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The dawning of a new year is an opportunity to reminisce and reflect upon the past one. There is much to say about 12 months during which most high-level MMA was fought in near-empty buildings with no fans, but I've always preferred to focus on the development of the martial arts themselves. Despite many fighters being distracted by the pandemic, struggling to complete full, normal training camps, and dealing with a rash of last-second cancellations and rebookings, MMA still evolved and improved.