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#4. Conor McGregor (0-2 in the UFC in 2021, lost a trilogy to a bitter rival)
In January 2020, Conor McGregor took on Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. He secured a sensational TKO victory just 40 seconds into the bout. Before and after the fight with ‘Cowboy’, McGregor discussed how he was looking forward to staying active and enjoying a 'season' of regular fights. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global lockdowns halted his plans.
McGregor finally returned to action in January 2021 when he took on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. Interestingly, ‘The Notorious’ had a ton of options in regards to who he would fight next. He seemingly singled out Poirier, perhaps because he has a win over ‘The Diamond’.
McGregor was the favorite going into the bout, with many believing that Poirier would struggle with the power and accuracy of 'The Notorious'. Poirier repeatedly attacked McGregor's calf with powerful kicks, rendering the Irishman almost immobile in the second round.
Poirier capitalized on his success with leg kicks and cornered McGregor into the fence with lethal hooks, one of which caught the latter flush on the chin. 'The Diamond' secured a TKO victory to level the series between the duo at 1-1.
A trilogy bout was booked for UFC 264 in July. Unfortunately, McGregor suffered a gruesome leg injury in the dying seconds of the first round. The doctor called off the remainder of the fight and Poirier was awarded a TKO victory.
Clearly, Conor McGregor’s year has been a far cry from what he was expecting. The Irishman’s year could have gone a lot differently if he’d perhaps opted to fight someone other than Poirier. Nevertheless, he has vowed to come back stronger than ever.
#3. Zhang Weili (0-2 in the UFC in 2021, outclassed by the champion twice)
Following her sensational fight with Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2020, many believed that Zhang Weili would be a long-reigning champion in the UFC strawweight division. The Chinese fighter possessed an unnatural amount of power in her punches and was perceived to be extremely durable.
At UFC 261, Weili looked to defend her belt against Rose Namajunas. Namajunas, despite being a former champion, was a significant underdog going into the bout. However, what transpired left the MMA community and those in attendance in a state of shock.
Namajunas connected with a perfect head-kick in the very first round, sending her Chinese counterpart crashing to the canvas. ‘Thug Rose’ was crowned the new strawweight champion while Weili was noticeably distraught with the result.
The duo were booked to lock horns in a rematch at UFC 268 in Madison Square Garden, New York. Weili made a variety of changes to her fight camp and opted to train with former UFC double-champion Henry Cejudo in preparation for the bout. Nevertheless, Namajunas outclassed Weili over five rounds and came away with a split-decision victory.
With back-to-back losses to the reigning champion, Weili finds herself in a precarious position in the division. She could look to defeat a few contenders before campaigning for a trilogy bout with Namajunas. Alternatively, she could move up to the flyweight division to take on arguably the greatest female fighter in the world, Valentina Shevchenko.
