UFC August 2021 Recap: Fight Stats + Takeaways

While there were only three UFC fight cards in the month of August (excluding the return of Dana White’s Contender Series), it does not mean there were not great fights and even greater takeaways. Join us as we take a deep dive into the stats from each card and give some of our biggest takeaways from this past month of UFC action!

UFC August 2021 Recap: The “Nitty Gritty”

UFC 265: Lewis vs. Gane (8/7)

• 13 Fights
  • 6 Decisions
    • 5 Unanimous
    • 1 Split
  • 7 Finishes
    • 4 KO/TKOs
      • 1 in Round One
      • 1 in Round Two
      • 2 in Round Three
    • 3 Submissions
      • 2 in Round One
      • 1 in Round Two

• Bonus Winners
  • Fight of the Night: Rafael Fiziev vs. Bobby Green
  • Performance: Ciryl Gane (TKO), Vicente Luque (Submission), Miles Johns (KO), and Jessica Penne (Submission)

UFC Vegas 34: Cannonier vs. Gastelum (8/21)

• 12 Fights
  • 6 Decisions
    • 5 Unanimous
    • 1 Split
  • 6 Finishes
    • 3 KO/TKOs
      • 2 in Round One
      • 1 in Round Three
    • 3 Submissions
      • 1 in Round One
      • 1 in Round Two
      • 1 in Round Three

• Bonus Winners
  • Fight of the Night: N/A
  • Performance: Alexandre Pantoja (Submission), Josiane Nunes (KO), William Knight (KO), and Ignacio Bahamondes (KO)

UFC Vegas 35: Barboza vs. Chikadze (8/28)

• 12 Fights
  • 5 Decisions
    • 2 Unanimous
    • 3 Split
  • 7 Finishes
    • 4 KO/TKOs
      • 2 in Round One
      • 2 in Round Three
    • 3 Submission
      • 1 in Round One
      • 2 in Round Two

• Bonus Winners
  • Fight of the Night: N/A
  • Performance: Giga Chikadze (TKO), Gerald Meerschaert (Submission), Abdul Razak Alhassan (KO), and Pat Sabatini (Submission)

August 2021 Totals

• 37 Fights
  • 17 Decisions
    • 12 Unanimous
    • 5 Split
  • 20 Finishes
    • 11 KO/TKOs (0 in Rounds Four or Five)
      • 5 in Round One
      • 1 in Round Two
      • 5 in Round Three
    • 9 Submissions (0 in Rounds Four or Five)
      • 4 in Round One
      • 4 in Round Two
      • 1 in Round Three

• Total Bonus Money Awarded = $700,000
  • 1 Fight of the Night
  • 12 Performance Awards

UFC August 2021 Recap: Biggest Takeaways

Ciryl Gane Possesses All-Time Great Potential

UFC 265 was the coming-out party for undefeated Frenchman, Ciryl Gane. “Bon Gamin” was not only able to TKO Derrick Lewis but come away as the interim heavyweight champion in the process. Now, yes, this felt like one of the most egregious interim title fights in UFC history, but that’s beside the point. Gane went in and did what he had to do, and answered a lot of questions about his skillset as well.

Prior to this massive opportunity to headline against Derrick Lewis in his hometown of Houston, Texas, Gane took the main-event two straight UFC fight nights. However, his performances left a lot to be desired by some fight fans, questioning his ability to finish the elite competition and labeling him as a boring fighter. This is far from the case however because rather than boring, Gane’s elite movement and striking should be marveled at, especially at the heaviest weight class in the sport.

Ciryl Gane is incredibly light on his feet, able to bounce and move about the octagon much quicker than his heavyweight counterparts. This leaves his opponents with very few opportunities to land cleanly, while for Gane, it opens up endless possibilities to pick them apart shot by shot. His stance changes, paired with very fast in and out movement, and patience make Gane one of the most unique fighters the UFC heavyweight division has ever seen. Not to mention that his timing and precision on his attacks is second to none, always allowing him to threaten with a finish at any point during a fight.

It all came together for Gane at UFC 265 and he will now find himself matched up with the undisputed heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, in his next bout. This is a true clash of the titans here and stylistically, there are so many areas of intrigue in this matchup. With Francis Ngannou seemingly getting better every time he steps into the cage, and the undefeated phenom that is Ciryl Gane, this title unification will be one of the most massive fights in this division’s illustrious history. 

Giga Chikadze is a Problem

Since losing on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, Giga Chikadze has done nothing but win… literally. He went on to secure two victories in Gladiator Challenge before finally earning his UFC contract in September of 2019. Since then, Chikadze has amassed a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC, with the last three coming by way of TKO. This includes his incredible UFC Vegas 35 performance against long-standing veteran and top-ten featherweight, Edson Barboza. 

It was by far the biggest test of Chikadze’s career, and he passed with flying colors. Not only did he get a finish, but he showed he could weather some adversity on the feet after Barboza did have a relatively successful round two. But, of course, Chikadze would get the finish in the third, showing no real signs of fatigue, and maintained his finishing prowess throughout. He has now cracked in at number eight in the divisional rankings and feels confident with whoever the UFC throws at him next.

While his callouts of Max Holloway or being a replacement fighter for the featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, may not come to fruition, you’ve got to respect the confidence that Chikadze carries. It will be very interesting to see who in fact he does get matched up with next because at this rate, the “Ninja” could be vying for a title shot early in 2022. 

Give us your thoughts on our UFC August 2021 Recap and what you felt were the biggest takeaways of the month in the comments below!

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