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In the UFC, climbing all the way to the top of the division and winning gold is the ultimate goal. For the fighters that achieve this but are then knocked from the top spot, the quest for a championship starts all over again.
Some former champions have been able to deal with this adversity and return to the top of the sport. Fans only need to look back to last year when, at UFC 269, Rose Namajunas regained the strawweight championship that she lost back in 2019.
Namajunas is an example of a fighter who had to build themselves back up after losing the belt and this is often the case for former champions. In other cases, however, fighters are able to quickly get a rematch for the title.
While it is highly unlikely every fighter on this list will be able to successfully regain the gold they once held in 2022, there certainly seems to be a number of former champions in a good position to have a good crack at it this year. Only time will tell which of the bunch will be successful, if any.
Here are 5 former champions with the best chance of recapturing their titles in 2022:
#5. Conor McGregor - Former UFC lightweight champion
Conor McGregor didn't have his best year in 2021, losing twice to Dustin Poirier and breaking his leg in the process. However, having now had successful surgery to repair the leg, 'Notorious' appears to be ready for another run at the lightweight title he won in 2016.
McGregor has already begun calling out current titleholder Charles Oliveira and, given the massive payday that comes with facing the Irishman, the champ seems very much interested. The UFC is always keen to put their biggest star in the biggest fights possible and a title bout certainly fits that bill.
McGregor would also appear to have a relatively good chance in a fight with Oliveira. 'Notorious' is known for the blistering punching power and while the champion has been impressive, he has struggled at times in the striking department. Perhaps McGregor could indeed hold gold again in 2022.
#4. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - Former UFC strawweight champion
Joanna Jedrzejczyk did not fight in the UFC in 2021 and was therefore removed from the rankings for inactivity. However, she has stated that she intends to return to the octagon in early 2022. Given her resume in the strawweight division, she will never be far from the title picture.
There are a number of intriguing fights for Jedrzejczyk at 115 lbs, with many of her former rivals still hanging around the top five in the division. Should the Polish fighter register a win over top-ranked opposition in her return fight she could quite conceivably earn herself another shot at the belt she held for so long.
Jedrzejczyk proved last time out that she still has plenty of fight left and will be a handful for any opponent. Another run with the belt, particularly if she were to beat Rose Namajunas, would cement her as the greatest strawweight of all time, having racked up five successful title defenses during her first title reign.
#3. Max Holloway - Former UFC featherweight champion
Max Holloway had a strong 2021, picking up wins over both Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodríguez. This was exactly what he needed following consecutive losses to Alexander Volkanovski and it has now been confirmed that the next fight for 'Blessed' will be a third match against the reigning champion.
Many feel Holloway was unlucky not to win his rematch with Volkanovski in 2020. Nevertheless, 'Blessed' has continued to perform at a high enough level that there will be genuine intrigue heading into the third bout between the pair.
Holloway is both one of the most popular and most skilled fighters in the promotion. Given he will fight for the title next time out, he has a very good chance of regaining gold in 2022.
#2. Robert Whittaker - Former UFC middleweight champion
Robert Whittaker will face Israel Adesanya at UFC 271 on February 12. The fight will be a rematch after Adesanya won the belt from the Australian back in 2019. While Whittaker suffered a one-sided defeat that night, he has racked up three impressive wins since.
Whittaker only fought once in 2021, scoring a unanimous decision win over Kelvin Gastelum in April. This came off the back of wins over Darren Till and Jared Cannonier in 2020 that have seen 'The Reaper' re-establish himself as a true title contender.
Importantly, Robert Whittaker appears to have learned from his loss to 'The Last Stylebender'. Having been overly aggressive in the first fight, Whittaker has vowed to fight a more calculated fight this time around. Perhaps this adjustment will lead to 'The Reaper' once again holding gold in 2022.
#1. Amanda Nunes - Former UFC women's bantamweight champion
Amanda Nunes shockingly lost her bantamweight title in December when she was submitted by Julianna Peña in the final pay-per-view of 2021. The fight was one of the biggest upsets in the promotion's history. Naturally, there is already plenty of speculation regarding how a rematch would go.
Nunes had looked untouchable for years and hadn't suffered a defeat since 2014 prior to the loss to Peña. If she is able to re-gain her form, she could give 'The Venezuelan Vixen' plenty of problems in the rematch that appears likely to take place.
One cannot rule out the chance that a rematch with Peña could follow a similar path to the first. However, given just how big a favorite Nunes was heading into UFC 269, it seems many will believe that Nunes's chances of regaining her gold will be high.
