his year off with the biggest win of his UFC career, a brutal knockout of the highly-regarded Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza.
It looked like Holland was all set to move into title contention in 2021, particularly with UFC middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya running through prospective challengers quickly. But ‘Trailblazer’ fell to defeat in his first fight of 2021, dropping a clear-cut decision to Derek Brunson.
Most worryingly, the fight appeared to expose a fatal flaw in Holland’s skill-set. He was completely unable to stop Brunson’s takedowns, and didn’t have a lot to offer from his back.
Following the loss, the best idea for Holland probably would’ve been to take some time off to work on that weakness. But in what proved to be an ill-advised move, he returned to the octagon less than a month later to face off against Marvin Vettori.
Holland was defeated again, in similar fashion, giving him the first back-to-back losses of his UFC career. More painfully for ‘Trailblazer’, Vettori went on to fight for the UFC middleweight title in his next bout.
Holland ended his 2021 with a fight against Kyle Daukaus. Although that didn’t end in defeat, it didn’t go well either. An errant clash of heads knocked him unconscious, leaving his record for the year at 0-2-1.
SCENES. 😳
A clash of heads dramatically changes the flow of this one in the opening round! #UFCVegas38 https://t.co/PSGZs4Rpz3
Holland is expected to return to action in 2022, potentially as a welterweight. He’ll be hoping for an upturn in form then.