5 Potential UFC title fights to look forward to in 2022

#4. Petr Yan vs. T.J. Dillashaw

Both Dillashaw and Yan's last victory was over Cory Sandhagen

2021 was a strange year for Petr Yan as he lost his belt via DQ to Aljamain Sterling in March before winning the interim UFC title in a bout against Cory Sandhagen. Yan looked great on both occasions and is now the man to beat at 135 lbs.

2021 also saw the return of T.J. Dillashaw, who bounced back from his doping ban with a closely fought split decision win over Cory Sandhagen. While Dillashaw suffered a knee injury in that fight, he will be back in the title hunt in 2022.

The one man standing in the way of us getting this bout immediately is Aljamain Sterling. He remains the rightful champion following his DQ win and one imagines the UFC will look to book him in a title unification bout against Yan next.

If Yan were to win that one, we could be set for him to take on Dillashaw next.

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#3. Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev

No-one has come close to defeating Chimaev thus far

As noted earlier, Usman has had an outstanding 2021 with wins over Burns, Masvidal and Covington. He's established himself as a dominant champion and we've already seen him beat a number of the UFC's top welterweights.

Chimaev had a somewhat challenging year that saw him battle the COVID-19 virus and even hint at retirement. He bounced back in fine form at UFC 267, demolishing Li Jingliang and charging into the rankings at no. 10.

This matchup is likely a little further from happening than the prior two as Chimaev still needs to ascend the rankings before commanding a title shot. However, given the hype surrounding him, he is likely only two fights away.

If he gains the necessary victories, it would set up a huge fight with the similarly dominant champion.