5 trilogy fights we need to see in the UFC in 2022

#4. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3 – UFC featherweight division

The moniker of ‘featherweight GOAT’ has changed hands numerous times in the UFC. Jose Aldo ruled the division for a very long time but was handily beaten twice by Max Holloway. Holloway was the champion for two years before suffering a somewhat similar fate to the former champion, Aldo.

Holloway was dethroned by Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 245 in 2019. The bout was a razor-thin affair. Volkanovski outpointed Holloway to earn a unanimous decision victory. A rematch was subsequently booked for UFC 251 in 2020.

Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway engaged in yet another tactical affair in their rematch.

Holloway clearly won the first two rounds, dropping Volkanovski twice in the opening 10 minutes. However, the Aussie champion turned the tide in the last three rounds, clearly outstriking his Hawaiian counterpart in the final two. The third round in particular was extremely close and could’ve gone either way.

Strip away all the debates as to who won both fights, and one thing becomes undeniably clear – Volkanovski and Holloway are so evenly matched. Arguably, the Australian might just have the former champion’s number.

Holloway is the best volume-striker in MMA. In his fights against Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar, ‘Blessed’ broke numerous striking records and famously likes to drown his opponents with his relentless output and cardio.

He struggled to carry out the same gameplan against Volkanovski and has been outstruck by ‘The Great’ over the collective 50 minutes they’ve shared in the octagon.

It’ll be interesting to see how a third fight plays out between the two.

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#3. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes 3 – UFC women’s bantamweight division

Who is the best female fighter in the world?

According to the official UFC pound-for-pound women’s rankings, it's Valentina Shevchenko.

Shevchenko has established herself as one of the best fighters on the planet in recent years, irrespective of gender. The lifelong martial artist has enjoyed an incredible career so far. The Kyrgyzstani phenom is one of the most dominant champions in MMA, having defended her flyweight title six times.

Shevchenko’s run in the UFC at 135 lbs pre-dated the existence of the promotion’s flyweight division altogether. As a result, she spent almost half her career competing at bantamweight. Despite clearly being undersized, ‘Bullet’ emerged as one of the best fighters in the bantamweight division, picking up wins over Holly Holm and Julianna Pena.

In fact, it was Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes who were the clear-cut best fighters in the division. The duo locked horns twice, with Nunes securing a unanimous decision victory in the first and a split-decision in the second. However, many believe Shevchenko should have come out on top in their second bout.

Amanda Nunes is considered by many as the GOAT of women’s MMA. Nunes is one of only seven fighters in UFC history to become a two-division champion. She is also the only woman who has achieved this feat.

‘The Lioness’ became a bonafide superstar following her incredible wins over Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm. She remains the only double-champion to have simultaneously defended two belts multiple times.

In one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history, Julianna Pena choked out Amanda Nunes at UFC 269 in Las Vegas. Considering Shevchenko already has a win over Pena, she could look to return to the 135 lbs division and challenge for the title. A victory over Pena could set up a potential trilogy bout with Nunes.

We could finally have an answer to the question asked at the start of this entry: Who is the best female fighter in the world?