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The UFC produced some incredible stories and moments in 2021. These moments will be etched in the memory of MMA fans for a long time to come.
Unbelievable knockouts, rare submissions, gruesome injuries and memorable post-fight celebrations are certainly hard to forget. However, it’s the successful underdog stories that truly stand the test of time.
To this day, the Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas boxing bout from 1990 has been cited as the greatest example of an indelible upset. Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog going into his bout against Tyson. At the time, Tyson was undefeated and considered to be the best boxer in the world for his domination of the heavyweight division over the previous three years.
Despite being an astounding -4300 betting favorite, Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round. Douglas produced the greatest upset in combat sports history.
Watch Buster Douglas’ KO of Mike Tyson below:
MMA has produced its fair share of historic upsets as well – Matt Sera’s win over Georges St-Pierre, Chris Weidman’s triumph over Anderson Silva and Holly Holm’s victory over Ronda Rousey, to name a few. Watching a massive underdog overcome all the odds and produce a result that stuns the world will always be a sight to behold.
2021 in particular, has delivered spectacular underdog success stories. That being said, we thought we’d look at the five best performances by betting underdogs in UFC championship bouts this year.
#5. Charles Oliveira (+140 underdog against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269)
Charles Oliveira joined the UFC in 2010. The Brazilian endured a turbulent run in the promotion which culminated in spectacular fashion at UFC 262 earlier this year.
Oliveira took on Michael Chandler for the vacant UFC lightweight championship following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Throughout the course of his career, ‘Do Bronx’ was accused of giving up in fights and not showing the heart of a champion. This notion was put to the test at UFC 262 as Chandler hurt Oliveira on numerous occasions in the first round of their bout.
However, the 32-year-old mounted an admirable comeback in the second round, knocking out his American counterpart 20 seconds into the round to win the belt.
It was his next bout, however, that truly changed the public perception of the Brazilian.
Oliveira took on Dustin Poirier in his first title defense at UFC 269, the final UFC pay-per-view of the year. The Brazilian was the betting underdog going into the bout as many believed he would struggle against the power and pressure of 'The Diamond'. Additionally, Poirier was considered the “uncrowned champ” going into the fight, despite Oliveira holding the belt.
However, Oliveira made a resounding statement with a stunning victory over Poirier. Adding to his record for most submission wins and finishes in UFC history, 'Do Bronx' locked in a rear-naked choke in the third round of the bout. Poirier was forced to tap and Oliveira secured his first title defense.
2021 saw Charles Oliveira go from being a top contender in the toughest division in the UFC to becoming an undisputed world champion. Moreover, there were a lot of lingering doubts surrounding the Brazilian's willingness to fight through adversity. He silenced his critics in style, producing two come-from-behind victories against top contenders in the 155 lbs division.
#4. Rose Namajunas (+170 underdog against Zhang Weili at UFC 261)
Rose Namajunas is no stranger to being the underdog going into a championship fight. The American took on a dominant champion in Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in 2017. She knocked her Polish counterpart out in the first round.
Namajunas even defeated Jedrzejczyk in the rematch via decision, but subsequently lost the belt to Jessica Andrade. Famously, Namajunas struggled with the pressures of being a world champion.
Four years later, Chinese powerhouse Zhang Weili was the reigning UFC women’s strawweight champion. Rose Namajunas took on Weili in the co-main event of UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, with many expecting the champion to steamroll the challenger and defend her belt.
However, what actually happened left the fans in attendance and those watching around the world in utter disbelief. Namajunas knocked Weili out with a sensational head-kick in the very first round to become a two-time UFC champion.
Watch Namajunas’ full post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
#3. Brandon Moreno (+175 underdog against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263)
Brandon Moreno’s UFC career has been tumultuous to say the least.
The Mexican flyweight was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter and suffered a loss in his first fight on the show. Considering how thin the UFC’s flyweight division was at the time, he signed a contract with the promotion despite coming up short on the reality series.
Moreno won three fights on the bounce, but lost two on the trot before being released by the UFC. He won the LFA flyweight championship and was subsequently re-signed by the world’s premier MMA organization.
Upon his return, ‘The Assassin Baby’ went on a four-fight unbeaten streak to earn a shot at the flyweight belt at UFC 256 in 2020.
At the time, the man holding the belt was considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. Deiveson Figueiredo was quickly gaining a reputation for being a potential long-reigning champion at 125 lbs. Figueiredo’s well-rounded skills and terrifying aggression led many to believe that he would make light work of Brandon Moreno.
However, the bout turned out to be a razor-thin contest with the judges scoring the bout as a draw, allowing Figueiredo to retain his belt. Analysts and fans believed that Figueiredo wasn’t at his best on the night considering he had cut weight and fought just one month prior.
Nevertheless, the fact that Moreno survived 25 minutes with one of the best fighters in the world warranted a rematch, which was booked for UFC 263.
In most historic upsets, the final KO/TKO or submission tends to come out of nowhere. Much to the surprise of the entire MMA community, Moreno absolutely demolished Figueiredo in the rematch. The Mexican dominated every second of the bout before submitting the Brazilian in the third round to become the new UFC flyweight champion.
Watch Brandon Moreno’s full post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
#2. Glover Texeira (+240 underdog against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 267)
Glover Texeira joined the UFC nine years ago at the age of 31. Texeira was a dominant force in the Brazilian regional MMA scene and was famously unable to compete in the United States due to visa issues.
Many believed the Brazilian joined the world's premier MMA organization a little too late in his career. However, he proved his doubters wrong and went on a five-fight winning streak after joining the promotion, earning himself a title shot against Jon Jones. He lost to Jones via unanimous decision at UFC 172.
His next nine bouts would see him go 5-4 in the light heavyweight division and the consensus opinion was that he was past his prime.
Much to the surprise of the entire MMA community, Texeira has enjoyed an unbelievable career resurgence since turning 40 in 2019. Once again, he went on a five-fight winning streak to secure another shot at the title. He was booked to take on UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in the main event of UFC 267.
Glover Texeira produced one of the most inspiring performances in MMA history. He dominated Jan Blachowicz in the first round and locked in a rear-naked choke in the second to win the belt.
Despite being the underdog, the 42-year-old Brazilian emerged victorious and produced one of the most memorable feel-good moments of the year.
Watch Glover Texeira’s post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier below:
#1. Julianna Pena (+650 underdog against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269)
Julianna Pena was just another fighter in the women’s bantamweight division before UFC 269. She won The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 and compiled a 6-2 run before finally getting a crack at UFC bantamweight gold.
Her only UFC losses came against current flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and former featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
Pena was booked to take on the GOAT of women’s MMA, Amanda Nunes. Most were of the opinion that Nunes would make light work of Pena and the betting odds reflected the same. Nunes was a -1100 favorite going into the bout.
Julianna Pena produced one of the greatest upsets in combat sports history as she choked out Amanda Nunes in the second round.
She took the fight to ‘The Lioness’ unlike anyone had done previously, repeatedly catching the long-reigning champion with her jab. With Nunes noticeably fatigued, Pena dragged her to the ground and locked in a rear-naked choke to complete the biggest upset of the year.
Pena's win over Nunes left MMA fans around the world in shock. What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that she predicted how the bout would play out and executed her game plan perfectly. Speaking to Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' said:
"I told you! Don't ever doubt me again! Will power, strength and determination! It will take you places."
Watch Julianna Pena’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
