5 best prospects to have moved into UFC title contention in 2022
2022 has been a huge year for the UFC thus far. Not only has the promotion been able to put on some great events, it has also seen a number of exciting prospects rise up the ladder.
In 2022 to date, we’ve seen more than one red-hot prospect climb up into UFC title contention, and there’s every chance that at least one of them ends up holding gold in the octagon in the near future.
Sure, not all of them will end up panning out how the fans might hope, but for now at least, some of these fighters are amongst the hottest currently competing in the octagon.
Here are the five best prospects to have moved into UFC title contention in 2022.
#5. Adrian Yanez – UFC bantamweight
While bantamweight prospect Adrian Yanez hasn’t made his way into the UFC’s top 10 at 135lbs just yet, based on what we’ve seen from the Texan thus far, it feels like only a matter of time before he does so.
Sure, Yanez has only fought once thus far in 2022, but that bout saw him violently dispatch Tony Kelley in just under four minutes via knockout, claiming his fifth $50,000 performance bonus in as many visits to the octagon.
A STATEMENT IN HIS HOME STATE 😤
@yanezmma was determined to get the finish at #UFCAustin https://t.co/XZOB45HOqi
Based on what we’ve seen of him, it’d be easy for some fans to dismiss Yanez as a straightforward brawler with heavy hands, but that isn’t really the case. He’s a far more technical fighter than he’s sometimes given credit for. He’s also demonstrated that he’s able to make the right adjustments during a fight to win, as he showed when he came from behind to defeat Randy Costa in 2021.
More to the point, though, the Texan appears to be catching on with fans as a potential star of the future to watch. Many observers seemed enthusiastic about a clash between Yanez and fast-rising star Sean O’Malley when the Texan called out ‘Sugar’ following his win over Kelley, and that’s the kind of fight that could easily see him climb the ladder.
Basically, fans should probably expect Yanez to be handed a big fight for his next trip to the octagon. Based on what he’s done thus far, it seems highly likely that he’ll be in contention for the bantamweight title before 2022 is out.
#4. Tom Aspinall – UFC heavyweight
The UFC’s heavyweight division has been somewhat short on hot prospects in recent years, meaning that the likes of Ciryl Gane didn’t need much time to climb up into title contention.
This year, though, has seen another major prospect rise up the ladder in the form of the UK’s Tom Aspinall. The Manchester-based fighter was already 11-2 with four wins in the octagon prior to the start of 2022, but his victory over Alexander Volkov really vaulted him into the conscience of the fans.
‘Drago’ was expected to give the Mancunian his toughest test to date. Instead, Aspinall simply blew right through him, taking him down before submitting him with a brutal straight armbar in just under four minutes.
#UFCLondonTom Aspinall has ARRIVED 💪 #UFCLondon https://t.co/GUVWxBCpW5
Right now, Aspinall is ranked at No.6 in the division, but he’s due to face No.4-ranked Curtis Blaydes later this month. If he can find a way to overcome ‘Razor’, then there’s every chance that he could claim the next heavyweight title shot.
Overall, though, the native of Manchester might be the best prospect to emerge from the UK since Darren Till’s initial rise up the ladder a few years ago, and he’s definitely one of the most exciting to break into contention in 2022.
#3. Rafael Fiziev – UFC lightweight
The UFC lightweight division has seen a number of prospects rise up into contention in the past year or so, with the likes of Mateusz Gamrot, Arman Tsarukyan and Jalin Turner all making an impact in their recent fights.
However, it’s probably fair to say that the prospect who has made the most noise in the lightweight division in 2022 is Rafael Fiziev. Right now, ‘Ataman’ is ranked at No.7 in the division, having risen three places following his victory over former champion Rafael dos Anjos.
Fiziev gets the knockout win over Dos Anjos 😤 #UFCVegas58 https://t.co/urHURojxWG
Fiziev’s win over ‘RDA’ was basically the icing on the cake for the Kazakhstan-born Azerbaijani. Prior to that win, he’d already reeled off five wins in a row inside the octagon, including brutal knockouts of Renato Moicano and Brad Riddell.
However, Fiziev showed far more in his bout with dos Anjos than he’d done before. Not only did he prove that he could compete over a five-round fight, something that was previously a question mark, but he also showed that he could defeat a hardened veteran, as nobody else had stopped ‘RDA’ since 2016.
What does the future hold for ‘Ataman’? While it’s debatable whether the UFC will sign him to a fight with Justin Gaethje, who he called out after his recent win, he’s very likely to have a big fight lined up in the near future.
Either way, the sky seems to be the limit for this exciting striker, and there’s no doubt that he’s now a genuine lightweight title contender.
#2. Shavkat Rakhmonov – UFC welterweight
While Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly the UFC’s fastest-rising welterweight title contender, it’s probably fair to say that he was already in contention at the end of 2021 thanks to his whitewash of Li Jingliang.
2022, then, has almost certainly been the year of Shavkat Rakhmonov, who has risen into contention at such a rate that fans have even begun to compare him to Chimaev – and are already salivating over the idea of a bout between them.
Prior to this year, Rakhmonov had only visited the octagon twice. While 'Nomad’ impressed in his victories over Alex Oliveira and Michel Prazeres, his wins this year over Carlston Harris and Neil Magny have taken him to the next level entirely.
Fights
1️⃣ 6️⃣ Fights
1️⃣ 6️⃣ Wins
1️⃣ 6️⃣ Finishes
Shavkat Rakhmonov remains undefeated! 🇰🇿
#UFCVegas57 https://t.co/kyaL59Xyhe
Harris was dispatched via knockout in the first round following a spectacular spinning hook kick, while Magny, one of the most highly-credentialed veterans in the division, was forced to tap out to a slick guillotine choke in the second round.
Quite who will be up next for Rakhmonov is anyone’s guess, but with plenty of veterans sitting above him in the rankings, he’ll definitely be hunting for a big win to shunt him into the top five. Regardless, ‘Nomad’ is definitely one of the best prospects to emerge at 170lbs in some time.
#1. Alex Pereira – UFC middleweight
There can be no doubt that the prospect who has made the most noise in the UFC in 2022 is Alex Pereira. Sure, ‘Poatan’ has only fought once this year, but the victory that he was able to pull off has not only vaulted him into the top 10 at middleweight, it seems likely to have netted him a title shot, too.
Okay, so it’s true that the Brazilian has been fast-tracked into a title shot due to his prior rivalry with current champion Israel Adesanya, a rivalry that dates back to their kickboxing days and saw Pereira defeat ‘The Last Stylebender’ twice, once via knockout. I’s also hard not to be impressed by what he’s achieved so far.
While 2021 saw him take out a largely overmatched foe in the form of Andreas Michailidis, 2022 has seen him dispatch Bruno Silva, a highly-touted prospect in his own right who was 3-0 in the UFC at the time, and Sean Strickland, who was riding a six-fight win streak and appeared to be in the form of his life.
DON'T STAND WITH PEREIRA. #UFC276 https://t.co/hylh1gPoa7
More to the point, the way that ‘Poatan’ destroyed Strickland with his trademark coffin nail left hook was absolutely incredible, and gave off the kind of vibes that only the most special fighters in UFC history had done before.
Whether Pereira can overcome Adesanya remains to be seen, but once their title bout is made official, it feels likely that it’ll be one of the biggest in recent memory, and there’s no doubt that thus far at least, 2022 has belonged to the Brazilian.