2021 in UFC

The year 2021 was the 28th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States.

Releases and retirements
These fighters have either been released from their UFC contracts, announced their retirement or joined other promotions:


 * Aalon Cruz - Released in May - Lightweight
 * Al Iaquinta - Retired in November - Lightweight
 * Alan Jouban - Retired in May - Welterweight
 * Adam Yandiev - Released in March - Middleweight
 * Aleksandra Albu - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
 * Alex Chambers - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
 * Alexander Yakovlev - Released in June - Lightweight
 * Alexey Kunchenko - Signed with PFL - Welterweight
 * Alistair Overeem - Released in March - Heavyweight
 * Ali Alqaisi - Released in February - Bantamweight
 * Anderson dos Santos - Released in August - Bantamweight
 * Andrew Sanchez - Released in October - Middleweight
 * Antônio Carlos Júnior - Released in February - Middleweight
 * Anthony Birchak - Released in May - Bantamweight
 * Anthony Ivy - Released in February - Welterweight
 * Anthony Rocco Martin - Moving to other promotion in January - Welterweight
 * Antônio Arroyo - Released in October - Middleweight
 * Antônio Braga Neto - Released in September - Middleweight
 * Bartosz Fabiński - Released in May - Middleweight
 * Bethe Correia - Retired in October - Women's Bantamweight
 * Bharat Khandare - Released in November - Featherweight
 * Bojan Mihajlović - Released in February - Light Heavyweight
 * Brok Weaver - Released in March - Lightweight
 * Carlos Condit - Retired in September - Welterweight
 * Carlton Minus - Released in February - Lightweight
 * Chris de la Rocha - Released in February - Heavyweight
 * Christian Aguilera - Released in May - Welterweight
 * Cláudia Gadelha - Retired in December - Women's Strawweight
 * Cole Williams - Released in February - Welterweight
 * Dan Hardy - Released in May - Welterweight
 * Darren Stewart - Released in August - Middleweight
 * Demian Maia - End of contract - Welterweight
 * Diego Sanchez - Released in April - Welterweight
 * Dmitry Sosnovskiy - Released in February - Heavyweight
 * Don Madge - Signed with PFL - Lightweight
 * Drako Rodriguez - Released in August - Bantamweight
 * Emil Weber Meek - Released in June - Welterweight
 * Emily Whitmire - Released in September - Women's Flyweight
 * Felicia Spencer - Retired in December - Women's Featherweight
 * Gabriel Silva - Released in March - Bantamweight
 * Geraldo de Freitas - Released in March - Bantamweight
 * Gian Villante - Retired in November - Heavyweight
 * Gökhan Saki - Released in February - Light Heavyweight
 * Impa Kasanganay - Released in December - Welterweight
 * Irwin Rivera - Released in January - Bantamweight
 * Jamey Simmons - Released in August - Bantamweight
 * Jacob Kilburn - Released in February - Featherweight
 * Jerome Rivera - Released in August - Flyweight
 * Jimmie Rivera - End of contract - Bantamweight
 * Jimmy Flick - Retired in April - Flyweight
 * Joe Ellenberger - Released in July - Lightweight
 * John Allan - Released in November - Light Heavyweight
 * Johnny Eduardo - Released in October - Bantamweight
 * Jordan Espinosa - Released in March - Flyweight
 * Jordan Griffin - Released in May - Featherweight
 * José Alberto Quiñónez - Released in March - Bantamweight
 * Joseph Benavidez - Retired in September - Flyweight
 * Junior Dos Santos - Released in March - Heavyweight
 * Justin Jaynes - Released in August - Featherweight
 * Justine Kish - Released in April - Women's Flyweight
 * Kai Kamaka III - Contract ended in August - Featherweight
 * KB Bhullar - Released in May - Middleweight
 * Kevin Lee - Released in November - Welterweight
 * Khama Worthy - Released in November - Lightweight
 * Lara Procópio - Released in July - Women's Flyweight
 * Laureano Staropoli - Released in November - Middleweight
 * Liana Jojua - Released in November - Women's Flyweight
 * Liliya Shakirova - Released in September - Women's Flyweight
 * Lívia Renata Souza - Released in November - Women's Strawweight
 * Luis Peña - Released in October - Lightweight
 * Luke Sanders - Released in May - Bantamweight
 * Marion Reneau - Retired in July - Women's Bantamweight
 * Markus Perez - Released in February - Middleweight
 * Martin Day - Released in February - Bantamweight
 * Maurice Greene - Released in May - Heavyweight
 * Megan Anderson - Contract ended in March - Women's Featherweight
 * Michel Prazeres - Released - Welterweight
 * Mike Perry - Signed with BKFC - Welterweight
 * Mike Rodríguez - Released in October - Light Heavyweight
 * Mirsad Bektić - Retired in July - Featherweight
 * Modestas Bukauskas - Released in October - Light Heavyweight
 * Nicco Montaño - Released in August - Women's Flyweight
 * Nik Lentz - Retired in January - Featherweight
 * Omari Akhmedov - Released in July - Middleweight
 * Paul Felder - Retired in May - Lightweight
 * Peter Barrett - Released in February - Featherweight
 * Randa Markos - Released in November - Women's Strawweight
 * Raphael Pessoa - Released in July - Heavyweight
 * Ray Rodriguez - Released in April - Bantamweight
 * Rhys McKee - Released in January - Welterweight
 * Ronaldo Souza - Released in May - Middleweight
 * Roosevelt Roberts - Released in August - Lightweight
 * Roque Martinez - Released in June - Heavyweight
 * Ryan Benoit - Released in August - Flyweight
 * Sarah Alpar - Released in October - Women's Flyweight
 * Sarah Moras - Released in February - Women's Bantamweight
 * Shana Dobson - Released in March - Women's Flyweight
 * Spike Carlyle - Released In February - Featherweight
 * Stefan Sekulić - Released in July - Welterweight
 * Stefan Struve - Retired in February - Heavyweight
 * Suman Mokhtarian - Released in February - Featherweight
 * Syuri Kondo - Released in February - Women's Strawweight
 * Teemu Packalén - Retired in November - Lightweight
 * Thomas Almeida - Released in October - Bantamweight
 * Tyron Woodley - Contract ended in April - Welterweight
 * Vanessa Melo - Released in February - Women's Bantamweight
 * Vince Cachero - Released in March - Bantamweight
 * Vinicius Moreira - Released in February - Light heavyweight
 * Yancy Medeiros - Released in August - Welterweight
 * Yorgan De Castro - Released in April - Heavyweight

Debut UFC fighters
The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2021:


 * Albert Duraev - UFC 267
 * Alex Pereira - UFC 268
 * Allan Nascimento - UFC 267
 * Andre Petroski - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Aori Qileng - UFC 261
 * Benoît Saint-Denis - UFC 267
 * Brady Hiestand - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Brandon Jenkins - UFC Fight Night 192
 * Bruno Silva - UFC on ESPN 25
 * Bruno Souza - UFC 268
 * Bryan Battle - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Carlos Ulberg - UFC 259
 * Casey O'Neill - UFC Fight Night 185
 * Carlston Harris - UFC on ESPN 24
 * Cheyanne Vlismas - UFC on ESPN 21
 * Chris Barnett - UFC Fight Night 188
 * Chris Curtis - UFC 268
 * C.J. Vergara - UFC 268
 * Cody Brundage - UFC 266
 * Collin Anglin - UFC on ESPN 28
 * Dakota Bush - UFC on ESPN 22
 * Daniel Lacerda - UFC Fight Night 196
 * Darian Weeks - UFC on ESPN 31
 * David Onama - UFC Fight Night 196
 * Drako Rodriguez - UFC Fight Night 185
 * Elise Reed - UFC on ESPN 27
 * Erick Gonzalez - UFC Fight Night 195
 * Erin Blanchfield - UFC Fight Night 192
 * Francisco Figueiredo - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Fabio Cherant - UFC 260
 * Gaetano Pirrello - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Gilbert Urbina - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Gloria de Paula - UFC Fight Night 187
 * Gregory Rodrigues - UFC Fight Night 189
 * Harry Hunsucker - UFC on ESPN 21
 * Ian Garry - UFC 268
 * Ignacio Bahamondes - UFC on ABC 2
 * Istela Nunes - UFC Fight Night 195
 * Jeff Molina - UFC 261
 * Jared Vanderaa - UFC Fight Night 185
 * Jeremiah Wells - UFC Fight Night 190
 * Jesse Strader - UFC on ESPN 21
 * Joselyne Edwards - UFC on ABC 1
 * Josiane Nunes - UFC on ESPN 29
 * JP Buys - UFC on ESPN 21
 * Juancamilo Ronderos - UFC Fight Night 188
 * Kamuela Kirk - UFC Fight Night 189
 * Kris Moutinho - UFC 264
 * Leomana Martinez - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Liudvik Sholinian - UFC Fight Night 191
 * Luana Pinheiro - UFC on ESPN 23
 * Luis Saldaña - UFC on ABC 2
 * Lupita Godinez - UFC on ESPN 22
 * Mandy Böhm - UFC Fight Night 192
 * Manel Kape - UFC Fight Night 184
 * Manon Fiorot - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Marcelo Rojo - UFC Fight Night 187
 * Maria de Oliveira Neta - UFC Fight Night 196
 * Martin Sano Jr. - UFC 266
 * Mason Jones - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Melissa Gatto - UFC 265
 * Melsik Baghdasaryan - UFC on ESPN 28
 * Michael Chandler - UFC 257
 * Micheal Gillmore - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Mike Breeden - UFC Fight Night 193
 * Montserrat Ruiz - UFC on ESPN 21
 * Na Liang - UFC 261
 * Natan Levy - UFC Fight Night 198
 * Nick Maximov - UFC 266
 * Paddy Pimblett - UFC Fight Night 191
 * Pat Sabatini - UFC 261
 * Philip Rowe - UFC 258
 * Preston Parsons - UFC on ESPN 26
 * Orion Cosce - UFC on ESPN 28
 * Rafa García - UFC Fight Night 187
 * Rafael Alves - UFC Fight Night 188
 * Ricky Turcios - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Rong Zhu - UFC 261
 * Ronnie Lawrence - UFC Fight Night 186
 * Saidyokub Kakhramonov - UFC on ESPN 29
 * Sergey Morozov - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Shayilan Nuerdanbieke - UFC Fight Night 188
 * Silvana Gómez Juárez - UFC Fight Night 194
 * Tabatha Ricci - UFC Fight Night 189
 * Terrance McKinney - UFC 263
 * Tucker Lutz - UFC 262
 * Umar Nurmagomedov - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Uroš Medić - UFC 259
 * Vanessa Demopoulos - UFC on ESPN 30
 * Victoria Leonardo - UFC on ESPN 20
 * Zviad Lazishvili - UFC Fight Night 196

Suspended fighters
The list below is based on fighters suspended either by (1) United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for violation of taking prohibited substances or non-analytical incidents, (2) by local commissions on misconduct during the fights or at event venues, or (3) by the UFC for reasons also stated below.

The Ultimate Fighter
The following The Ultimate Fighter seasons are scheduled for broadcast in 2021: