If you listen to President Dana White and other people close to the UFC, it’s clear that they have big plans this year to get the organization back on track. Naturally, this means some massive cards are surely coming our way. While we sit back and think about our dream matchups, certain names come to mind. However, there are many fighters amongst the UFC roster that have questions surrounding them. Let’s take a look at some fighters we are wondering about as we progress further into 2021.
MMA Fighters We Have Questions About in the year 2021
Paul Felder
Paul Felder is a veteran if there ever was one, going through multiple wars in the lightweight division during a time when it was the most competitive division in MMA history. After assuming his role as a UFC commentator, it felt like Paul Felder was getting comfortable outside of the octagon. For some time, we were uncertain if we would ever see him strap on the gloves and fight again. Felder is a fan favorite in MMA, and sportsbooks certainly get extra traffic in the lead up to his fights, especially sites allowing customers living in PA where he is from. His most recent event was this past November when he agreed to a short-notice bout against RDA.
After a split-decision loss, it looked like maybe it was time for Felder to finally hang up the gloves for good. However, he has stated numerous times since then that he plans on fighting again. The question is, which fights does he have in mind? He currently sits at #9 in the lightweight division, and another loss would send him out of the top ten, presumably for good.
Darren Till
In some respects, Darren Till sits at the best possible position he could be in considering his record. He is currently at #4 in the middleweight rankings, a division that is arguably the best in the organization. With champion Israel Adesanya possibly vacating the title, this leaves the door wide open for Till if he can prove he is worthy, and therein lies the question.
At this point in his career, Till has risen to the top of the MMA world simply on the strength of a right hand and a decent body kick. He has natural talent in spades but has resisted improving his repertoire. Till clearly has two paths in front of him. Either he improves his skills, or he’s destined to become the new 185lb gatekeeper with Romero now gone. Till’s upcoming fight with Marvin Vettori on April 10th should show us which direction he will go. A big win here could set him up for a possible title shot, thrown in the mix with Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker.
Rose Namajunas
The question we have for Rose is a simple one. Does she want to continue fighting? According to Dana, Rose vs champion Weili Zhang is happening sometime in 2021. Whether Rose can become a champion again, and if she has anything at all left in the tank, is still to be determined.
Israel Adesanya
The world wants to know if Adesanya can successfully triumph over the Polish bomber, Jan Blachowicz. It’s a simple question, with many caveats. Without a doubt, Jan promises to be the biggest challenge of Adesanya’s career. His power will be enormous, more so than Romero’s, and most analysts do not expect Adesanya to come into the light heavyweight matchup too big. It’s likely he will still be lean in comparison to Jan’s stocky frame. Jan also will not be afraid to go after Adesanya as Costa appeared to. This should be a massive event for the unbeaten middleweight who is going after his 2nd title.
Nick Diaz
After some recent interviews and unrelenting speculation, we may just see Nick Diaz again. It would be 6 years since he last competed, and at the age of 37, that is concerning to say the least. Time is not kind to fighters, and the biggest questions surrounding the elder Diaz brother is what kind of shape will he be in? Is he going to be a shadow of his former self? There is no telling at this point but we certainly hope to see him in the octagon again, if just for one last hurrah.
