Predicting the UFC champion of each division at the end of 2022

2022 promises to be a great year for fans of the UFC, with the promotional talent pool richer than ever. 2021 saw six new champions win titles in their respective divisions and two new interim champions.

In 2022, there may well be a host of new title holders come the end of the year. In the following list, we will attempt to predict who will be holding the UFC gold in each weight class on December 31, 2022.

#1. UFC Heavyweight Champion: Ciryl Gane

The UFC's heavyweight division is currently ruled by Francis 'The Predator' Ngannou. However, over the past three years, Ciryl Gane has torn through the division, defeating every opponent who has stepped into the octagon with him. This culminated in Gane capturing the interim heavyweight title at UFC 265.

Ngannou is a champion for a reason. 'The Predator' holds immense power and appears to be rounding out his game under the tutlege of Eric Nicksick. However, Gane is a completely new breed of heavyweight, who combines speed, technique and ring craft in a way that is unique to the division.

The two men will face off in a title unification fight at UFC 270 in January. If Gane is victorious, it is hard to imagine another fighter in the division capable of overcoming him, although the shadow of a certain Jon Jones does loom large.

#2. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion: Jiri Prochazka

At UFC 267, 205lb veteran Glover Teixeira captured the light heavyweight title, defeating Jan Blachowicz via second round submission. But Texeira's first title defense will not be an easy one, as rumors surrounding a fight with the unorthodox Jiri Prochazka spread like wildfire.

Prochazka is undefeated inside the UFC, having knocked out two former title challengers in Dominick Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir. His raw power and unpredictability has the potential to see him claim the 205lb crown before 2022 is up.

#3. UFC Middleweight Champion: Israel Adesanya

Our first pick for a champion to retain their title is Israel Adesanya. The Kiwi is undefeated at middleweight and is starting to lap the division.

His biggest threat is undeniably Robert Whittaker, whom he will rematch in 2022. However, it is hard to back Whittaker to win, considering the ease in which Adesanya beat him in their first fight.

Besides Whittaker, there is a general feeling that the rest of the top 15 is simply not on the same level as the champion. Sean Strickland, Jared Cannonier and Jack Hermansson are yet to compete against 'The Last Stylebender,' but it seems unlikely they can offer something that the champ has not already seen.

#4. UFC Welterweight Champion: Khamzat Chimaev

Perhaps the most controversial pick so far is Khamzat Chimaev to claim the 170lb title before the end of 2022. In all honesty, it's not a confident pick. But Khamzat Chimaev's pure dominance in every fight so far cannot be overlooked.

'Borz' still needs to prove himself against a top-five opponent, with rumors of a potential fight against either Leon Edwards or Gilbert Burns currently circulating. However, his recent wrestling match with UFC middleweight Jack Hermansson demonstrated Chimaev's physicality and grappling prowess.

If he is able to to defeat a top-five welterweight, then it would appear that Khamzat Chimaev has the requisite combination of power and skill to provide an entirely new challenge to Kamaru Usman.

#5. UFC Lightweight Champion: Islam Makhachev

Such is the depth of talent in the UFC's lightweight division that there could be multiple new champions in 2022. However, we are picking Islam Makhachev to ultimately come out on top at the end of the year.

The Dagestani's wrestling has drawn numerous comparisons to his undefeated and now-retired teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, Makhachev has a striking game that is much more multi-faceted than what 'The Eagle' possessed.

Makhachev already has a fight booked with fellow top contender Beneil Dariush in early 2022. If Makhachev is victorious, then a title shot will surely follow.

#6. UFC Featherweight Champion: Max Holloway

Featherweight is an incredibly hard one to pick, but there are ultimately only two true options; those two fighters are, of course, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. They have already fought twice, with the Australian winning both times, although their second fight was incredibly close, with many giving it to Holloway.

In 2021, Max Holloway has remained active, picking up dominant wins over top contenders Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez. It seems inevitable that he will face Volkanovski for a third time in 2022, and this time, we believe it will be 'Blessed' who will have his arm raised at the end.

#7. UFC Women's Featherweight Champion: Amanda Nunes

Not much needs to be said about women's featherweight. The division does not even have an official set of rankings, and it is inconceivable to imagine Amanda Nunes losing at 145lbs.

#8. UFC Bantamweight Champion: Petr Yan

The UFC's bantamweight division is another weight class stacked from top to bottom with an exorbitant amount of talent. However, the one man that truly stands out from the pack is the current interim champion, Petr Yan.

Yan has wins over some of the division's finest, including Cory Sandhagen and Jose Aldo. He was also on his way to comfortably defeating the current champion, Aljamain Sterling, before a moment of recklessness saw him disqualified for landing an illegal knee.

In 2022, look for Yan to reclaim his title and begin a new reign of dominance at 135lbs.

#9. UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion: Amanda Nunes

While the UFC's women's bantamweight division is more competitive than the women's featherweight division, it is still impossible to pick anyone but Amanda Nunes to be champion come the end of 2022.

The only way we might see a new champion is if 'The Lioness' makes the decision to retire from MMA. If that happens, it may be that Holly Holm finally recaptures her title.

#10. UFC Flyweight Champion: Askar Askarov

Flyweight is another interesting weight class that has a number of talented fighters at the very top of the division. Brandon Moreno is the current champion and is set to face former title holder Deiveson Figueiredo for a third time at UFC 270.

However, the undefeated Askar Askarov will soon be back from injury, bringing with him the necessary skills to test anyone in the 125lb division. Askarov has previously fought Brandon Moreno to a draw, but 2022 could well be the year he puts a definitive end to that rivalry.

#11. UFC Women's Flyweight Champion: Valentina Shevchenko

UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko appears to be a level above the rest of the division. She has already defeated four of the top five, and while Taila Santos does appear to be a solid prospect, she does not bring anything threatening to the table.

If Tatiana Suarez is able to keep her fitness up, she might be able to give 'Bullet' a run for her money. But even so, until someone is able to defeat Shevchenko at 135lbs, you simply can't pick against her.

UFC 266: Valentina Shevchenko after beating Lauren Murphy

#12. UFC Women's Strawweight Champion: Rose Namajunas

Strawweight has a number of talented fighters in its ranks, with Carla Esparza, Marina Rodriguez and Joanna Jędrzejczyk all capable of capturing the title.

However, Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang appear to be the two most complete fighters in the division, both having held the belt at one point of time or another in 2021. But with Namajunas getting the better of Zhang in back-to-back fights, you have to go with 'Thug' Rose to keep hold of her title through 2022.