5 potential UFC non-title fights to look forward to in 2022

#2. Tony Ferguson vs. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract. Much has been made of who Diaz should fight next, and the Stockton native appears to have a lot of options on his table.

Ranging from a trilogy bout with Conor McGregor and a rematch against Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt to potential matchups against Vicente Luque and Khamzat Chimaez, Nate Diaz has no shortage of potential opponents.

However, Diaz seems to have a fellow fan-favorite in mind. The UFC welterweight tweeted an image of Tony Ferguson with no caption, possibly implying that we would like to take on ‘El Cucuy’ in his next octagon outing.

Tony Ferguson looks to be in favor of the matchup as well. The former interim UFC lightweight champion recently tweeted:

"You Rollin’ That Sh*t Or Am I? Don’t Be Scared Homie Take The Fight @NateDiaz209 #Blazin’ Trails @ufc @danawhite Make It Happen #ThePeoplesChamp One. 2022 # Road2Gold"

Both Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson have excellent striking and granite chins. Add in the fact that they are both black belts in Brazilian jiu jitsu who are incredibly slick on the ground, and you have a recipe for an absolute barnburner of a fight. Diaz and Ferguson have some of the best cardio in the UFC, and a fight between these two veterans of the sport would undoubtedly appeal to fans worldwide.

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#1. Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal

Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal lived together for eight years before the two close friends infamously fell out of favor with one another. The duo trained together at American Top Team in Florida until Covington changed his approach towards fight promotion.

Check out this compilation video showing moments of the pair’s friendship caught on camera:

Covington and Masvidal quickly went from friends to foes after ‘Gamebred’ was seemingly put off by Covington’s ‘gimmick’. Masvidal, who rose from poverty and the mean streets of Miami, has always taken pride in being authentic and real. Meanwhile, Covington opted to put on a persona after struggling to capture the fans' imagination being himself.

The switch definitely worked for Covington, who has emerged as one of the most polarizing figures in the sport. His relentless trash-talk, outspoken political affiliations, and loud-mouthed persona has made ‘Chaos’ one of the most talked-about fighters on the roster.

Both fighters have tried and failed twice in their attempts to win UFC gold. Jorge Masvidal took on Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 and UFC 261, coming up short on both occasions. Colby Covington gave the reigning UFC welterweight champion his toughest test to date but ultimately struggled against Usman’s power.

Following his second loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 268, Covington had this to say at the post-fight press conference:

“I think the most logical step is the heated rivalry with me and my old roommate ‘Street Judas’ [Jorge] Masvidal. He should probably pull out of that fight with Leon Scott [Leon Edwards] and we should just run it. Let’s run it in the first quarter of the first part of the year and let’s do it. That’s a heated rivalry, man. He talked so much sh*t in the media and said so many things about me.”

“If he goes ahead with that Leon Scott fight, then Hunter Campbell, I just pray to you. Please, God, don’t cut him after that third loss in a row. Keep him around and let me be the one who ends his career.”

Watch Covington’s post-fight interview below:

Jorge Masvidal was scheduled to take on Leon Edwards at UFC 269, but an injury forced ‘Gamebred’ to pull out of the much-anticipated bout. This opened the door for a potential Covington vs. Masvidal grudge match.

Both fighters are eager to get back into title contention, and it is one of the most marketable bouts that the UFC can put together. Many have also suggested that Covington and Masvidal could be opposing coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.

This fight has to happen at some point, and fans can't wait to see it.