5 major UFC fights that have already been booked for 2022

#4. Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson - UFC middleweight

Derek Brunson is currently on the best run of his UFC career

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.

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#3. Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev - UFC light heavyweight

Magomed Ankalaev might capture a UFC title shot if he can beat Thiago Santos in 2022

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.