'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With 2022 about to begin for the world’s biggest MMA promotion, there are now less than two weeks to go before the UFC presents its first two title bouts of the year.
Discounting interim titleholders, the UFC currently has a total of 12 champions on its roster, but which of those champions is likely to lose their titles in 2022?
2021 saw some genuine shockers in terms of who was able to capture gold inside the octagon, with a handful of the most unlikely champions crowned. Naturally, only time will tell if they can continue to hold onto their titles in 2022.
With that considered, here are the five UFC champions who are most likely to lose their titles in 2022.
#5. Julianna Pena – UFC women's bantamweight champion
When Julianna Pena defeated Amanda Nunes in December, taking her UFC bantamweight title in the process, the result was immediately declared one of the greatest upsets in MMA history.
Sure, Pena had predicted exactly how the fight would go, right down to Nunes gassing out somewhat in the second round, but still, very few fans expected ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ to pull it off.
So can Pena hold onto her title throughout 2022? In all honesty, for as dramatic as her win over Nunes was, it feels doubtful.
Firstly, nothing that Pena had done in the octagon prior to her win over ‘The Lioness’ suggested that she was a capable titleholder. In fact, while she defeated Sara McMann to set up her title shot, the fight before that had seen her submitted by kickboxer Germaine de Randamie.
It seems highly likely that Pena’s first title defense will come in a rematch with Nunes. While she looked fantastic in their first meeting in December, the prior accomplishments of ‘The Lioness’ should make her a hot favorite to regain the gold.
If Pena can defeat Nunes again then she could well go onto have a surprisingly dominant title reign. However, even if she pulls the victory off, dangerous fighters like Irene Aldana and Ketlen Vieira seem capable of potentially dethroning her.
With that in mind, then, it seems likely that ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ will lose her title in 2022, even if she’s proven the doubters wrong before.
#4. Charles Oliveira – UFC lightweight champion
Charles Oliveira undoubtedly had one of the best years of any fighter in the UFC in 2021. He claimed the promotion’s lightweight title by knocking out Michael Chandler before retaining it with an impressive win over Dustin Poirier.
There can be no doubt now that ‘Do Bronx’ is currently the best 155lber on the planet. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s secure in his spot as champion. In fact, there are a number of reasons why the Brazilian’s title reign could be under threat in 2022.
Firstly, for as good as he looked in his two wins in 2021, it’s probably safe to say that both of them could’ve been considered comeback victories. Chandler almost knocked him out in the first round before Oliveira somehow managed to survive and finish the former Bellator champ in the second round.
Poirier, meanwhile, was teeing off on the Brazilian in the first round of their fight, only to run out of steam and become susceptible to Oliveira’s deadly ground game as the fight went on.
Secondly, the lightweight division is arguably the most stacked in the UFC, with dangerous contenders like Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush all looking to claim a title shot. Even Oliveira’s likely next opponent, Justin Gaethje, is more than capable of unseating him.
Therefore, despite Oliveira’s tremendous form over the past few years, he’s still quite likely to lose his title in 2022.
#3. Aljamain Sterling – UFC bantamweight champion
Perhaps no other UFC champion has won their title in as controversial circumstances as Aljamain Sterling. ‘Funk Master’ claimed the gold in March when previous champion Petr Yan was disqualified for using an illegal knee to stun Sterling in the fourth round.
Sterling is undoubtedly a great fighter. After all, he’s the only man to finish the dangerous Cory Sandhagen in the octagon and he holds impressive wins over other highly-ranked fighters, including Pedro Munhoz and Cody Stamann.
However, there can be no doubt that his title reign will be under threat this year, most notably when he faces Yan in a rematch in March.
Not only was ‘No Mercy’ arguably ahead on the scorecards at the time that he was disqualified, meaning Sterling probably never would’ve won the title without the illegal blow, but he’s also fought since. He claimed the interim championship by defeating Sandhagen in a wild fight in October.
Sterling, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since winning his title, as he was forced to have surgery on his neck and has been rehabbing the injury since.
When you put together the fact that Yan appeared to have his number before, as well as Sterling’s time on the shelf with a serious injury, it seems highly doubtful that ‘Funk Master’ will make it past March with his title intact, let alone out of 2022.
#2. Brandon Moreno – UFC flyweight champion
When the UFC decided to give Brandon Moreno a shot at reigning flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in late 2020, it seemed doubtful that the Mexican would have anything for the dangerous Brazilian.
However, Moreno proved the doubters wrong by going toe-to-toe with ‘Deus Da Guerra’ for five rounds. Although Figueiredo would’ve won the bout were it not for a point deduction, it came as no surprise when ‘The Assassin Baby’ was handed an immediate rematch.
Few fans expected what happened next, though, as Moreno stunned everyone by completely outfighting Figueiredo before submitting him with a rear-naked choke in the third round to claim the title.
Despite the win, though, there’s still an argument that Figueiredo might be the better fighter, as he blamed the UFC 263 loss primarily on a bad weight cut.
We’ll find out if that’s the case next weekend as the two men are set to face off in their trilogy bout at UFC 270. Even if Moreno comes out with his title intact, whether he can hold onto it throughout 2022 is another matter.
No.3-ranked Alexandre Pantoja, for instance, already has two wins over the Mexican, while No.2-ranked Askar Askarov went to a draw with him in 2019. Either of the two would be hopeful of unseating Moreno in a title bout, meaning that ‘The Assassin Baby’ seems likely to drop the gold this year.
#1. Glover Teixeira – UFC light heavyweight champion
When Glover Teixeira choked out Jan Blachowicz to claim the UFC light heavyweight title in October, not only did he become one of the oldest champions in the promotion’s history, but he also became one of the most unlikely too.
Sure, the Brazilian was riding a lengthy five-fight UFC win streak going into the bout. However, he’d basically looked finished as a top-level contender as recently as 2018.
Teixeira obviously did well to turn that slide around, but can we really expect a fighter who is now 42 years old to hold onto his title throughout 2022? In all honesty, it seems unlikely.
The Brazilian is expected to defend the gold against Jiri Prochazka, one of the most explosive and dangerous prospects that the light heavyweight division has seen in years, later this year. Even if he gets past him, he’ll have monsters such as Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev to contend with.
Teixeira’s title win was an excellent story, but given his age, wear and tear and the level of competition he’s going to face, the truth is that he’s probably the most likely champion to lose his gold in 2022.
