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While the UFC is yet to get underway in 2022, there are already a ton of big fights to look forward to. The promotion will return this weekend and events all the way through until the end of March are already beginning to take shape.
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When looking ahead to fights to come, many will be drawn to the big title fights on the horizon. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane, Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo and Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling have all already been booked.
However, there are also plenty of great fights coming up that don't have championship gold on the line. Given the depth in the promotion today, non-title fights are still of an unbelievably high quality and many of these bouts feature some fan favorites in action.
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These non-title fights could determine who gets title shots in 2022 and who will have to look to rebuild later in the year. With much of the first quarter of 2022 already planned out, let us now look ahead to some of the fights we can look forward to.
Here are the 5 biggest non-title fights already booked in 2022:
Honorable mentions: Kaitlyn Chookagian vs. Jennifer Maia, Jack Hermansson vs. Sean Strickland, Derrick Lewis vs. Tai Tuivasa, Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev
#5. Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze - UFC on ESPN 32
We start off with what will be the first main event of 2022. It features the No.5-ranked Calvin Kattar against the No.8-ranked Giga Chikadze. Interestingly, it is likely a much more important fight for the lower-ranked Chikadze.
At the time of writing, there is still the chance that Chikadze could secure a title shot, should he pull off something special in this fight. Following Max Holloway's injury, Alexander Volkanovski is in need of a new challenger. While Chan Sung Jung appears best placed to claim it, perhaps Chikadze could leapfrog him here.
The Georgian is on a nine-fight win streak and has finished each of his last three opponents. Another finish against Kattar could put him in pole position for the title shot. However, for Kattar, this fight provides little more than an opportunity to get back in the win column which is why the fight doesn't rank as high as some others.
#4. Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev - UFC Fight Night 202
Islam Makhachev was one of the UFC's star performers in 2021 and many feel he is now just one win away from securing a title shot. He will have an opportunity to get that win when he faces the man ranked one spot above him on February 26.
Both fighters enter this one off the back of enormous win streaks. Dariush has won seven in a row whilst Makhachev's streak stands at nine. They are also ranked highly in the lightweight division at No.3 and No.4 respectively, making this a massive fight.
The reason this bout doesn't rank higher is due to the convoluted title picture at lightweight. With Conor McGregor potentially about to jump the queue and Justin Gaethje also in the mix, it's a little tricky to predict just where the winner of this bout will land in regards to challenging for Charles Oliveira's belt.
#3. Jan Blachowicz vs. Aleksandar Rakic - UFC Fight Night 205
One only needs to look at this duo's rankings to see just how big a fight this will be in the light heavyweight division. The No.1-ranked Blachowicz will face the No.3-ranked Rakic in an important fight at 205 lbs currently scheduled for March 26.
Jan Blachowicz lost his title in his last fight whilst Aleksandar Rakic has been calling for a number one contender bout for some time. Should Rakic win here he would likely cement his position for a title fight against the winner of Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka.
Should Blachowicz win the fight, the situation becomes a little trickier to predict, which is why this fight isn't placed higher. Blachowicz is a former champion but beating Prochazka might not see him get the next title shot. In any case, watching these two behemouths collide in March is something for UFC fans to look forward to.
#2. Jared Cannonier vs. Derek Brunson - UFC 271
The next contender for the middleweight title will most likely be decided at UFC 271. No.3-ranked Jared Cannonier is due to do battle with No.4-ranked Derek Brunson on February 12th, the same night that Israel Adesanya will defend his title against Robert Whittaker.
Both fighters are in good form and have each recently demonstrated they are elite middleweights. Cannonier has won four of his last five, with his lone loss coming at the hands of Robert Whittaker. Brunson has now won five straight with his most recent loss coming against Israel Adesanya.
Should Adesanya successfully defend his title on this card, you can almost guarantee that the winner of this bout will be the next man to challenge for gold. However, should Adesanya lose, the promotion would likely give 'The Last Stylebender' an immediate rematch, which is why Brunson vs. Cannonier doesn't quite claim the top spot.
#1. Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France - UFC Fight Night 205
Interestingly, at the time of writing this bout is likely to only be the co-main event on the Fight Night card that will be headlined by Blachowicz and Rakic. However, this fight is as close as you can get to an iron-clad number one contender bout in the promotion and, as such, it comes in at number one here.
Askarov remains undefeated in his professional career, with one draw against current champion Brandon Moreno. Kara-France is coming off the back of two first-round finishes and dominated former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt last time out. A win for either man will ensure they fight for the title next.
This is in large part due to the fact that Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo are scheduled to fight for a third consecutive time. Regardless of who wins that bout, the promotion will surely want to introduce a new face to the title picture. We will find out just who that is on March 26.
