Top 5 fights of 2021

Fighters across the UFC, Bellator, and beyond treated MMA fans to exciting clashes throughout 2021, but a few high-octane matchups stood out from the rest.

Here are theScore's top five MMA bouts of 2021.

5. Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Miguel Baeza

Event: UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai
Date: June 5

Ponzinibbio and Baeza's fight stole the show.

Baeza started strong in the first round, chopping down Ponzinibbio with leg kicks and preventing him from finding his groove. After tagging his opponent early in the second round, Baeza appeared on course to a clear-cut win.

"It's not looking good for Santiago," UFC color commentator Michael Bisping said.

But the tide turned in the second half of the contest, as the "Argentine Dagger" started to connect with his hands while Baeza tired out. The third round was an all-out brawl. Ponzinibbio ultimately got the best of the exchanges, and his hand was raised after 15 minutes.

4. Petr Yan def. Cory Sandhagen

Event: UFC 267
Date: Oct. 30

Sandhagen tried to make the most of his short-notice shot at the interim bantamweight title, but Yan proved to be too much.

The pair battered each other on the feet for five rounds. Sandhagen took an early lead in Round 1 using combinations and his movement.

But - as he usually does - Yan got stronger as the fight progressed, winning every subsequent round. He landed kicks to the body and was the harder puncher, dropping Sandhagen in the third round.

While Sandhagen was out-gunned in the second half, he held his chin up and went for the comeback until the very last second, making this one of the best clashes of 2021.

3. Alexander Volkanovski def. Brian Ortega

Event: UFC 266
Date: Sept. 25

This featherweight title bout was all about shifts in momentum.

Volkanovski won all five rounds against Ortega on two of the judges' scorecards - and even had a 10-8 mixed in - yet Ortega delivered enough of his own offense to make this one of the most thrilling bouts of the year.

Ortega's submission attempt in the third round was the most memorable moment. He dropped Volkanovski and nearly finished him with a mounted guillotine followed by a triangle choke. But the defending champion miraculously escaped both times and went on to brutalize Ortega with ground-and-pound to close the frame.

With Ortega bloodied and hurt, Volkanovski took over in the fourth and fifth rounds. The Australian ultimately dished out more damage over the 25-minute affair, leaving little doubt he's the best featherweight on the planet.

2. Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler

Event: UFC 268
Date: Nov. 6

People expected Gaethje-Chandler to produce a "Fight of the Year" or "Knockout of the Year" candidate. The two contenders treated fans to the former, exceeding expectations in the first two rounds.

The lightweights wasted no time when the opening horn sounded, forgoing a feeling-out process and trading massive shots in one of the year's best rounds.

Chandler performed well in Round 1, rocking Gaethje on the feet. But "The Highlight" took advantage of his better technique to take over midway through the fight. He dropped Chandler in the second round, forcing "Iron" to play catch-up for the rest of the night.

They fought at a slower pace in the third round, with Gaethje in full control and Chandler looking for a Hail-Mary punch. However, the frantic first 10 minutes immediately made this matchup the front-runner for "Fight of the Year."

1. Max Holloway def. Yair Rodriguez

Event: UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez
Date: Nov. 13

A week after it seemed no fight would surpass Gaethje-Chandler, a featherweight bout between a former champion and a returning contender took the cake.

Holloway and Rodriguez exchanged a variety of strikes - and engaged in a bit of grappling - in one of the year's most back-and-forth 25 minutes.

Rodriguez, who hadn't stepped into the Octagon since October 2019, was the massive underdog, but he didn't look the part once the fight started.

"El Pantera" won the first round on two judges' scorecards, battering his opponent with leg kicks. Holloway came on strong in the middle rounds, staying a bit busier and landing cleaner punches. Rodriguez surprisingly found a second wind in the fifth, winning the round on all three judges' scorecards. But it wasn't enough to steal the decision.

While Holloway and Rodriguez were never badly hurt or in trouble like the fighters in the Gaethje-Chandler and Volkanovski-Ortega bouts, the pair's constant action lands their fight at No. 1.

Honorable mentions: Jiri Prochazka def. Dominick Reyes, Shane Burgos def. Billy Quarantillo, Brad Riddell def. Drew Dober