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The first UFC pay-per-view just got over on January 15, 2022. Every year, new fighters climb to main event status and this year will be no different.
Competing in the main event is a big deal for any fighter, particularly when it's your first time. The main event fighters are on the poster and receive far more media coverage than they would should they be elsewhere on the card.
These things can be distracting for some, but learning how to handle this is an important part of becoming a star within the company. Main event fights also carry higher stakes and a win in these spots can transform a fighter's career forever.
Here are five UFC fighters who will compete in the main event for the first time in 2022:
#5. Rafael Fiziev - No. 11 ranked UFC lightweight
Rafael Fiziev is proving himself to be a legitimate threat at lightweight. He has won five in a row and has earned performance bonuses in each of his last four fights. His great run of form has not gone unnoticed and he has been rewarded with a big-time fight against Rafael dos Anjos in the main event on February 19.
This fight will let us know just how good Fiziev is. He has never fought anyone close to the level of former lightweight champion Dos Anjos so it will be interesting to see how he performs. Dos Anjos made a successful return to the lightweight division in 2020 when he earned a decision victory over Paul Felder.
This bout, while tough, is a huge opportunity for Fiziev. His striking skills are clearly incredible as he proved in his last fight. If they prove to be enough to defeat Dos Anjos, he will suddenly begin to enter the title conversation.
#4. Tom Aspinall - No. 10 ranked UFC Heavyweight
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall has been perfect since joining promotion in 2020. Since then, he has finished all four of his opponents, including a win over a former champion in Andrei Arlovski. His next bout will be the main event fight against no. 5 ranked Alexander Volkov on March 19 in his home country of England.
Volkov has proved himself to be a world-class heavyweight and holds some big wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum. He got back to winning ways in his last fight after dropping a decision to Ciryl Gane so will be sure to provide Aspinall with the biggest test of his career.
While this will be a very tough fight for Aspinall, perhaps the home crowd inside the O2 arena could carry him to victory. If he is successful, he will shoot up the rankings and could conceivably only need one more win to secure a heavyweight title shot.
#3. Magomed Ankalaev - no. 6 ranked UFC light heavyweight
Magomed Ankalaev may not be as popular a name as some of the other fighters on this list, but his results show just how great he is. Since losing in his UFC debut, Ankalaev has put together a seven-fight winning streak, including four finishes and three performance bonuses.
This run of form has earned him his first major event bout against former title challenger Thiago Santos. Santos won his last fight and his split decision loss to Jon Jones shows just how good he can be on his day.
Ankalaev has earned this opportunity and it will be interesting to see how he performs in the biggest spot of his career on March 12. Should he secure victory, he will enter the division's top five and might finally begin to receive the recognition he deserves.
#2. Vicente Luque - No. 4 ranked UFC Welterweight
Of all the UFC fighters on this list, it may be most surprising to discover that Vicente Luque has never competed in a main event. The Brazilian has fought a number of high-profile opponents thus far in his career but will be given his first headline bout on April 16.
The fight is a rematch with Belal Muhammad, a fighter he knocked out back in 2016 at UFC 205. Both men have been on quite the streak as of late and with both men ranked in the top five, a win would be huge for either of their careers.
Luque has taken part in big-time fights with the likes of Tyron Woodley and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, so shouldn't be awed by the occasion. He is already the highest-ranked welterweight without a loss to Kamaru Usman, so a title shot could be within his reach should he secure the win.
#1. Beneil Dariush - no. 3 ranked UFC lightweight
Beneil Dariush may have flown under-the-radar for a while but his most recent win over Tony Ferguson put an end to that. He is now way up there in the rankings and his seven-fight win streak has allowed him to secure a spot in his first main event on February 26.
However, he must now face an incredibly tough opponent in the No.4 ranked Islam Makhachev. Makhachev is on a nine-fight winning streak and has finished each of his last three opponents via submission. He is also now coached by the great Khabib Nurmagomedov and will likely be the favorite heading into this one.
Dariush has earned his spot in the main event fight and, while he is faced with a very difficult task, a win would be huge for him. With both men ranked so high, the winner will be the front-runner to face whoever is the lightweight champion after Charles Oliveira faces Justin Gaethje.
