5 UFC fighters who appeared to crack under pressure in 2021
The UFC is a uniquely high-pressured place to compete when it comes to combat sports. Many fighters are only ever one loss away from losing their spot on the roster and even big stars are always on the edge of slipping down the rankings.
2021 has seen a number of fantastic performances from the UFC’s top stars. However, it’s also seen a number of excellent fighters struggle under the bright lights and seemingly crumble under the pressure.
Some of these fighters ended up simply failing to reach their highest standards inside the octagon, while others ended up losing to opponents they were heavily favored to defeat.
Jan Blachowicz gifted Glover Teixeira a Polish beer for his birthday. They fight tomorrow 🍻 #UFC267
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Does this make them bad fighters? Absolutely not, as we’ve seen them perform under high pressure before, but evidently, 2021 wasn’t their year.
Here are five UFC fighters who cracked under pressure in 2021.
#5. Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland – UFC on ESPN 28
Current UFC middleweight contender Uriah Hall had been accused of cracking under pressure on a number of occasions before 2021.
A uniquely talented and explosive striker, many fans favored Hall to defeat opponents such as Kelvin Gastelum, John Howard and Derek Brunson, only for ‘Prime Time’ to simply not produce his best under the bright lights.
However, Hall appeared to have turned things around coming into this year. He hadn’t lost since his 2018 defeat at the hands of Paulo Costa. Hall had reeled off four UFC wins in a row, including victories over Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
When the UFC matched him with Sean Strickland in the headline bout of UFC on ESPN 28, then, it felt like the final obstacle for ‘Prime Time’. To many observers, a win would’ve put him in contention for the UFC middleweight title.
Unfortunately, it felt like Hall simply couldn’t quite get to grips with the opportunity he was being offered. He produced his worst performance in years under the bright lights.
Strickland still feeling fresh 👀
Five minutes to go! #UFCVegas33 https://t.co/WD1ddKGDjK
The fight was arguably one of 2021’s worst headline bouts, as Strickland seemed largely content to simply pick at Hall with his jab, while ‘Prime Time’ offered very little in response. Usually a striker willing to throw low-percentage shots in desperate times, Hall simply seemed passive.
Whether the 37-year old can recover from such a disappointing defeat is very much a question mark going into 2022, but there’s no doubt he struggled under the pressure in 2021.