5 potential UFC non-title fights to look forward to in 2022

The UFC has enjoyed an incredible year so far. The world's premier MMA organization has continued to churn out stellar fights and stacked fight cards time and time again. There were many memorable moments for fans to come away with, thanks to some incredible match-making by the UFC brass.

While title fights tend to steal the shine away from bouts on the undercard, hard-core fans of the sport will never forget some of the incredible non-title fights that took place in 2021.

At UFC 268, lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler went toe-to-toe to kick off the main card at Madison Square Garden. The three-round bout left the fans in awe as both fighters left it all in the octagon on the night.

Other spectacular UFC non-title fights that went down this year include Dominick Reyes vs. Jiri Prochazka, Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw, Shane Burgos vs. Edson Barboza, and many more.

With 2022 projected to be a historic year for the UFC as the fastest-growing sport in the world continues to grow, there is a long list of fights that fans can’t wait to see. Having already discussed the top 5 potential title fights to look forward to, we thought we’d take a look at the top 5 potential non-title fights that we need to see in 2022.

---

#5. Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev enjoyed a perfect run of form in 2021. The rising lightweight contender fought thrice, defeating Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, and Dan Hooker to climb into the top five of the divisional rankings. Moreover, the Dagestani secured submission victories in all three of the bouts mentioned above.

While many believe that Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the lightweight division, it seems as though he will need to win one more fight before securing a title shot. Despite never having fought a top-five fighter in the lightweight division, he believes he should be next in line for the belt owing to a nine-fight win streak.

However, fellow UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje, who is fresh off his incredible victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 268, appears to be the front-runner for the next shot at the belt. ‘The Highlight’ recently suggested that Makhachev should take on a top 5 fighter before asking for a shot at divisional gold. He suggested that Makhachev should fight Beneil Dariush.

In an appearance on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Gaethje said:

“Makhachev fought No. 14, went to No. 5 and fought a late replacement in Dan Hooker. It wasn’t Dan Hooker on a full camp. It does not count as much, but still, it’s two top 15 guys, none in the top five, only one in the top 10. That’s not how this sh*t works. 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 No. 3 guy is Beneil Dariush. Handle that. That has to be handled.”

Check out the full interview with Gaethje below:

Beneil Dariush will be Islam Makhachev’s toughest test to date. Stylistically, Dariush is a tricky matchup for the Russian, considering his heavy hands and elite-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The bout will certainly be a sight to behold as it has all the makings of a high-level grappling chess match.

Ali Abdelaziz, who manages Makhachev, Gaethje, and Dariush, provided a bit of clarity on the situation in an interview with TMZ Sports. He said:

“Justin Gaethje is going to be next [in line for a title shot]. Probably Beneil Dariush is going to fight Islam Makhachev.”

Check out Abdelaziz’s full interview with TMZ Sports below:

#4. Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2

This next entry will be a rematch of one of the most memorable fights in UFC history.

Zhang Weili is coming off back-to-back losses to the champion Rose Namajunas. The former UFC strawweight champion will have to rack up a couple of wins on the trot to find a way back into title contention. ‘Magnum’ has a few options on the table as the UFC’s 115 lbs division has no shortage of fighters on the rise.

One exciting option for the Chinese fighter would be a rematch against another former UFC strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

The duo locked horns in the co-main event of UFC 248 when Weili was the 115lbs champion. The bout was sensational, to say the least. It won the Fight of the Year accolade, marking the first time in the promotion's history that a fight between two women won the award.

Both women have now lost twice to the reigning UFC strawweight queen, Rose Namajunas. With the likes of Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez lining up to take on ‘Thug Rose’ next, Weili and Jedrzejczyk might have to square off in a title eliminator fight.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk has been out of action since her incredible fight with Zhang Weili. She has been critical of Weili's skills in the past and will be eager to run it back. In an interview with SCMP MMA, Jedrzejczyk had this to say about her potential return to the octagon:

“She [Zhang Weili] might be the next one. I don’t know. I don’t know how much I need the fight with Weili Zhang to get the title shot.”

Catch the full interview with Jedrzejczyk on the South China Morning Post's YouTube channel below:

---

#3. Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev’s rise in the UFC has been unprecedented, to say the least. The Russian-born Swedish fighter has resonated with UFC fans in an incredibly unique way, largely thanks to his relentless style, intimidating persona, and his dominant performances so far.

Chimaev is undefeated in his MMA career and boasts a professional record of 10-0 (4-0 in the UFC), with all of his wins coming via submission or KO/TKO. Moreover, no fighter has been able to take Chimaev into the third round of a bout. Much has been made of his striking differential as well, leaving many analysts and fans stunned at how dominant he is in the octagon.

‘Borz’ returned to the octagon in emphatic fashion at UFC 267, where he made light work of Chinese ace Li Jingliang in Abu Dhabi.

Following a flawless performance by Chimaev, the collective opinion among fans and analysts alike was that he could potentially be the biggest threat to Kamaru Usman’s reign as the UFC welterweight champion.

However, Khamzat Chimaev will need to fight a top-ranked welterweight before competing for the title. Enter Gilbert Burns. The former UFC title challenger is looking to build his way back into title contention after losing to Kamaru Usman at UFC 258.

‘Durinho’ defeated Stephen Thompson at UFC 264 this past July, and a win over Chimaev could propel the Brazilian towards another shot at divisional gold.

Furthermore, Chisanga Malata of SunSport confirmed that a welterweight matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns is being targeted by the UFC brass. Malata suggested that this matchup is likely to have significant title implications in the UFC welterweight division.

Stylistically, it is an incredible matchup. Both men have one-punch knockout power. It will be interesting to see how Burns’ elite-level jiu-jitsu fares against Chimaev’s dominant wrestling prowess.

#2. Tony Ferguson vs. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract. Much has been made of who Diaz should fight next, and the Stockton native appears to have a lot of options on his table.

Ranging from a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor and a rematch against Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt to potential matchups against Vicente Luque and Khamzat Chimaez, Nate Diaz has no shortage of potential opponents.

However, Diaz seems to have a fellow fan-favorite in mind. The UFC welterweight tweeted an image of Tony Ferguson with no caption, possibly implying that we would like to take on ‘El Cucuy’ in his next octagon outing.

Tony Ferguson looks to be in favor of the matchup as well. The former interim UFC lightweight champion recently tweeted:

"You Rollin’ That Sh*t Or Am I? Don’t Be Scared Homie Take The Fight @NateDiaz209 #Blazin’ Trails @ufc @danawhite Make It Happen #ThePeoplesChamp One. 2022 # Road2Gold"

Both Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson have excellent striking and granite chins. Add in the fact that they are both black belts in Brazilian jiu jitsu who are incredibly slick on the ground, and you have a recipe for an absolute barnburner of a fight. Diaz and Ferguson have some of the best cardio in the UFC, and a fight between these two veterans of the sport would undoubtedly appeal to fans worldwide.

---

#1. Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal lived together for eight years before the two close friends infamously fell out of favor with one another. The duo trained together at American Top Team in Florida until Covington changed his approach towards fight promotion.

Check out this compilation video showing moments of the pair’s friendship caught on camera:

Covington and Masvidal quickly went from friends to foes after ‘Gamebred’ was seemingly put off by Covington’s ‘gimmick’. Masvidal, who rose from poverty and the mean streets of Miami, has always taken pride in being authentic and real. Meanwhile, Covington opted to put on a persona after struggling to capture the fans' imagination being himself.

The switch definitely worked for Covington, who has emerged as one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. His relentless trash-talk, outspoken political affiliations, and loud-mouthed persona has made ‘Chaos’ one of the most talked-about fighters on the roster.

Both fighters have tried and failed twice in their attempts to win UFC gold. Jorge Masvidal took on Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 and UFC 261, coming up short on both occasions. Colby Covington gave the reigning UFC welterweight champion his toughest test to date but ultimately struggled against Usman’s power.

Following his second loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 268, Covington had this to say at the post-fight press conference:

“I think the most logical step is the heated rivalry with me and my old roommate ‘Street Judas’ [Jorge] Masvidal. He should probably pull out of that fight with Leon Scott [Leon Edwards] and we should just run it. Let’s run it in the first quarter of the first part of the year and let’s do it. That’s a heated rivalry, man. He talked so much sh*t in the media and said so many things about me.”

“If he goes ahead with that Leon Scott fight, then Hunter Campbell, I just pray to you. Please, God, don’t cut him after that third loss in a row. Keep him around and let me be the one who ends his career.”

Watch Covington’s post-fight interview below:

Jorge Masvidal was scheduled to take on Leon Edwards at UFC 269, but an injury forced ‘Gamebred’ to pull out of the much-anticipated bout. This opened the door for a potential Covington vs. Masvidal grudge match.

Both fighters are eager to get back into title contention, and it is one of the most marketable bouts that the UFC can put together. Many have also suggested that Covington and Masvidal could be opposing coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

This fight has to happen at some point, and fans can't wait to see it.