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The UFC welterweight division has been the sight of some of the biggest fights of the year.
Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman had three successful title defenses in 2021. He defeated former training partner Gilbert Burns and had an unbelievable knockout win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261. Usman then defeated his rival Colby Covington in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden at UFC 268.
Looking at the landscape of the welterweight division, there are plenty of exciting matchups that can be made. A few fighters climbed the ranks at 170lbs and 2022 could also see some big names move into the division.
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One of the questions the promotion will need to address is who receives the next title shot against Usman. There are also existing rivalries that could finally be settled in the octagon in the new year. This list will look at 5 welterweight fights the UFC should book in 2022.
#5. Former UFC title-challenger Gilbert Burns vs. Vicente Luque
Gilbert Burns is in an interesting position at welterweight. He challenged his former training partner Usman for the UFC welterweight championship earlier this year at UFC 258. Burns rocked Usman early on, but the champion ended up recovering and retained his title by third round TKO.
'Durinho' then bounced back from the loss by defeating Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson at UFC 264. Although Burns defeated Thompson, it most likely won’t be enough to warrant a rematch with Usman. With that in mind, fighting 'The Silent Assassin' next would make sense.
Vicente Luque has risen up the welterweight ranks with his four-fight winning streak. He won both of his fights this year with the D’Arce choke. He defeated former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 and former TUF winner Michael Chiesa at UFC 265. A bout between Burns and Luque could put the winner one step closer to a title shot.
#4. No.5-ranked UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad vs. No.11-ranked Khamzat Chimaev
Another welterweight fight the UFC should consider booking is Khamzat Chimaev vs. Belal Muhammad. 'Remember the Name' has made a name for himself at welterweight. He is unbeaten in his last 7 bouts and now sees himself ranked in the top 5.
On the other hand, there have been very few fighters that’ve taken the UFC by storm the way Chimaev has done. Since making his UFC debut, the 27-year-old has successfully bounced between the middleweight and welterweight divisions whilst looking impressive. After his win over Li Jingliang, it looks like Chimaev will be competing at 170lbs for the time being.
UFC president Dana White has said multiple times that there aren’t many people asking to fight Chimaev. An exception to this is Muhammad who has let it be known that he’d like to fight him. Muhammad vs. Chimaev would be an intriguing grappling battle that could strengthen both men's arguments for a future title shot.
#3. Nate Diaz vs. former UFC title-challenger Dustin Poirier
It’s no secret that there’s still some animosity between Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier after their original bout at UFC 230 fell through.
Poirier recently challenged Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 269, where he was submitted in the third round. After the bout, Poirier mentioned that he needed time to reflect before deciding what to do next. That’s where Diaz entered the equation.
Diaz, who has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, took to social media to issue a challenge to Poirier. 'The Diamond' responded and let it be known that he agreed to fight Diaz. Perhaps a bout with Diaz could signal a permanent move to 170lbs for the former interim-UFC lightweight champion.
#2. UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards
Reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has had an incredible career so far. Since defeating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 to become the new champion, Usman has successfully defended his title five times.
Meanwhile, Leon Edwards is currently riding a 9-fight winning streak that includes wins over Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Nate Diaz. Interestingly, Edwards’ last loss came against Usman back in 2015.
It would be interesting to see if history were to repeat itself in a rematch seven years later. Both fighters have evolved since their first encounter and it’s a fight that makes sense timing wise. Usman last fought in November, while Edwards hasn’t fought since June because his December bout with Masvidal was scrapped.
#1. 'BMF' champion Jorge Masvidal vs. Former interim-UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington
It’ll be a shame if Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal never get the chance to compete in the octagon. The animosity between the two would definitely sell a lot of pay-per-views, especially with the history they share.
'Chaos' and 'Gamebred' were teammates and friends at American Top Team until their falling out several years ago. Both are coming off title losses against Usman, so a fight between the two makes sense. The press conferences would likely be just as entertaining as the fight itself.
Since both have trained together in the past, it’d be interesting to see how the fight would unfold. Masvidal would have the striking advantage, but Covington’s wrestling could be the deciding factor. Covington caught Usman a few times and took him down during their fight, so he could be even more confident against Masvidal.
