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Most of the major sports organizations, including the UFC, have had to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic in the past year.
However, the Dana White-led company was also the first in the world to resume live sports action after being shut for nearly two months. Conducting events in arenas closed for the public, the UFC slowly revived the world of combat sports.
It took well over a year for the promotion to announce the return of a full-capacity crowd at one of their events, that being UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2.
In 2021, there has been a slew of fights that thoroughly entertained the fans, while some exciting bouts never came to fruition, thanks to Covid-19.
In this article, we'll take a look at five such intriguing fights that never transpired due to the fatal virus which has gripped the majority of the world
#5. Raoni Barcelos vs. Raphael Assuncao (UFC Vegas 20)
Raoni Barcelos was expected to take on Raphael Assuncao at UFC Vegas 20 in February. While Barcelos had established himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the bantamweight division, Assuncao was struggling to climb the ranks, having lost three of his previous fights.
The Brazilian duo, however, never got a chance to share the octagon as Assuncao tested positive for COVID-19 five days before their scheduled fight. Had the bout successfully taken place, MMA fans could have had a potential Fight of the Night on their hands.
Barcelos, best known for his explosiveness and crisp striking, was on a nine-fight winning streak back then. The 34-year-old possesses the ability to relentlessly push the pace of fights, which usually exhausts his opponents.
However, things would have probably been different for him while exchanging blows with someone like Assuncao, who is highly durable with an endless gas tank.
Ever since he joined the UFC in 2012, 13 of Assuncao's fights have gone the distance. He holds victories over the likes of Marlon Moraes, Rob Font, Aljamain Sterling, Pedro Munhoz, Jorge Masvidal and T.J. Dillashaw.
#4. Amanda Ribas vs. Angela Hill (UFC Vegas 26, UFC Vegas 28)
The fight between Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill has been canceled twice. Both women were first scheduled to meet at UFC Vegas 26 in May, but the bout was called off "due to COVID-19 protocols."
The strawweight contest was later rebooked for UFC Vegas 28 a month later. However, Hill once again had to return home empty-handed after it was revealed that Ribas was suffering from the lingering effects of Covid-19.
Ribas, one of the brightest prospects in the division, tasted her first UFC defeat in January of this year when she lost to Marina Rodriguez at UFC 257. She is currently ranked No.11 in the 115-pound weight class.
With two of their fights biting the dust, the UFC had to walk away from the idea of rebooking the clash for the third time.
Ribas will now take on Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267, while Hill will make her return to the octagon next Saturday at UFC 265 opposite Tecia Torres.
#3. Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena (UFC 265)
Amanda Nunes was expected to defend her bantamweight title for the sixth time at UFC 265 against Juliana Pena next weekend. Much to the despair of Pena, The 'Lioness' tested positive for Covid-19 nine days before the event, forcing the UFC to cancel a fight that would have been the biggest of Pena's career.
According to ESPN, the UFC will reschedule the title clash once Nunes is fit enough to compete inside the octagon.
Pena last fought Sara McMann at UFC 257, where she secured a submission victory in the final round, which ultimately earned her a title shot.
'The Venezuelan Vixen' claims that Nunes declined to fight her twice before their bout was finally scheduled for the August pay-per-view.
#2. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega (UFC 260)
The featherweight title clash between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega was expected to take place at UFC 260 in March. Roughly a week before the PPV, the UFC announced that the fight has been removed from the stacked card due to Volkanovski testing positive for Covid-19.
When the Australian successfully recovered from the virus, he recalled coughing blood during UFC 260 fight week.
"We realized my lungs are hurting a little bit, hurting to breath. We started wanting to pay attention to things when I started coughing up phlegm, pinky, like little bits of blood," Volkanovski told ESPN.
Below is Volkanovski's full interview with ESPN
The UFC later announced that Volkanovski and Ortega would be the two new coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 29. They are scheduled to fight for the featherweight championship later this year at UFC 266 on September 25.
#1. Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev (UFC Fight Island 8, UFC Vegas 21)
The Leon Edwards vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight has been canceled on a total of three occasions, twice alone in 2021. The welterweight pair were first expected to trade hands in December 2020 at UFC Vegas 17 , but 'Rocky' was forced to pull out of the fight owing to a positive Covid-19 test.
The fight was rescheduled for UFC Fight Island 8. However, this time around, it was Chimaev who contracted the virus.
Considering fans' excitement about the highly-anticipated fight, the UFC once again booked the bout for UFC Vegas 21. Unfortunately, Chimaev withdrew from the clash due to "lingering COVID-19 symptoms."
Fans later dubbed the encounter "cursed" and compared it to Khabib Nurmagomedov's fight with Tony Ferguson, which was canceled five times.
Since then, Edwards has already fought Belal Muhammad and Nate Diaz, while Chimaev is yet to step into the octagon. He is expected to return against rising welterweight Li Jiangliang later this year at UFC 267.
