5 dark horses to claim UFC gold in 2022

The year 2022 is now upon us. UFC events will come thick and fast, bringing into question who could end the year with gold wrapped around their waist.

Many fans will be favoring some of the UFC’s current champions to hold onto their titles in 2022. However, as in any year, there are likely to be many dark horses who could surprise the contenders and claim gold.

In 2021, for instance, Glover Teixeira shock the world by becoming the light heavyweight champion. Meanwhile, Julianna Pena stunned everyone by upsetting Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title.

With many top prospects and contenders currently flying under the radar, there is no shortage of dark horses to claim UFC gold in 2022. On that note, here are five possible candidates who could do the same:

---

#5. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC bantamweight contender

Merab Dvalishvili might have the style needed to beat either Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight title.

The UFC’s bantamweight division is undoubtedly one of the most loaded that the promotion has to offer right now. That means there are many viable contenders for a potential shot at the title.

The first title bout of the year in the division is already set. Current champion Aljamain Sterling is booked to face interim champion Petr Yan in a rematch of their controversial 2021 clash that saw Sterling win via disqualification.

So who might be next? One fighter who could definitely be a dark horse to claim gold at 135 lbs is Merab Dvalishvili. ‘The Machine’ is currently ranked #6 in the division. He enjoyed a fabulous 2021, ending his year with a stirring second-round TKO of former title challenger Marlon Moraes.

The victory put Dvalishvili on a seven-fight winning streak, a far cry from the two-fight skid he began his tenure with the promotion with.

Sure, his win over Moraes was the first time he finished an opponent inside the octagon. However, in all honesty, a win is a win in a division so loaded with talent. Dvalishvili’s victories over Cody Stamann and John Dodson were as impressive as any in recent memory.

Given that there are currently four fighters sitting between the Georgian and the top two, he’ll probably need to win one more fight before a title shot. However, Jose Aldo isn’t likely to claim another shot, while Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen are coming off losses, making Dvalishvili’s path a little easier.

Should he find himself against Sterling or Yan, given his strong wrestling, excellent grappling and rapidly improving striking, he’d definitely stand a chance – if only a slim one – of claiming UFC gold.

#4. Irene Aldana – UFC bantamweight contender

Mexico’s Irene Aldana is the biggest dark horse in the bantamweight division right now.

The biggest upset in the UFC in 2021 came in the year’s final pay-per-view show. There, Julianna Pena unseated long-time bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes to become one of the promotion’s unlikeliest champions.

It feels highly probable that the UFC might simply book an immediate rematch between ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ and ‘The Lioness’ at some point in 2022. However, regardless of who comes out on top, the next title shot might well go to Irene Aldana.

The Mexican striker bounced back well from her 2020 loss to Holly Holm last year. She beat Yana Kunitskaya via TKO in July, with the win moving her into the #3 spot in the division.

Sure, she still sits behind Holm in the rankings. However, given the amount of title shots given to ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ over the years, it’s very likely the promotion could overlook her in favor of a fresher challenger, especially if Nunes reclaims the gold.

Interestingly, on paper at least, Aldana would probably be a tricky match for either woman. Pena showed that Nunes might be vulnerable to a fighter willing to work from behind a jab as Aldana tends to. Meanwhile, Pena’s striking is arguably still not as good as the Mexican’s.

Given that she isn’t the most marketable fighter, Aldana is definitely what you’d consider a dark horse to win gold in 2022. However, she’s more than capable in the octagon, and stranger things have happened before.

---

#3. Vicente Luque – UFC welterweight contender

Vicente Luque might be the biggest threat to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Right now, the UFC champion who appears to be the most unbeatable is probably welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ enjoyed a phenomenal 2021. He turned back the challenges of Gilbert Burns, Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington, and seems leaps and bounds above the rest of his division.

Who is next for Usman? Most reports suggest that Leon Edwards, who beat Nate Diaz in the summer, could face the champion next. However, given that Usman already holds a victory over ‘Rocky’, and has improved since then, it’s difficult to imagine Edwards taking the gold.

The real dark horse to claim the title, then, might well be Usman’s TUF 21 teammate Vicente Luque. ‘The Silent Assassin’ lives up to his nickname, as he rarely, if ever, talks trash. However, inside the octagon, he’s as dangerous as any 170 lber on the planet.

In 2021, Luque finished both Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa. Overall, he now holds 14 wins in the octagon, with 13 of them coming via submission or knockout.

Would he stand a chance against Usman? It’s difficult to say. He doesn’t possess the wrestling of ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. However, his balls-to-the-wall style might well prove to be the champion’s kryptonite, as the latter prefers to remain in control of his fights.

Basically, if anyone’s got a chance of dethroning Usman right now, it’s probably Luque, the ultimate dark horse at welterweight.

#2. Magomed Ankalaev – UFC light heavyweight contender

Magomed Ankalaev might be the most dangerous man in the UFC at 205 lbs.

In 2021, a major dark horse claimed gold in the UFC light heavyweight division. Glover Teixeira – at the age of 42 – submitted Jan Blachowicz in October to become the new champion.

Quite how long Teixeira can hold onto his title at such an advanced age is anyone’s guess. Many fans seem to believe that Jiri Prochazka, who is expected to face the Brazilian in the early part of this year, could dethrone him.

Prochazka is only 2-0 in the octagon thus far. Both of his wins – over Volkan Oezdemir and Dominick Reyes – were fabulous. However, whether he’s the best fighter in the division right now is up for debate.

The real dark horse at 205 lbs right now is almost certainly Magomed Ankalaev. Sure, the Dagestani native is ranked below the likes of Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic and Thiago Santos. However, he’s also on an impressive streak, as he’s won seven fights in a row, including a victory over Oezdemir in late 2021.

More to the point, Ankalaev does not appear to have a weakness inside the octagon. He possesses one of the strongest wrestling games in the division, and has a hard-hitting striking arsenal too.

Currently, Ankalaev is booked to face Thiago Santos in March. Should he win that fight impressively, it might be difficult for the UFC to deny him a title shot. While a fight against either Teixeira or Prochazka would be difficult, the Dagestani can beat both, making him a potential champion in the waiting.

---

#1. Alexandre Pantoja – UFC flyweight contender

Alexandre Pantoja could well be the next champion in the UFC flyweight division.

The year 2022 has already seen its first title fight in the UFC flyweight division. Deiveson Figueiredo was able to regain the gold from Brandon Moreno in a genuine barnburner this weekend.

The fight was so good that it’s likely to be considered among the best fights of the year by the time 2022 comes to an end. The promotion might well decide to book a fourth fight between the two in the next few months.

However, if that doesn’t happen, or if it happens, and has a definitive result in the next few months, who might be next for the winner? One option, particularly if Moreno regains the title, might be Alexandre Pantoja.

‘The Cannibal’ holds a 2018 victory over Moreno. While a 2019 loss to Figueiredo, and a 2020 defeat to Askar Askarov might hold him back from claiming a title shot right away, things could still fall into place for him.

That’s because Askarov is booked to fight Kai Kara-France in March. If the Dagestani loses that fight, Pantoja, who has already beaten ‘Don’t Blink’, would likely jump ahead of both.

More importantly, though, with his hard-hitting striking and top-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu, ‘The Cannibal’ could well have the best chance of unseating either Figueiredo or Moreno in a title bout.

The UFC clearly likes the Brazilian, as he was reportedly already offered a shot at the gold in late 2021 only for a knee injury to derail him. Therefore, 2022 could well be the year when he takes his shot. If he does so, he’d have a good chance of becoming the new champion at 125 lbs.