Defying the odds: The 10 biggest MMA betting upsets of 2021

Check out the biggest upsets of 2021, according to the oddsmakers.

Who doesn’t love a good upset?

In 2021, MMA saw its fair share of underdogs who defied the odds – in the UFC, Bellator and beyond. While everyone has an opinion of who should win and who should lose, the oddsmakers largely get the final say on what history reflects.

This year, with the help of MMA database Tapology, MMA Junkie has compiled the top 10 betting upsets of 2021. Fights that were eligible were those which numerous major online sports books recognized, and which Tapology recorded prior to line close.

Check out the top 10 MMA betting upsets of 2021 below, per Tapology. Note that only major MMA promotions were included in the tally.

Bellator 271 post-event facts: Cris Cyborg leads Bellator champs in defenses

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 271, which took place Friday and saw Cris Cyborg defend her title in 92 seconds.

[autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] continued her reign of terror on Friday with another dominant title defense against [autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] in the Bellator 271 main event.

Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) recorded her third consecutive defense when she stopped Kavanagh (7-5 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) by knockout just 92 seconds into the headliner, which took place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.

For more on the numbers, check below for 35 post-event facts to come out of Bellator 271.

Video: Egyptian Olympic wrestler Mahmoud Sebie mauls opponent in MMA debut

2016 Olympic wrestler Mahmoud Sebie suplexed and bloodied his opponent before injurying his knee in the post-fight celebration.

[autotag]Mahmoud Sebie[/autotag] has arrived.

On Saturday, Sebie (1-0) partook in an athletic competition for the first time since a 2018 wrestling grand prix in Bulgaria. This time, it was in MMA instead of wrestling.

Sebie finished Jarell Murry (0-2) with ground-and-pound from the mount at 1:52 of Round 1. The fight took place on the prelims of XMMA in Palm Beach, Fla.

From the opening bell, Sebie came out aggressive. He tossed Murry to the mat on multiple occasions, displaying his suplex abilities. From there, Sebie moved to the mount and resorted to a flurry of punches to finish the fight.

The performance was flawless for a professional debutant, but his post-fight celebrations will need work. When stomping the mat after his victory, Sebie appeared to injure his left knee.

The 28-year-old Egyptian Olympian enters mixed martial arts with a decorated wrestling background including participation in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, a four-time Arab wrestling champion, a five-time African wrestling champion, and a handful of other medals in international tournaments.

Following a viral video he posted on Facebook, in which he called out corruption in the Egyptian wrestling program, Sebie moved to the United States. After deciding to end his pursuit of representing the United States in the next summer Olympics, he began training MMA in late 2020 at MMA Masters in Miami.

XMMA took place Saturday at the Palm Beach Convention Center in Palm Beach, Fla. The event streamed on the promotion’s website.