5 fighters not ranked in their division's top 5 who could win UFC gold in 2022

A new year in the UFC is upon us and one can't help but think about which fighters will win gold in 2022. The contenders likely to get their hands on a championship can be the found in the top five of the rankings, however there could be plenty of exceptions to that rule in the next 12 months.

Fighters can come from the lower ranks into title contention for a number of reasons. Getting a winning streak under their belt often leads to a title shot or more for lower-ranked stars.

Some fighters are ranked disproportionately low after one or two uncharacteristically poor performances. However, they are still big names and can command a title fight from the promotion.

Inactivity or a move to another weight division can also affect the rankings of a fighter who should be vying for the gold.

Here we look at five UFC stars who could get a title shot in 2022 even though they aren't in the top five of their division.

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#5. Conor McGregor - Former UFC lightweight champion

McGregor is currently ranked No.9 in the lightweight division

While Conor McGregor went winless in 2021, 2022 has the potential to be a very different story. The popularity of 'Notorious' means the UFC is always looking to put him in big fights and so his road back to title contention is likely not as long as it might be for others.

While McGregor is a former featherweight and lightweight champion, his days at 145 lbs are long behind him, making a run at lightweight gold more likely. He has also already begun calling out the division's champion, Charles Oliveira, who appears keen to give 'Notorious' a title shot.

Should that fight happen, McGregor matches up rather well with the Brazilian on paper. Oliveira has shown that he can be susceptible to taking some big strikes and few hit harder than The Irishman. Were McGregor to catch the champion with a big shot, he could find himself once again holding gold.

#4. Kai Kara-France - UFC flyweight contender

Kara-France is currently ranked No.6 in the flyweight division

Kai Kara-France had a legitimate case for a UFC flyweight title shot. It was widely understood that had Cody Garbrandt beaten him at UFC 269, 'No Love' would have been granted the next shot at the belt. Kara-France put a stop to that plan, knocking him out in the first round of the bout.

Rather than hand over the championship opportunity to Kara-France in place of Garbrandt, he has instead been booked in a title eliminator against undefeated Russian Askar Askarov. While that is a very tough assignment, should 'Don't Blink' pick up a win in that one, he would rubber stamp his place in a fight for the title.

Despite this new hurdle, Kara-France remains a threat to any flyweight given the punching power he holds at 125 lbs. While he has lost to current champion Brandon Moreno in the past, a rematch for the title would give him five rounds to land one of his big right hands which can change the course of any fight.

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#3. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - Former UFC strawweight champion

Jedrzejczyk is not currently ranked in the UFC

While Joanna Jedrzejczyk is not currently ranked in the UFC strawweight division, she is another fighter who will never be too far from her next title shot. Arguably one of the greatest at 115 lbs, the Polish fighter would likely only need one victory before she'd be back in the title picture.

Jedrzejczyk's absence from the rankings is only due to inactivity, not any drop off form. Her most recent bout with Zhang Weili proved she still has plenty of fight left. Should the pair run that fight back and Jedrzejczyk be victorious, few could deny her another shot at the belt she held for so long.

Another factor to consider here is that she holds wins over top contenders Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade. Should either of those fighters win the belt from current champion Rose Namajunas, Jedrzejczyk's road to the title becomes even more manageable.

#2. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC welterweight contender

Chimaev is currently ranked No.11 in the welterweight division

Khamzat Chimaev has looked virtually untouchable since he burst onto the UFC scene in 2020. While his most recent victory over Li Jingliang was his first ranked win, the dominant fashion of his performance and his surging popularity means he is likely only one or two fights away from a title shot.

Another factor that may help Chimaev quickly enter the title picture is the lack of fresh challengers at 170 lbs. The champion, Kamaru Usman, has already beaten a number of the division's top contenders and while it appears he will next face Leon Edwards, Chimaev could very well be his next challenger after that.

While defeating Usman is no small task, one can't help but wonder whether Chimaev could be the man to do it. He's looked just as fearsome as the welterweight champ since debuting and certainly appears to be one of the few men capable of climbing to the top of the 170 lb division.

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#1. Jon Jones - Former UFC light heavyweight champion

Jones is currently No.6 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings

Jon Jones does not feature in the UFC heavyweight rankings as he has never competed in that weight class. However, since relinquishing his light heavyweight title, he has consistently stated his intention to move up a division and win gold once again.

Given just how successful Jones was in the light heavyweight division, it's very likely he will be immediately inserted into a title fight upon his return. Jones is one of the greatest of all time and he might need just one shot at the gold to claim it.

There are obviously a number of variables here as we have not seen Jones compete at heavyweight and he has struggled to stay out of trouble outside of the octagon. With that being said, when it comes to fighters not ranked in the top 5, few, if any, appear to have a better shot at winning gold in 2022 than Jon Jones.