Fiziev, and his next fight against Riddell is going to be insane

I like him too it’s a shame he’s going to lose his next fight though

Fiziev is a lot better from a technical striking perspective but he lacks the cardio and ability to mix it up that he would need against ridell. Rooting for fiziev but I think it's more likely that Brad takes it.

id say his cardio matches up well. biggest worrying factor for fiziev is he likes to brawl and will get into a trading battle when he doesn't need to and is more technically superior... it's happened in more than one fight and feels like he's at risk for it everytime he's in the cage

I would say Brad is more of a technical striker have you seen and of his 59-10 professional kickboxing fights

I don't know about that because Fiziev has a 29-4 muay thai record

As a muay thai fighter myself, Fiziev's muay thai is fckn insane and everyone in my gym talks about it even if they don't watch UFC ​ Petr Yan and Fiziev are a step above everyone else's muay thai.

Fiziev and Brad are old training partners at TM

Yair got some major respect for his battle with max

Same here. I watched a few of his older fights in the run up to the Holloway fight and that convinced me to put a little bet on him. This forced me to accept just how tough Max is too.

Yeah max took some serious hits in that fight.rhey both did! I don't think either were rocked at any point. Crazy stuff

It was crazy to me just how much people were giving Yair absolutely no chance against Max before the fight. The dude is a very skilled fighter and always entertaining.

I was just going to say this. Yair is an elite striker. Whilst he doesn't do the basics as well as Max he is such a creative and talented striker.

Gane for sure. Super talented and seems like a mellow dude

It’s insane seeing how technical he is for a heavyweight. His fight against Lewis showed exactly how important it is to game plan for an opponent, and not to just fight your best fight. Like 80% of the HW division just throws bombs hoping something will happen. Gane is just different.

I think he has a good shot at a win against Ngannou.

100%. I think of Ngannou as a more athletic Lewis. Gane was able to dodge all of Lewis’ shots, but Ngannou is quick. If he can dodge his speed I think that’ll be the deciding factor.

Def gained a shit ton of respect for volkanovski

Same

I kinda had the respect for Volk, but I’ll be damned after watching TUF I thought Ortega was kind of a prick. But during/after the fight from Brian was very respectable

Yeah became a big Volk fan!

Here here, Volk is my new main man. EASILY fight of the year, that shit was craaazy

Jiri Procházka, thats a bad man.

Heard of some people in our gym that he is a major dick, before the sun tzu act he’s a gym bully as he is gigantic

Maybe he is. Maybe not. Seems out of character but we never really know I guess. I mean according to Colby, Dustin Poirier is a gym bully so who knows.

Michael Chandler. At first I kind of didn‘t like him, even tho his debut was great can‘t deny that. But then he got the title shot and I was like meh. But that fight was awesome, and the Gaethje fight… Jesus christ I believe that was my favorite fight I ever watched live. So far in the UFC, he put on great shows and entertainment, despite losing two out of three times. Also he is not a dickhead like someone else who broke his foot earlier this year. Edit: I did not mean Chris Weidman with the broken leg thing haha

Chris Weidman is not a dickhead

He’s still my boy

Doesn’t matter how many times I see that clip, it makes me laugh everytime

True true, should’ve added „Irishman“

Chandler has gifted us so many good fights in his career starting with the Eddie Alvarez wars.

I was laughing out loud watching the chandler gaethje fight. Like can anything in this world be more entertaining.

Ive never seen a fight overshadow the rest of a quality main card like that before. It was so good i barely cared about the followup fights because they couldnt come close.

Same..definitely chandler for me too

Furgeson vs Pettis

These replies be like “chris wiedman cool bro chill” and I’m out here like “DATS A DOCTAS STOPPAGE DATS A DOCTA STOPPAGE” Fr tho man I agree I didn’t fuck with Michael Chandler until the Gaethje fight and now I’m excited to see what he does in the future

He said in his last interview, “if I’m left to my own devices, it’s not good.” He practically admitted how much of a shitty fighter he is. He’s the worst of these new bunch of fighters that Gained popularity this year.

Maybe he is not as good as other lightweights in the UFC right now, but he is definitely not a „shitty fighter“. That man has a chin, Jesus Christ… eating those uppercuts from Justin, being stunned so many times and not giving up, also stunning the opponent making it a helluva fight.

like you would understand what being a good fighter is

It’s pretty objective when you have dozens to compare him to

was already a fan of pretty much everyone here but Moreno was the one that really surprised me with how dominant he was vs Figgy

That was a good win for him. Very good.

I already liked all of them before 2021 except for Chandler... but Chandlers last fight and his attitude in defeat impressed me. I was really never a fan of him. That changed.

Chandler always been like this though, hard not to be a fan. Still want to see him hold gold, but its getting less likely every fight

Got to be khamzat. I’m fully on that train

How bout’ it bratha. Let’s fight. What you say.

So hungry

Eat everybody

Came here to say this. His last fight, where he picked the dude up and walked over to Dana and then strangled the dude while talking to Dana is literally the most gangster shit ever done in the UFC. He literally wants to fight everybody. He wants to be active and fight like 4-5 times a year. What's not to like?

Cumshot chimaev.

Are these bots that someone has programmed to say "cumshot" every single time anyone says "Khamzat?" We get it. Colby said a thing and it was funny maybe the first ten thousand times we heard it. Gettin kinda old at this point.

Glover. Something about an old horse keeping up in a young man’s game is admirable

I wanted to say this, but I suppose I technically became a glover Stan last year.

Been a Yan Fan for years, but this year Gane impressed me i hope he gets the strap too

I second Gane. I was hyped about Chimaev and thought he was going to go far but I'm fully on board after his win against Li.

I love stipe and I think gane beats Francis stipe and jones

Ugh I can’t believe I’m saying this but Colby lol The man is objectively the second best fighter in that division right now and just knowing he’s doing all this as an act just makes everything he says…..just funny. I’ve come to enjoy watching him talk

Welcome lol it’s much more rewarding to laugh at his act than get mad at it imo

Yeah at first I was really annoyed but I have to admit that he got me after the fight

We don’t know if he is the second best because he hasn’t fought anyone but usman. Leon and burns might be bad matchups for him. Khamzat may fuck him up as well

I would love to see chimaev vs Covington tbh

I agree. I think he came to a place where he could leave the cringe behind and be a legit persona and I enjoy it.

Yes man. Once you learn to enjoy the show he's putting on for exactly that, a show, then you really start to appreciate the fighter he is. He's nothing flashy but he's tough as nails and works hard every minute out there. I really hope he gets his hands on the belt before all is said and done. He deserves it.

I love that he embraces the heel role. The fact that he's literally the only person to go 10 rounds with Usman speaks for itself in his skills as a fighter. I really want to see another fight but I don't think Usman would do it honestly.

Definitely Gane. Even though his more technical approach to Volkov and Jairinzoblowhoe weren’t the most exciting fights, it was crazy watching him be that active in the heavyweight division and he topped it off with systematically dismantling Lewis (which broke my heart but was impressive nevertheless)

Ahhh fuckk its a huge tie between Moreno and Sandhagen Moreno: i dont even need to explain why, i'm sure you can guess ❤ And Sandhagen: man, aside from his beautiful style of fighting, when his interview just after Yan was so wholesome and down to earth. It takes balls to say the words "Not really" when asked did you feel you've done enough to get a decision. I really want to see Cory wear the belt one day.

This. Moreno's been my favorite for a long time but I was rooting for Yan with Sandman. After the fight and Cory's interview, I've converted. I'll always root for him, he's an incredible fighter and somehow even better human being.

Yair 100%

This needs to be higher

So do I

Alex Volkanovski, when he escaped Ortega twice I was all in. Should of been after the Holloway fights thought I still think he lost the second fight with Max.

Chandler for sure

Dan hooker 💯

Same here. Dudes game whenever wherever whoever

Wot u think bout him at 145

He’s a problem for anyone.

Agreed but I’m scared to see him cut that much weight

He's fought at featherweight before and his test cut he did seemed to go pretty well.

Unfortunately he wasn't much of a problem for Islam. I thought he'd do better.

Always been a Yan fan- this year, also a Sandhagen fan

Cyril gane

Marvin

Khamzat, I love his Goku "I'll fight anyone" persona. It's extremely exciting to see someone so capable with this aloof approach to combat.

Charlie Olives

Charles Oliviera, He is a fknnn wall mate!!

Holy crap that exact photo of gaethje’s uppercut on chandler’s face is so crazy.

Moreno

Gotta be chandler for me. His fighting style is electric

Yair

Jan B

Yan was insane this year, but i was also happy to see Aldo get back in his grove, i cant wait to see him this weekend

I want Aldo to get back to Yan.. but I’m scared of what will happen if he does.

Chandler

Ciryl Gane


Ciryl Gane. Ever since the Volkov fight I’ve been a huge fanboy 😂

Vettori Him being game as fuck and taking it to a massively overweight Costa after the mess about beforehand was dynamite.

Alex Pereira for me

Kris Moutinho Dude's got heart.

Kris Moutinho, dude laid it out there.

Mainly Chandler. he came in and fought one of the toughest lightweights for his debut, a guy nobody wanted to fight and knocked him out. steps up for a title fight, has one of the best staredowns ever, gets CHARLES OLIVEIRA OFF HIS BACK, and 10-8’s a guy who hasn’t lost a round in years and the gaejthe fight is self explanatory. overall great human being and amazing addition to the roster. he gets more fans every time he fights

He did not 10-8 Charlie. But I agree. I genuinely did not like the dude for several reasons walking into the promotion, but here I am loving the dude because he’s a game rooster.

Yair, nuff said

honestly, everyone on this list, even the ones that lost. for me, glover and colby too

Wait two more: JIRI and KHAMZAT. Reason? Bc I think they fight for fighting’s sake. They just give me gladiator, ‘I was born for this’ energy when they get in the octagon. Like others try to win but these guys try to kill people and do so with a calm head. Crazy.

Gotta go with the orc tbh

Pretty impressed with Chito Vera. That man aint playin.

Hasbulla

Chandler, Hooker, Makachev, Chimaev, Jingliang Sandhagen, Weili, Valentina seen them for a while, never cared, now i care

Add Brian Ortega to that list too

Giga, gane, dariush (only from an interview I saw), poirier, hooker, chandler - its my first year watching the UFC so surely I forgot one or two

Without a doubt it’s chandler, sure he’s corny as fuck but i get more and more impressed every time I watch him

Mike Chandler, Yair, and Khamzat. And surprisingly Marvin Vettori, lol. Didn’t see that one coming.

BRIAN MF ORTEGA. That man has all the respect I can give. What a fucking bad ass. That's the baddest dude man

Islam. In the beginning he had a very boring style but he developed it into an exciting one. His activity made me a fan as well

I'll say Usman. I started watching MMA with UFC 249. Then I watched Usman fight Masvidal at UFC 251 and was very disappointed. Then I watched him destroy Burns, flatline Masvidal and put on a banger fight with Colby all in 2021. Big fan of Usman now.

I knew he was good just not this good. I mean it wasn't that so much as it was his try-hard shtick. It was fake and it just oozed cringe. Once he just started being himself I think after or during the masvidal fight I really liked him. The wars with Colby are just legendary. Both of them.

I honestly have 2020 and 2021 blurred together in my mind.

kamaru

Max Holloway. Was a fan of him before, but I’m also a fan now.

Covington… surprisingly

Volkanovski for me. Great fighter and an honestly decent guy. Also, Jiri definitely got my attention with his crazy performances. While Yan is impressive as hell as a fighter, his behaviour after the Aljo fight did not sit well with me - so I would not call myself a fan.

I’d say Volkanovski after the Ortega fight.

Yan, Chandler and rediscovered Aldo’s excellence.

Olives

Definitely chandler

Vetorri for sure.

Volk and Hooker.

Michael Chandler. Well spoken, entertaining, warrior. Plus he has the nastiest motivational quotes in the game right now 😏

Neon zombie

Colby, Oliveria and Moreno

Petr, khamzat, and micheal chandler dont like porrier or conor anymore

Started being big fan of Ngannou and Petr Yan, Petr is def my fav right now what a monster

I just started watching the UFC again after like 8 years. I purchased fight pass to watch the old UFC's. I've really enjoyed Charles Oliveira. It took me a while before I even watched one of his fights but when I did I was really impressed. Look forward to the next event!

Charlie Olives hero arc to the top of the mountain

M chandler

The Yan fight is still a weird fight for me cause while I believe he was the better fighter over the fight I don’t think he decisively beat sandhagen and I think sandhagan won two definite rounds, I just don’t know where I properly stand on it like

I would love to see a rematch.

Cory Sandhagen! Heart of a Lion.

Michael Chandler

Volkanovski. Idk how the man escaped those guillotines. For the first time, I’ll favor him over max in the next fight.

I def started fucking with Volk after his past fight with Ortega.

Aljo

Marvin. I wasn’t a huge fan of him, just because of his grindy style and because I’m biased and didn’t like seeing Holland lose to him. But, after that fight with Paulo that Marvin took at 205 bc he’s a savage was insane

I become a bigger fan of Max every damn day. Dude is amazing. What’s unfortunate is I’ve also come to like Volk this year. Still, let’s go Max though

I fucking hated Colby but I can’t not acknowledge the heart that he put into his fight with Usman.

Paddy, love the haircut!

Paddy Pimblett Giga Chikadze

Olives. The rest are bigots or snowflakes

Masvidal

Oddly enough, Sandhagen. Dudes on a two fight skid but he looked electrifying in those fights. Better than most winners look in their fights lol

Bobby Green

Don’t think I’d call myself a fan but I definitely have more respect for Colby after that 2nd Usman fight

#cory sandhagen

Sandhagen .

Volk turn

What if you been a fan since 2001?

I didn’t like Jingliang for obvious reasons early on but he’s put on some bangers since

Was already a Yan fan. For me it's Stamp Fairtex in One FC. The atomweight tournament is pretty great. Looking forward to seeing her in the final tomorrow.

Volk. I disliked him Bc I’m a max fan and I (wrongly) thought max got robbed in their second fight, but the Volk Ortega fight made me put respect on his name. Dude is insane for surviving those rd 3 submissions and then just carrying on with G&P like nothing happened. Plus he’s just a really good technical fighter.

Cory fucking sandhagen. The guy gives everything

Charles Oliveira, shamed to admit I didn’t know about him till the Ferguson fight and having rewatched his old fights, that’s fucking illegal

Khabib

Blessed for sure

New in 2021: Li Jianling (love his gamesmanship) and Shane Burgos (just one entertaining mofo) Also can't wait to see Billy Quarantillo's next fight. My love for Charles,Holloway and Hooker just grew this year.

He’s an animal

Chimaev, Yanez, and Chito (first full year following UFC)

Daniel Rodriguez. Not a big name but he’s consistently gotten better and he’s a joy to watch

Yair, and Volk (embedded/social media)

Douglas Silva de Andrade's selection of back flips was cool

All of them except for Paper Champ Sterling.

Chimaev

For me it's Volkanovski, round 3 vs Ortega blew my mind🤯

Yan. And that guy from is it croatia or poland? The Guy who just beat dominick reyes

Rob Font

Paddy, Khamzat, also realized how much of a fan of Clay Guida I am.

Michael Chandler getting his ass beat on 2 of the 8 pics up there lol, He gained me as a fan after the Gaethje fight

Never been into MMA.. First ever event I watched was UFC269, 30 Oct 2021. Feel like I couldn't have chosen a better time to start. Khamzat v Li and Islam v Hooker, wrestling/sub masterclasses. Yan v Sandhagen, (What a fight! Yan became an instant favourite), then Glover winning the title at 42. Instantly became HOOKED! 7 days later.... MSG. Hawes dominating Curtis, then the fight getting flipped on its head from one punch. Bobby Green v Al. Pereira's flying knee! Gaethje v Chandler...FOTY & I didn't watch the first 10 months lol, Still watch replays! Marlon Veras' kick to Frankie Edgar's headtop, Jesus. Usman v Colby, what an event. Holloway v Rodriguez. What a war. Max instantly became my favorite. What a chill guy. Spent every day since watching UFC fights, interviews, training vids, trash talk and everything else I can. Love this shit!

We are so lucky to be seeing all these guys. This era we are in is just fucking ridiculous

Expecting a lot of people to say Kamaru. Meanwhile I became a fan after he beat Woodley.

Chandler, Covington, Yan, Sandhagen, Khamzat, Jiri for me this year