Fury v Wilder III or Gaethje v Chandler, which was the best fight of 2021? Here are our top 5
- From Fury-Wilder trilogy to the UFC lightweight classic between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, we look back at 2021’s top 5 fights
- 2021 was also a year which saw the “shoey” celebratory drink phenomenon reach new heights
It’s never an easy task to pick five of the best fights over the past 12 months, especially when those five have the potential to top the rankings.
But here we are, with five incredible performances that will be remember for years to come. Got a favourite that we missed? Let us know.
1. Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder III
As far as fights of the year go, you cannot look past Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder III, arguably the greatest heavyweight title fight of all time. Veteran fight promoter Bob Arum called the contest the best heavyweight championship bout he has ever seen, before correcting himself and adding that it ranked second behind Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s 1975 “Thrilla in Manila”. Fury’s 11th-round TKO over Wilder saw him retain his WBC title in a thrilling conclusion to a gripping heavyweight trilogy.
2. Justin Gaethje v Michael Chandler
The match-up between two hard-hitting UFC lightweight fighters wasn’t a main event, in fact it wasn’t even a co-main event. But Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler were in no doubt of what a win would mean for their respective careers and boy did they deliver.
The lightweight title contender fight was easily the best on the UFC 268 card. The two engaged in a total slugfest for 15 minutes. Somehow, by sheer freak of nature, the fight lasted all three rounds, with Gaethje ultimately doing enough to earn the decision win. Both fighters picked up a well-deserved US$50,000 (HK$390,000) bonus for their efforts.
3. Alexander Volkanovski v Brian Ortega
The main event of UFC 266 between defending champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Brian Ortega had fight of the year written all over it. The featherweight champion successfully retained his title against Ortega with a performance that saw him establish control right from the start. Despite a tough third round, Volkanovski held on to retain his title and win a stack of new fans along the way.