5 of the most unlikely UFC success stories of 2021
The UFC on a whole is a highly unpredictable promotion. Each year seems to produce more surprises in the octagon, whether they come in the form of stunning comebacks or upset wins.
2021 has seen some massive surprises in the UFC, with some fighters in particular performing miracles to produce some highly unlikely success stories.
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With fighters returning from years on the shelf to pull off big wins, and others debuting in the UFC with little fanfare only to knock off highly rated prospects, 2021 could easily be seen as the year of the underdog.
With that considered, here are five of the most unlikely UFC success stories of 2021.
#5. Chris Daukaus – UFC heavyweight contender
When Chris Daukaus debuted in the UFC in August 2020, the idea that he’d climb the ladder into genuine contention for the UFC heavyweight title seemed laughable.
Not only did he have a completely unremarkable MMA record – 7-3, with one of his loses coming at the hands of UFC washout Zu Anyanwu – but he also didn’t look to be in the best shape. This all instantly created doubt that he could be a success in the octagon.
Daukaus quietened those doubters somewhat in 2020, proving that he did belong in the UFC with stoppage wins over Parker Porter and Rodrigo Nascimento. However, nobody really expected his success story to continue into 2021 – particularly when he was matched with veteran gatekeeper and grappling whiz Alexei Oleinik in February.
Incredibly, though, Daukaus once again demonstrated that he had surprisingly fast hands for a big man. He dropped ‘The Boa Constrictor’ inside two minutes before finishing him off.
Seven months later, Daukaus was back to produce his fourth UFC finish in a row. This time, he knocked off the tough Dagestani Shamil Abdurakhimov, claiming his third $50k performance bonus in the process.
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Daukaus is set to end the year with a fight against Derrick Lewis. If he can win, a stunning title shot could be within his grasp – making him one of 2021’s most unlikely success stories