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The UFC hosts a plethora of battles between some of the most determined athletes in the world. Every year, fans await the next UFC fight marred by bad blood and ill will. With the year coming to a close, the UFC appears to be setting the table with some grudge matches expected to occur sometime in 2022.
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In a sport as up-close and personal as mixed martial arts, it's no surprise that fighters feud and form long-standing grudges. While sometimes these matches are settled in one go, that is not always the case. Some notorious fights filled with bad intentions are created to settle the score. All in all, grudge matches have many forms in the UFC.
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With 2022 looming, many of the anticipated grudge matches are set to be resolved soon. Some grudge matches have already been scheduled. However, there are still fighters who appear to be destined to meet in the octagon without an official date.
Here are 5 long-awaited UFC grudge matches that are likely to happen in 2022.
#5. Jorge Masvidal vs. former UFC interim champion Colby Covington
One of the most anticipated UFC grudge matches likely to happen in 2022 is Jorge Masvidal taking on Colby Covington. The two are former best friends and training partners. With both rising to incredible heights as UFC welterweights, the match-up has the ingredients to be an incredible fight.
Despite 'Gamebred' being paired with the No. 3-ranked Leon Edwards, the fight fell apart after the 37-year-old withdrew due to injury. Some believe the new timeline could line up for Covington and Masvidal to become coaches for next season of the UFC's reality series, The Ultimate Fighter.
Colby Covington has made the potential match-up with Masvidal personal. Prior to Jorge Masvidal taking on Usman in a rematch, Covington took pictures with Masvidal's wife/mother of his children. According to Colby Covington in May 2021, 'Chaos' shared that Masvidal allegedly scrubbed the internet of his wife's name too.
Meanwhile, Masvidal has stated that Colby Covington changed camps after refusing to pay gym membership fees. As it stands, Covington changed camps from American Top Team, to MMA Masters. With Masvidal currently injured, the pairing has yet to materialize.
However, it is without a doubt one of the most highly anticipated grudge matches likely to happen in 2022.
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#4. UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 3
The trilogy between UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo is expected to take place on Jan. 22. The pair have put on two spectacular fights thus far. In their first encounter in Dec. 2020, the pair of flyweights went to war.
The flyweight title bout would result in a majority draw. Following the fight, the world was in agreement: the two flyweights needed another fight to determine a clear winner. The first fight was controversial.
After the champion, Figueiredo landed an illegal shot to the groin, he was deducted one point in round three. In their next contest, the results were vastly different.
Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo met in their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 263. The fight only lasted three rounds. Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion after defeating Figueiredo with a rear-naked choke in round three.
The two flyweights will face each other in a long awaited grudge match in Jan 2022. With roughly six months of preparation on both sides, the fight should be fireworks.
If the first two title fights are any indication, this grudge match is likely to deliver another 'Fight of the Year' candidate.
#3. Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold vs. Sean Strickland
An unlikely grudge match emerged in 2020 between former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and Sean Strickland. After Sean Strickland put on a 5-round beating on Uriah Hall in July, the middleweight contender is gaining steam fast at 185-pounds. Additionally, 'Tarzan' is riding a 5-fight winning streak.
The promotion looked to pair Strickland with Rockhold next. Pre-fight trash talk ensued and would reach a climax when the two started exchanging threats with each other. Strickland threatened to beat up Rockhold in a parking lot, one of the few things Strickland said he was going to do.
For his part, Luke Rockhold fired back at Sean Strickland. The former middleweight champion said that if not for the UFC, Sean Strickland would be selling meth out of a trailer. While the two combatants were scheduled to meet at UFC 268, the fight is seemingly on ice after Rockhold was forced to withdraw from the contest due to injury.
Given how active Strickland has been, some are surprised that he is yet to schedule another fight. Strickland has maintained that the former champion never planned to make it into the cage. After the November match-up fell apart, the fight remains one of the more anticipated grudge matches of 2022.
#2. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2
The conclusion of the UFC bantamweight title fight between Sterling and Yan was disappointing. It appeared as though Petr Yan was beginning to take over the fight with his forward pressure and boxing. But when challenger Aljamain Sterling was clearly grounded, the champion landed a vicious knee to his head in round four.
The fight was subsequently stopped. After some discussion, the fight was called off. As a consequence of his illegal action, Petr Yan was disqualified from the contest against Sterling in the fourth round. Even before the first fight at UFC 259, there was obviously ill will growing between the two.
After the inconclusive result, Sterling and Yan continue to trade barbs. In fact, the former bantamweight champion made fun of Sterling in his last open workout. Prior to his interim title fight with Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan was seen landing fake knees on his training partners as they reinacted Sterling in the grounded position.
Sterling and Yan were linked to a rematch on Oct. 30 but the fight was called off after the UFC removed Sterling from the card. The bantamweight champion is healing from a lingering neck injury. While the two have yet to agree on a date, the bantamweight unification bout will be one of the biggest UFC grudge matches to go down in 2022.
#1. UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou vs. UFC interim champion Ciryl Gane
The UFC heavyweight title unification bout between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane is around the corner. There is extra heat behind this bout as the two combatants are former training partners. Francis Ngannou earned gold in late March against two-time heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic.
The heavyweight combatants once had the same coach, Fernand Lopez. While Ngannou has since changed camps, the heat continues to build before the showdown with France's Gane. Prior to Ngannou's entrance into the UFC, the Cameroonian cut his teeth training in France alongside Gane.
At the end of the UFC 268 pay-per-view, Francis Ngannou was seen in a backstage video that spread like wildfire. The heavyweight champion appeared to walk right in front of Gane and Lopez before snubbing them both on his way through the building. Immediately following Ngannou's walk-off, Ciryl Gane seemed confused about the interaction.
Since the two had the same coaches and were previously training partners, many were surprised to see growing animosity take over the potential contest. Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are expected to meet at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
With Ngannou out of competition since March, the fight against Gane is one of the most anticipated UFC grudge matches slated for 2022.
