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The main event of UFC 270 saw Francis Ngannou defeat Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight championship. The bout was one of the most interesting heavyweight title fights in recent memory. For the first time in years, the division is deep with plenty of contenders for the future.
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While Gane and Ngannou retain their positions in the rankings, there are now plenty of other big names on that list. This has not been the case in the past but the heavyweight division finally seems to be a deep and exciting weight class.
Former champions, established stars and rising prospects are all in the mix and a number of men could find themselves in title fights should things go their way this year. While we there are still plenty of questions regarding Francis Ngannou's future with the UFC, he certainly has no shortage of future title challengers.
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Here are five other UFC heavyweights who could challenge for the title in 2022:
#5. Tom Aspinall - No.10 ranked UFC heavyweight
While Tom Aspinall only recently joined the division's top ten, a win in his next fight has the potential to push him into the title conversation. It was recently announced that Aspinall will face Alexander Volkov in a main event in his home country of England on March 19.
This is by far the biggest fight in Aspinall's young career. Aspinall has finished all four of his opponents in the octagon thus far but will now have to defeat an established top-five fighter in Volkov. A win in March would likely see the Englishman only need one more win before a title shot could come calling.
Should Aspinall beat Volkov and then another top contender, perhaps the loser of UFC 270's main event, an end-of-year title fight is a possibility. He has proved himself to be a dangerous finisher in the division and it will be interesting to see just how far he can go.
#4. Tai Tuivasa - No.11 ranked UFC heavyweight
Tai Tuivasa may be even lower in the UFC rankings but he takes on a higher-ranked fighter next and will be back in action earlier in the year. While not so long ago Tuivasa was on a three-fight losing streak, he has now recorded four straight finishes and is more popular than ever.
Tuivasa is scheduled to face the No.3 ranked Derrick Lewis on February 12. A win there would put the Australian in a position where he would likely only need one more before he possibly challenges for the belt.
Like Aspinall, if this were to come to fruition it would likely mean a title fight towards the end of the year. This might just be possible as Tuivasa has shown a new focus in recent times that has transformed him into a legitimate contender in the heavyweight division.
#3. Derrick Lewis - No.3 ranked UFC heavyweight
Derrick Lewis was unsuccessful in his interim championship fight against Ciryl Gane in August last year. However, he quickly bounced back with a first-round KO of Chris Daukaus to get back in the win column.
Lewis' chances went up considerably when Francis Ngannou picked up the win on Saturday. This is because 'The Black Beast' holds a win over Ngannou back in 2018, so there is a chance for the pair to meet in the future. Lewis is also one of the more popular fighters on the roster which will make the UFC keen to put him in big spots.
Should Lewis defeat Tuivasa and the returns of Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic fail to materialize, 'The Black Beast' could conceivably be the next man to challenge for the heavyweight belt.
#2. Stipe Miocic - No.2 ranked UFC heavyweight
Stipe Miocic is considered by many to be the greatest UFC heavyweight in history. Given that status, he will never be too far away from a title shot and could conceivably fight for the belt in his return to the octagon.
While Miocic lost his last bout to Francis Ngannou, that fight took the series to 1-1 so a trilogy bout could be an appealing option. He could also easily take another fight first to secure his spot as the next man up for the belt.
Miocic is approaching a year out from competition and his return to action will be highly anticipated. His chances of fighting for the belt are better than most as he has several paths back to a title fight in 2022.
#1. Jon Jones - Former UFC light heavyweight champion
Jon Jones has never had a single fight at heavyweight. Despite that, he may very well be the favorite to take on Francis Ngannou following his win on Saturday. The greatest light heavyweight of all time has been teasing a move to heavyweight for years and it finally seems like we may see it happen in 2022.
Jones has not fought since February 2020 but appears to have spent that time bulking up for a run at heavyweight. He is one of the top fighters in history and so there will be plenty of demand to see him challenge for the belt when he does return.
A fight between Jones and Ngannou would produce one of the biggest events of the year. Here's hoping his return to action does finally materialize in 2022 and we get to see him fight for the UFC heavyweight belt.
