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