5 lesser-known UFC fighters who could move into title contention in 2022

#2. Phil Hawes – UFC middleweight contender

Phil Hawes' high-level wrestling and power punching makes him a threat to anyone in the UFC middleweight division

Traditionally, high-level wrestlers have always had plenty of success in the UFC. The likes of Daniel Cormier, Kamaru Usman and Khabib Nurmagomedov all came from wrestling backgrounds to thoroughly dominate their divisions inside the octagon.

One division that doesn’t have a wrestler at the top right now is middleweight. Striker Israel Adesanya currently holds the UFC title and has turned back all of his challengers thus far. However, in the form of Phil Hawes, there may be a high-level wrestler working his way up the ladder. If he continues to win, he may well find himself faced with ‘The Last Stylebender’ in 2022.

‘Megatron’ is currently 3-0 in the UFC, with wins over Jacob Malkoun, Nassourdine Imavov and Kyle Daukaus to his name. None of those opponents really stand out, but the latter two are probably underrated in their own right, meaning Hawes is almost certainly for real.

With brutally heavy hands to go along with his explosive takedowns, ‘Megatron’ poses a threat in all areas. And at the age of 32, he’s probably just about hitting his athletic prime, meaning he should be seen as a threat to any 185lber in the UFC.

Scheduled to face Deron Winn next, if Hawes can get past his fellow wrestler, then it might be enough to break him into the top fifteen. Given that he matches up well with some of the fighters ranked above him, names like Darren Till and Uriah Hall for example, there’s a definite chance that Hawes could find himself in title contention at some point in 2022.

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#1. Sean Brady – UFC welterweight contender

Despite being ranked at #13 in the UFC welterweight division, Sean Brady remains largely unheralded

The UFC welterweight division is just as full of talent as it’s ever been, with incredible fighters like Vicente Luque, Colby Covington and Leon Edwards all vying for a shot at UFC champion Kamaru Usman. The name completely flying under the radar right now at 170 pounds, despite being ranked at No.13, is Sean Brady.

In a lot of ways, it’s understandable that Brady might remain unknown to many UFC fans. The dangerous grappler has yet to appear on the main card of a UFC event despite being part of the promotion’s roster since late 2019. In that time, the native of Philadelphia has gone 4-0 in the octagon, defeating Court McGee, Ismail Naurdiev, Christian Aguilera and Jake Matthews.

Interestingly, despite being billed primarily as a grappler, Brady has also proven himself as a well-rounded fighter. He outstruck McGee in their fight and was forced to fend off takedowns rather than go for them.

Essentially, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has dangerous skills in all areas, and if he can beat his next opponent, the extremely tough Michael Chiesa, who is ranked at No.7 in the division, he’d instantly leap into title contention.

When you consider how quickly Usman has been dispatching his challengers, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Brady could find himself with a title shot in 2022.