10 Most Underrated UFC Bouts Of 2019
This lot may force you to revisit your Fights of the Year lists.
2019 has been a hell of a year for all who class themselves as fans of the combat sport known as Mixed Martial Arts.
The UFC in particular have seemingly churned out fight of the year contenders on a monthly basis and almost every card now possesses titanic clashes which even die-hard fanatics still struggle to predict.
A few obvious battles spring to mind when thinking about the greatest bouts of the last calendar year, with Israel Adesanya/Kelvin Gastelum's UFC 236 war and Yoel Romero/Paulo Costa's collision at UFC 241 both earning widespread acclaim as some of the best clashes to go down in the last year of the decade.
With that being said, not every fight is given the attention and love it undoubtedly deserves and a lot of the time if a bout is further down the card or not showcasing a mega name, it tends to get lost in the shuffle when discussing the annual top contests.
So, let this list act as some much needed exposure for some of the mightiest underrated gems to take place inside of the UFC cage in 2019.
10. Colby Covington Vs. Robbie Lawler (UFC On ESPN 5)
Colby Covington has had something of a breakout year in terms of fan attention, but not exactly for all the right reasons.
Turning his real life attitude up to 11, a pro-Trump Covington has made it his mission in 2019 to p*ss off as many people as possible and become the top villain in the UFC.
However, don't let that amplified character blind you from the fact that he is still one of the most ruthless contenders on the current roster and the ridiculous amount of pressure he is able to maintain for the duration of an entire fight was on display for all to see during his war with Robbie Lawler at UFC Newark.
In his first fight since June 2018, Covington attempted 515 significant strikes (a UFC record) and landed 128 of those to Lawler's head. Ten takedowns from 18 attempts also showcased just how well-rounded Covington's strategy was in the fight and how truly dominant he could be, even when faced with an Octagon legend like Lawler.
It wasn't an even contest by any stretch of the imagination and Covington eventually won via unanimous decision. But, this bout definitely showcased one of the greatest performances from a fighter in 2019 and - probably because he's opting to turn people against him on purpose - Covington isn't given the appreciation his ability deserves.