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2021 has been a memorable year for the UFC in every sense of the term.
While slugfests like UFC 268 and UFC Vegas 42 kept fans on the edge of their seats, events like UFC 257 and UFC 264 garnered massive amounts in pay-per-view buys.
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As UFC 269, headlined by Dustin Poirier and UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, draws near, Dana White and company will be wanting to cap off the year on a high note and have another major event under their belt.
With the promotion growing leaps and bounds every year, here are five things the UFC can do to make 2022 their best yet.
#5. Conor McGregor vs. Tony Ferguson
The world has been eagerly awaiting the return of Conor McGregor to the octagon ever since his leg injury at UFC 264. 'The Notorious' is currently going through a slump in his career, having lost three of his last four fights. Considering the reputation he has enjoyed in the UFC, McGregor will be raring to get back on the winning track.
At such a juncture, setting him up against Tony Ferguson will be a lucrative option for the UFC. Back in 2017, the American was on a nine-fight win streak and had his sights set on fighting McGregor for UFC gold.
However, after McGregor went on to fight Floyd Mayweather, Ferguson was matched up with Kevin Lee for the interim lightweight title. 'El Cucuy' has been at loggerheads with the Irishman since then, demanding a fight with him.
Following McGregor's loss at UFC 264, Ferguson took a dig at him, telling him to sort out his 'unfinished business'. The fighters continued to take shots at each other, with McGregor even sending a death threat in a now-deleted Tweet at the former interim UFC lightweight champion.
"Me and you are fighting one day mate and I'm gonna end your life in there full of it. Sauce. Money. Power. I already won all the belts and the money in this game I just wanna kill one of yous rats in there now it’s the only thing left for me to do. And Watch me do it. Only on PPV.”
Given the bad blood between the two, watching them have a go at each other in the octagon would be a huge draw for fans.
While Ferguson ranks 7th in the UFC lightweight rankings, McGregor sits at the 9th spot. With both fighters on a losing streak, it would be the perfect occasion to revamp their respective careers. Winning from here would allow them to rise through the ranks for the coveted UFC gold.
Additionally, the contrasting fighting styles of the two fighters would also make it an interesting fight. While Conor McGregor has the advantage standing, Tony Ferguson's unconventional style could pose problems for 'The Notorious' on the ground.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Colby Covington
Khamzat Chimaev has become the talk of the town since defeating Li Jingliang at UFC 267. With a 10 fight unbeaten streak in his MMA career, 'Borz' has wreaked havoc in the UFC's welterweight division.
With all the buzz around the Chechen and his recent back-and-forth with 'Chaos', matching him up with top-ranked Colby Covington next year will ensure yet another moneymaker for the UFC.
Ahead of UFC 268, Colby fired shots at Khamzat and quashed the narrative of Chimaev being deserving of a title shot. He further criticized Chimaev for announcing retirement after he got infected with a severe case of COVID-19, which left him in a rather precarious situation as a fighter.
Speaking to BT Sport, Covington said:
"C*mshot' Chimaev... When he starts fighting guys that are in the Top 5, then we can start talking about him potentially fighting these top-name fights. But until then, the guy is nobody."
"He was ready to retire from the cold. Imagine what I would do to him. I'm not the cold. The cold has a 99.9% survival rate. I tell you what, you get in the UFC octagon with me, it's a lot less survival rate than that."
Watch Colby Covington talk about Khamzat Chimaev here:
Chimaev retaliated with a string of pictures of Colby all bloodied and battered in the octagon. With Chimaev rumored to fight Gilbert Burns next, the UFC could consider fixing up a Chimaev vs. Covington fight as well.
Their similar fighting styles could certainly produce another barnburner for the fans. While Colby is a two-time NCAA All-American Division I champion, Khamzat is a three-time Swedish national wrestling champion. With both being decorated wrestlers, a bout between them will be an interesting test for Chimaev, who is yet to be challenged inside the octagon.
#3. Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor 3
A Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor fight has long been a huge money fight. Both UFC 196 and UFC 202 - where they met each other - amassed huge numbers in pay-per-view buys.
Therefore, a third fight between the two could potentially be the biggest pay-per-view event of 2022, should the UFC give it the green light.
With a win apiece, this matchup would be the ideal opportunity for Diaz and McGregor to settle the score inside the octagon. The two have a history of bad blood between them and recently engaged in a war of words on social media.
Given the intense nature of the sport, weight cuts get increasingly difficult with age. Perhaps competing at welterweight would save both fighters the trouble of cutting weight.
With one fight left on his UFC contract and age catching up, Nate Diaz too will be raring to make a statement. Considering Diaz's fan base, another win against McGregor will certainly open doors to more money fights for the younger Diaz brother.
#2. Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush
Islam Makhachev is arguably one of the next big things in the UFC. Makhachev is on a nine-fight win streak and has only one loss in his entire MMA career.
Following his win against Dan Hooker at UFC 267, Makhachev demanded that he be given a title shot in his next fight. Speaking to BT Sport after the fight, Islam said:
“Next fight, it has to be for the title, or a contender fight, because I have a nine-fight winning streak. Who in my division have this? Just the champion."
He also highlighted how all the top-five fighters in the lightweight division have had their chance at the title and that his division was 'asleep'. Indeed, the UFC's lightweight division finds itself in a spot where the emergence of a new champion or top contender could make things a lot more interesting and riveting.
Watch Islam Makahchev make his case for the title shot in his post-fight interview below:
However, the No.2 ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje didn't appreciate the idea of the UFC giving the Dagestani a shot at UFC Gold over him.
In fact, Gaethje sees Beneil Dariush as a more realistic matchup for Makhachev. Speaking on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Gaethje said:
"Do your f*cking job, fight these guys, and Beneil Dariush is right here. And I like the dude, he’s my friend so you know I’m just going to jump over this man and expect to get a title shot when the number three guy is Beneil Dariush. Handle that. That has to be handled.”
Dariush is ranked third in the UFC lightweight division and has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The 32-year-old is on a seven-fight win streak and has a 81% takedown defence. Given the grappling-heavy game that Makhachev brings to the table, Dariush could make matters difficult for Makhachev inside the octagon. Interestingly enough, the UFC is looking to set up a showdown between the two in the month of February 2022.
#1. Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski 3
Usually a trilogy fight is deemed irrelevant if one has lost on both previous occasions. However, considering Max Holloway's performance in both title fights, the UFC should consider giving him another title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.
The former featherweight champion faced Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42 and won by unanimous decision. While 'Blessed' landed 230 strikes on target, 'El Pantera' countered with 159 significant strikes. The fighters shared 389 strikes between them - the third-most strikes landed in a UFC fight.
Since his second straight loss to Volkanovski, Holloway has been fiercely dominant in his last two fights, landing 675 strikes on target.
His bout against Yair Rodriguez was declared the 'Fight of the Night' and is definitely in contention for 'Fight of the Year'. Even the reigning featherweight champion chose to give both Holloway and Rodriguez props for the show they put on.
There's arguably no competitor more deserving of another title shot in the featherweight division than 'Blessed'. He has cleaned up the entire division and seems to be only getting better with each fight. A Holloway vs. Volkanovski fight would thus be exciting news for fans.
