5 under the radar UFC fights to look forward to in December

2021 has been a great year for UFC fans, with a plethora of incredible events paired with some exceptional matchmaking. Now entering the final month of the year, the UFC are looking to go out with a bang.

There are three fight cards scheduled for December: UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo, UFC 269, and UFC Fight Night: Daukaus vs. Lewis. Fights such as Dustin Poirier vs. Charles Oliveira, Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena and Jose Aldo vs. Rob Font are rightly taking up the headlines in MMA media.

But there are multiple fan-friendly fights that are going under the radar. In the following list, we breakdown five of said fights that take place in December. Honorable mentions go to Andre Ewell vs. Charles Jourdain, Jake Matthews vs. Jeremiah Wells, and Manel Kape vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

#5. Randy Costa vs. Tony Kelly - UFC 269

UFC 269 is a stacked event featuring some of the best fighters the promotion has to offer. Champions, challengers and rising contenders at the top of the card are taking much of the fan's attention, but there are a number of bouts hidden in the prelims that deserve recognition.

One of those is the bantamweight bout between Randy 'The Zohan' Costa and Tony 'Primetime' Kelly. Both men are still relatively early in their MMA careers, but have demonstrated in their recent UFC performances that they are both solid prospects with bright futures in the division.

Costa has a 100 percent finishing rate, having never gone the distance in his eight-fight career. He currently has two UFC wins on his record, having KO'd both Boston Salmon and Journey Newson in the first round.

Tony Kelly holds a 7-2 record and has gone 1-1 inside the promotion. His most recent victory took place at UFC Fight Island 5, where he picked up a decision victory over Ali AlQaisi.

#4. Darrick Minner vs. Ryan Hall - UFC 269

Another high-level bout that may well fly under the radar for some at UFC 269 is the featherweight fight between Darrick Minner and Ryan 'The Wizard' Hall. Both men are looking to bounce back from recent losses in an emphatic fashion.

Darrick Minner is a veteran mixed martial artist who currently holds a record of 26-12. Impressive wins over T.J. Laramie and Charles Rosa inside the UFC have shown what Minner's veteran savvy brings to the table. He has also defeated a number of now UFC prospects whilst on the regional scene, including Terrance McKinney.

Minner will face off against Ryan Hall, one of the most unorthodox fighters in the UFC. Hall is a TUF winner and has utilized his unique BJJ game to overcome the likes of BJ Penn, Darren Elkins, and Gray Maynard.

More often than not, Hall's gameplan involves searching for all manner of submissions, often from the bottom position. However, Minner is a very capable offensive wrestler. This fight certainly has the potential to go a number of different routes, but will certainly be entertaining regardless of which path it takes.

#3. Raphael Assuncao vs. Ricky Simon - UFC Fight Night: Daukaus vs. Lewis

In the UFC's last event of 2021, an intriguing bout between No.12-ranked UFC bantamweight Raphael Assuncao and rising prospect Ricky Simon has gone unnoticed by many.

Assuncao has been in the UFC since 2011, and over the years has picked up a number of impressive victories against some of the division's best. His record includes decision wins over the likes of T.J. Dillashaw, Rob Font, Marlon Moraes and the current champion, Aljamain Sterling.

He takes on talented wrestler Ricky Simon, who also amassed a number of significant wins during the four years he has competed for the UFC. Most notable was a submission stoppage against the now No.6-ranked UFC bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili.

Assuncao may well be in the twilight of his career at this point. However, he has that veteran savvy that comes with a career that spans nearly 20 years. Simon will have to be at his very best to overcome the wily Brazilian.

#2. Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill - UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo

For a Fight Night card, the UFC's next trip to the Apex Arena is incredibly strong in terms of both talent and name value. Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo and Rafael Fiziev vs. Brad Riddell are massively anticipated matchups that could both have a major impact on their respective divisions.

However, also featured on the card is a bout between two light heavyweight prospects that both have the potential to one day fight for gold. Jimmy 'The Brute' Crute takes on Jamahal 'Sweet Dreams' Hill in a bout that has fireworks written all over it.

Jimmy Crute is coming off a bizarre leg injury that saw him unable to continue against Anthony Smith at UFC 261. Prior to that loss, Crute had won four of his last five fights inside the UFC, including victories over Paul Craig and Sam Alvey.

Jamahal Hill is also coming off another unusual fight-ending injury, after his arm was dislocated by Paul Craig at UFC 263. It was the first loss of Hill's career, snapping his nine-fight unbeaten streak.

Crute and Hill will now go head-to-head in an intriguing style matchup in which 'Sweet Dreams' will no doubt have the advantage on their feet, but will be hard pressed to deal with 'The Brutes' dangerous ground game.

#1. Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Gamrot - UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus

Our number one pick goes to the lightweight bout between Carlos Diego Ferreira and Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Daukaus. Ferreira is an experienced veteran of the UFC whilst Gamrot is a rapidly rising prospect.

Currently the No.11-ranked fighter in the UFC's lightweight division, Ferreira has picked up a reputation as of late for being an incredibly entertaining BJJ specialist who pushes a relentless pace. He may be coming off two losses, but in both fights he pushed Beneil Dariush and Gregor Gillespie to their absolute limits.

Mateusv Gamrot is only three fights into his UFC career, but the fact that he is already fighting a ranked opponent shows just how highly the UFC rates him. Gamrot was a champion of Polish MMA promotion KSW, and entered the UFC with an outstanding 17-0 record.

Gamrot is a high-level wrestler, as demonstrated by his recent first-round Kimura submission stoppage over Jeremy Stephens. If he takes the fight to the mat, Ferreira will undoubtedly push him further than anyone ever has before. Gamrot's response to Ferriera's pressure will give fans a good indication of just how high the Polish lightweight's ceiling truly is.