5 UFC fighters whose stars waned in the first half of 2021

MMA is arguably the most unpredictable sport in the world. We saw an example of this in the UFC light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya.

'The Last Stylebender' was considered invincible coming into the fight, but was comfortably defeated by Blachowicz. Despite the loss, Adesanya's popularity did not take a big hit as he moved up a weight division for the fight. But the same cannot be said for other fighters who faced defeat in 2021.

Here's a look at five fighters whose star power diminished significantly in 2021:

#5 Cody Garbrandt

Cody Garbrandt came into 2021 in hot form after delivering a jaw-dropping knockout of Raphael Assuncao in 2020. Everyone thought the old Garbrandt, who toyed with Dominick Cruz for 25 minutes, was back and on his way to becoming a champion again.

But 'No Love' hit a brick wall when he faced fellow bantamweight contender Rob Font at UFC Vegas 27. Font dominated 'No Love' throughout the five-round contest. Many fans looked at the silver lining, that Garbrandt's chin - which has long been a point of contention - was able to hold through most of Font's shots. However, the loss will surely hurt Garbrandt's stock in the UFC.

Fans used his recklessness to brush off three consecutive KO losses to Dillashaw (twice) and Pedro Munhoz, respectively. However, there was no excuse for 'No Love' this time. Garbrandt was outclassed by Font.

The loss has led to doubts surrounding his career and who he should fight next.

#4 Tony Ferguson

In recent times, there has been no downfall more heartbreaking than Tony Ferguson's. 'El Cucuy' was riding a 12-fight win streak as early as last year, but three consecutive losses later, people are now contemplating Ferguson's retirement.

Despite his loss to Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, 'The Boogeyman' was still respected as a top contender. Fans thought he was bound to make a comeback in his next fight against Beneil Dariush. But the story remained the same as Ferguson got dominated for the entirety of the fight.

A bizarre statistic recently came to light. In Ferguson's last two fights, both of which lasted the entire 15 minutes, 'El Cucuy' only landed 30 strikes. For a fighter known for relentless pressure and volume, this does not bode well.

#3 Kevin Holland

No one had a better 2020 in the UFC than Kevin Holland. 'Trail Blazer' went on a five-fight win streak that ended in a highlight KO over UFC veteran Jacare Souza.

Holland's stock could not be higher going into 2021. But his fight against Derek Brunson exposed his ground game. It also seemed that Holland was not wholly focused on his opponent as he kept talking to Khabib Nurmagomedov in-between rounds, much to fans' displeasure.

Kevin Holland is asking Khabib Nurmagomedov for advice after the first round! 😂#UFCVegas22 pic.twitter.com/f0AvJJYh9e
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) March 21, 2021

Expand Tweet

Holland toned down the trash talk for his next fight against Marvin Vettori, but the outcome was the same. There is now talk of Kevin Holland moving down to the welterweight division. However, nothing has been confirmed yet.

#2 Conor McGregor

Dustin Poirier shocked the world when he knocked Conor McGregor out in the second round of the UFC 257 main event. The nature of the Irishman's loss was more shocking than the result itself. 'The Notorious' had never been knocked out before the fight.

Speculation about McGregor's motivation and heart would not be unfair. The Irishman has made a lot of money outside the sport and was recently #1 on Forbes' richest athletes list for 2021. No sane person would blame McGregor for a lack of motivation.

However, McGregor seems keen to bounce back from his loss.

'Mystic Mac' will get a chance to redeem himself in the trilogy bout with Poirier, set for July 10th.

#1 Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal took only a year to propel himself into stardom after racking up three big wins in 2019 against Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz. Living up to his nickname, 'Gamebred' entered the octagon in 2020 against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on six days' notice. Despite losing via decision, Masvidal earned a lot of praise for taking the fight.

'Gamebred' received another shot at the title at UFC 261 in April 2021. But this time, Usman knocked Masvidal unconscious in the second round, leaving no doubt that 'The Nigerian Nightmare' was the superior fighter.

There are potentially interesting fights for 'Gamebred.' Colby Covington could be an exciting matchup, and a fight against either of the Diaz brothers would be a crowd-favorite. But two losses against the current champion have made it difficult for Masvidal to get another UFC title shot soon.