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Two of the biggest stars in the octagon will headline UFC 264 as Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier engage in a trilogy bout to conclude their storied rivalry. Despite the obvious lack of title fights, the pay-per-view event is shaping up to be one of the biggest cards of the year, with several high-profile fighters set to make an appearance.
Top contenders Gilbert Burns, Stephen Thompson and Kevin Lee will look to get one step closer to title contention. At the same time, cult heroes (or villains) Sean O'Malley, Ryan Hall, and Greg Hardy continue on their quest to crack the top 15 of their respective divisions.
We've seen many of our favorite UFC stars fight in recent months and we'll see more return soon. But there are a handful of big names who have noticeably been missing in action. As we approach the second half of 2021, let's take a look at five UFC stars who we have yet to see in the octagon this year.
#5 UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski
After handing Max Holloway back-to-back losses, Alexander Volkanovski was scheduled to defend the UFC featherweight title against Brian Ortega in the co-main event of 260. Unfortunately, the Australian champion tested positive COVID-19 several days before the event, forcing him to withdraw from the fight.
Instead of rescheduling the fight immediately, however, Volkanovski and Ortega both agreed to participate as coaches in returning reality show The Ultimate Fighter. As a result, their pending title fight will have to wait until TUF 29 wraps up.
Volkanovski captured the featherweight title in a controversial unanimous decision win against Holloway at UFC 245 in 2019. But he got the job done once again when he edged the Hawaiian-born fighter in a championship rematch seven months later.
#4 Ex-UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Joanna Jedrzejczyk may have lost her most recent outing against Weili Zhang, but her stellar performance left fans wanting to see more. Unfortunately, though, she has yet to return after her classic 'Fight of the Year' barnburner with the former UFC women's strawweight champion.
Her absence could be because she has been picky about her opponents as of late. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the Polish star revealed the only two individuals she deems worthy of fighting: Rose Namajunas and Zhang.
"Let’s see what’s gonna happen next. Let’s see who Rose is willing to fight next, because I’m only interested in big fights. I know that people are saying that I lost and I should take some lower-ranking girls, but I’m not really interested after putting on ‘Fight of the Year’ with Zhang Weili.”
Right now, it's highly unlikely that Jedrzejczyk will be given another title shot against Namajunas as she's coming off a loss. Not to mention that the reigning champ has already defeated her twice.
Zhang, on the other hand, could become available if Carla Esparza gets selected as the next strawweight title challenger.
#3 Top-ranked UFC welterweight Colby Covington
While all signs appear to be pointing towards a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, the assumed number-one contender is adamant that the reigning welterweight champ is avoiding him. Speaking with Mike Heck on an episode of What the Heck, Covington said:
“They’re just waiting on Marty (Kamaru Usman). Ever since he beat that fragile dude, ‘Street Judas’ [Jorge] Masvidal, he’s been running. But he just found out there’s nowhere left to hide. He’s going to have to face being inside that octagon sooner than later."
“So as soon as his balls stop shrinking and he comes back to earth, he can fight me again. But the thing is, he’s off the grid. He’s probably got his phone on airplane mode, he’s denying all the UFC’s calls. He doesn’t want to sign the contract. He’s just hoping some alien invasion happens where he can pick some other lightweight washout to fight.”
Covington got his first crack at Usman's title at UFC 245 two years ago. He gave the champ a run for his money but fell short, losing via TKO in the final round. 'Chaos' last saw action in September 2020, scoring an impressive stoppage win over former champion Tyron Woodley.
#2 Second-ranked UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje hasn't seen action since his failed bid to dethrone Khabib Nurmagomedov as UFC lightweight king last October. His inactivity has led to speculation of him contemplating retirement. But 'The Highlight' jumped on Twitter to shut the rumors down, saying:
UFC president Dana White has revealed that he's considering putting together a high-profile showdown between Gaethje and Michael Chandler. According to White, a Gaethje-Chandler showdown "makes sense" and would "be a fun fight."
The two are easily on the shortlist of the most exciting fighters on the UFC roster. While both fighters are coming off losses, they could be a win or two away from getting back into title contention.
#1 Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones
After defending his title against Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, the next logical step in Jon Jones' career is to move up to heavyweight to face steeper competition. His search for a worthy opponent ended when Francis Ngannou captured the heavyweight title at UFC 260.
The former long-reigning light heavyweight king has long been vocal about his desire to move up to the land of the giants. And based on his most recent social media posts, it appears that Jones is making good on his promise as he's been rebuilding his body for a heavier weight class.
But there are several hurdles that prevent a Jones vs. Ngannou super-fight from taking place in the near future. Jones is engaged in a stand-still with UFC brass over his pay. 'Bones' also mentioned that he needed more time to get used to his new physique.
As exciting as it is to see Jones fight Ngannou in what would be the UFC's version of King Kong vs. Godzilla, we shouldn't expect 'Bones' to return to the octagon for at least another year.
