5 of the most forgettable UFC events of 2021 so far
2021 has undoubtedly been an excellent year for the UFC, with blockbuster events like UFC 257, UFC 264 and UFC 268 gaining rave reviews from fans across the world. Nevertheless, not every event has been quite so successful.
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2021 has seen the UFC produce a total of 39 events so far and unfortunately, a number of them have been completely unmemorable.
At times this was because certain fight cards lacked any of the marquee names in the promotion, and other times because the fights on offer simply didn’t deliver in the octagon.
Either way, it’s unlikely that UFC fans will be using the Fight Pass streaming service to re-live them any time soon.
Here are the five most forgettable UFC events of 2021 so far.
#5. UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez – October 9th 2021
The UFC’s decision to keep its Fight Night shows at the Las Vegas APEX has been a curious one. In many ways, it makes complete sense for the promotion. The UFC doesn’t need to worry about organizing more events around the United States, breaking into new markets and selling out arenas. This also gives them fewer worries with regard to last-minute changes to the fight card.
Naturally, the cost of producing events at the APEX is far lower than it would be if the promotion went elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the result of this decision appears to be the emergence of plenty of throwaway events, with UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Marina Rodriguez being a prime example.
This event in early October featured a high-end strawweight headliner, but little else in the way of depth – with a catchweight fight between the unranked Randy Brown and Jared Gooden acting as the co-main event.
Nobody would’ve minded the lack of name value had the fights on offer delivered plenty of action, but that wasn’t the case. The card had nine fights on offer and only four delivered finishes.
The headliner, meanwhile, just wasn’t all that exciting, as Rodriguez largely nullified Dern’s grappling and picked her apart for five rounds.
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[B2YB @ToyoTires | @WMMARZ @MackenzieDern | #UFCVegas39 ] https://t.co/j1k2kzjH76
The UFC has been ensuring that all numbered events in 2021 are stacked beyond belief. UFC 267 and UFC 268 (which took place on back-to-back weekends) are testament to this. Hence, the three Fight Nights before UFC 267 had uninspired main cards to say the least.