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The UFC's greatest attractions are the champions that rule over the promotion's different divisions. With rare exceptions like Colby Covington, Nate Diaz and even Jorge Masvidal to an extent, the undisputed champions are the driving force behind the promotion's PPV buys.
Thus, there's always great interest in predicting who will emerge as the new titleholders in the UFC. Nothing heightens a crowd's emotions quite like a title fight, least of all when a dominant champion seems to be on the verge of having their aura of invincibility shattered in a competitive fight.
Numerous title fights are scheduled to take place this year. Several of them, like Alexander Volkanovski's unification bout with Yair Rodriguez, are expected to end in the Australian's favor. Other divisions, however, have a chance to see a new champion emerge and this list compiles five of them.
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#5. Erin Blanchfield, future UFC women's flyweight champion
The women's equivalent of the 125 lbs weight class is among the shallowest divisions in the UFC. Fortunately, there's been a surge in talent which has injected a new level of excitement at flyweight. At UFC 285, Alexa Grasso stunned the MMA world by defeating Valentina Shevchenko via submission in the fourth round.
While the former flyweight queen is a well-rounded fighter, Mexico's newest undisputed UFC champion has some glaring holes in her defensive wrestling. Shevchenko managed to effortlessly secure takedowns against her. This doesn't bode well for her future against one of the division's rising contenders.
Erin Blanchfield is a strong takedown artist and a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist. She recently defeated powerhouse and fellow BJJ black belt Jéssica Andrade via rear-naked choke with supreme ease. As the number-four ranked flyweight in the world, another win would guarantee her a title shot.
Due to her high-level wrestling and BJJ, she is well-equipped to defeat Alexa Grasso to capture the title by the end of the year.
#4. Alexandre Pantoja, future UFC men's flyweight champion
The UFC men's flyweight division is similar to its female equivalent in that they are both fairly shallow in terms of high-level fighters. This was evident by the fact that former divisional kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo faced reigning champion Brandon Moreno four different times.
But after his recent TKO loss, 'Deus da Guerra' announced his departure from the flyweight division. Thus, there's now a shortage of recognizable names at 125 lbs. Regardless, there is a potential champion in the mix. Another power-punching Brazilian is charging towards the divisional throne.
Alexandre Pantoja is at the helm of a three-fight win streak and already has two wins over 'The Assassin Baby'. The Mexican star's habit of engaging in wild exchanges is what cost him in both fights. Meanwhile, Pantoja's weakness is against hard-hitters who can make him pay for his tendency to charge forward.
Unfortunately, Moreno lacks that kind of power. With only Figueiredo ranked above him, Pantoja will likely earn the next title shot. He's already beaten Moreno twice, so there's no reason to doubt his ability to do so for a third time.
#3. Colby Covington, future UFC welterweight champion
The welterweight division is teeming with contenders who all have the ability to capture the title. Shavkat Rakhmonov is one such fighter. Unfortunately, 'The Nomad' doesn't fight frequently enough to have two more fights this year. He is likely to have one more fight in 2023 before earning a title shot next year.
Colby Covington is the next best candidate to win the title. The former interim champion possesses the perfect blend of volume striking, high-level wrestling and cardio to defeat nearly anyone who faces him. 'Chaos' pushed former titleholder Kamaru Usman to the brink twice, with some arguing that he won both times.
While Covington is one of the most inactive fighters on the roster, he typically fights once per year. As the number-two welterweight in the world who served as the backup fighter for UFC 286, he has earned the next title shot and has a good chance of claiming the title.
#2. Jiří Procházka, future UFC light heavyweight champion
Jiří Procházka is the former 205 lbs champion. He defeated Glover Teixeira in one of the most thrilling bouts in light heavyweight history. Unfortunately, the Czech samurai suffered a catastrophic shoulder injury that forced him to vacate his title ahead of a highly anticipated rematch with the Brazilian grappler.
Meanwhile, Jamahal Hill stepped in to defeat the BJJ specialist and capture the vacant throne. It's clear that the direction moving forward is a bout between 'Sweet Dreams' and the Czech Republic's first-ever UFC champion. The pair had a recent staredown at UFC 286.
There is a high chance, however, that Procházka will emerge victorious against Hill. The reigning champion relies largely on his athleticism to carry him through bouts. He doesn't use a dedicated jab and relies mainly on a left hook and right cross. This renders him extremely hittable.
This makes a matchup with Procházka very risky due to the Czech’s fast linear movement that allows him to dart in and out of range. He is also naturally quick and exceptionally powerful, putting him in prime position to recapture his title.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev, future UFC middleweight champion
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will settle their rivalry once and for all next month as they clash for the middleweight crown. Regardless of who emerges victorious, they will likely face undefeated phenom Khamzat Chimaev in their subsequent bout. Unfortunately, neither of them are well-equipped to defeat the Chechen.
The middleweight division is devoid of strong grapplers and wrestlers. Khamzat Chimaev is the division's only high-level wrestler and he possesses a skill-set that will trouble a weight class full of strikers. With talk of 'Borz' being next in line for the middleweight title, he has a high-percentage chance of winning.
Neither Pereira nor Adesanya have a high-enough level of defensive grappling to stop Chimaev from imposing his will. While Pereira has the nuclear option of KO'ing 'Borz', and Adesanya can thoroughly outstrike him, they must also keep him off them for 25 minutes.
Once the fight hits the ground, however, they won't survive long against the undefeated Chechen.
