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Incredibly, there are now just over five weeks left in 2021, meaning that from a UFC perspective, eyes are already turning to 2022.
Despite there still being a handful of UFC events left in 2021, the promotion has already begun to book some major fights that could define the early part of next year.
With major title fights and grudge matches both on tap, the UFC will be hoping that 2022 will be one of their most successful years to date.
With that considered, here are five major UFC fights that have already been booked for 2022.
#5. Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze - UFC featherweight
The first UFC event of 2022 is set to take place on January 15 and is likely to be another Fight Night from Las Vegas’ Apex facility.
The event looks largely full of throwaway bouts at the time of writing, but the headline fight is definitely one worth keeping an eye on. In fact, it could well produce a future title contender in the UFC featherweight division.
The bout in question will see Calvin Kattar take on Giga Chikadze. Not only is this fight likely to be important to its weight class, but it should also be a ton of fun too.
By the time this show rolls around, Kattar will have basically spent an entire year on the shelf following his loss this January to Max Holloway. However, ‘The Boston Finisher’ is still a highly relevant fighter at 145 pounds.
His wins over opponents like Ricardo Lamas, Shane Burgos and Dan Ige have elevated him into the No.5 spot in the UFC’s featherweight rankings. A win over Chikadze would instantly put him back into genuine title contention.
Chikadze, meanwhile, is arguably the fastest rising star in the division right now thanks to his stoppage wins over Cub Swanson and Edson Barboza in 2021.
The Georgian has displayed a remarkably effective striking game during his UFC tenure and now holds an octagon record of 7-0. A win over Kattar would almost definitely put him in line for a title shot later in 2022, especially if Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway end their rivalry in the meantime.
Essentially, fans can expect a spectacular striking war from this fight, with Kattar’s slick boxing clashing with Chikadze’s flashier style. It’s undoubtedly a can’t-miss fight for any UFC fan.
Here's the Latest UFC Schedule
#4. Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson - UFC middleweight
The UFC’s first big pay-per-view event of 2022 is set to take place in Anaheim, California on January 22. While UFC 270 will be headlined by two big title fights, there are plenty of other intriguing clashes to look forward to on the undercard.
One such clash sees standout middleweights Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson facing off. Is this fight likely to throw up the next challenger for UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya? It seems unlikely, but given the runs that both men are on, you never know.
Brunson is on the lengthier winning streak, having put together five wins in a row dating back to May 2019. However, his most impressive performance came earlier this year. In the UFC Vegas 36 main event, he choked out Darren Till, a man identified by Adesanya as a potential opponent, in the third round.
Brunson does have a previous loss to ‘The Last Stylebender’, but it came back in 2018. If he can finish Cannonier, it might be hard to deny him a crack at the title.
Cannonier, meanwhile, is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career, a decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum. His previous fight saw him outpointed by current top contender Robert Whittaker. Outside of that, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ has never been defeated at 185 pounds.
That makes him a very viable opponent for Adesanya and if he can win here, there’s every chance he’ll find himself in a clash with the winner of the likely title fight between the Nigerian-New Zealander and Whittaker.
Who will win? It’s an interesting question and the only likely outcome is that both men will throw heavy hands at one another. That means this one should be a tremendous fight to watch.
#3. Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev - UFC light heavyweight
It’s not due to happen until March 12, but the light heavyweight clash between Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev is almost certainly set to be one of the biggest fights of early 2022.
The 205-pound weight class is in a fascinating place in general right now. New champion Glover Teixeira is an excellent fighter, but also a vulnerable one. While a fight with Jiri Prochazka has been discussed, an official top contender has yet to be confirmed.
That means that with a win here, Ankalaev could well jump over ‘Denisa’ in the queue and line himself up for a shot at Teixeira at some point in 2022.
The Dagestani has looked like an absolute monster ever since his UFC debut in 2018. He’s now on a seven-fight win streak that includes victories over the likes of Volkan Oezdemir and Nikita Krylov.
Santos will be his toughest test to date, though. ‘Marreta’ is one of the nastiest gatekeepers in the division and recently outpointed Johnny Walker to get himself back on the winning track.
The Brazilian holds a win over former champ Jan Blachowicz and while he isn’t likely to gain a shot at Teixeira with a win here, he could easily stop Ankalaev’s climb up the ranks in its tracks.
Regardless of who wins this one, though, it should be a hell of a fight. Santos is one of the heaviest hitters in the division right now and Ankalaev, despite his powerful wrestling, is likely to be willing to engage him in a firefight.
The UFC’s Fight Night shows don’t always have intriguing headline bouts, but this one certainly falls into that realm. It’s must-see stuff.
#2. Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo - UFC flyweight
The UFC flyweight title rivalry between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo was expected to come to a head with their trilogy bout at UFC 269. It has since been moved to UFC 270, making 2021’s loss 2022’s gain.
The first two meetings between these outstanding fighters rank among the most memorable in the history of the UFC flyweight division. The first, which took place in late 2020, saw Figueiredo seemingly on top, only to find himself docked a point for persistent fouling, allowing Moreno to pull off an unlikely draw.
In the second fight, of course, ‘The Assassin Baby’ surprised everyone by taking the fight to the Brazilian. He submitted him in the third round with a rear-naked choke and taking his title in the process.
Interestingly, Figueiredo, who blamed the loss to Moreno on a bad weight cut, will probably still come into this bout as the favorite. However, his Mexican opponent has proven time after time that he simply can’t be counted out.
Based on their previous two battles, this should be an outstanding fight. Regardless of who wins, the UFC will have a flyweight kingpin they can be proud of.
#1. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane - UFC heavyweight
The biggest fight booked for early 2022 might well be the best UFC heavyweight title fight in a generation, too, as Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane finally face off.
It not only pits two titleholders against one another, but it also represents a massive clash of styles and a battle of two of the division’s greatest-ever strikers.
There can be no doubt that Ngannou, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, should come into the clash as the favorite. Arguably the heaviest hitter in MMA history, ‘The Predator’ has knocked out the majority of the best heavyweights in UFC history, from Cain Velasquez and Stipe Miocic to Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos.
His last fight, his title win over Miocic, saw him display some new wrinkles in the form of a much improved defensive wrestling game and more patience than before, making him even more dangerous. However, he’ll have his hands full with the current interim champion Gane. ‘Bon Gamin’ hasn’t been quite as lethal as Ngannou inside the octagon, with three of his seven UFC victories going the distance.
From a technical standpoint, though, he’s arguably superior to Ngannou. He's picked apart practically every fighter he’s faced in the promotion thus far, from Derrick Lewis to Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Whether Ngannou’s raw power or Gane’s technical style comes out on top remains to be seen. Either way, this fight promises to be a potential classic, with the winner earning not only the UFC heavyweight title, but the label of ‘baddest man on the planet’ as well.
