One of the great things about following the intensity of MMA is speculating on dream fights. While none of these are set in stone, here are a few bouts we'd like to see in 2022.
Sean O'Malley has amassed an impressive 7-1 record with five KO's so far in his UFC career, but critics have questioned the strength of his competition thus far. He's a skilled fighter with the power to end a fight in an instant and Dominick Cruz could be the challenge to prove he's a top-flight competitor.
Cruz may have had some injury setbacks over the course of his career, but recent fights have shown that he's still top-tier talent and his eclectic fighting style could make for a great match-up for Sean O'Malley.
Masvidal and Covington used to be close training partners, but somewhere over the years a personal rivalry developed. The two have verbally sparred for the past two years, and the animosity between these two great fighters is quite clear.
2022 may be the time to stop with the trash talk and take the feud into the octagon. A heated fight between these two might just be the most intense bout we could see this year due to the personal stakes involved.
Despite legal issues, Jon Jones is still publicly training hard to move up to the heavyweight division to prove he's the best fighter in the business. His heavyweight debut is inevitable, and with troubles behind him a 2022 fight could be in the cards.
We'd love to see him take on his former teammate Francis Ngannou in his first heavyweight bout. These two fighters know each other well, and if Ngannou still holds the UFC Heavyweight Title, Jones could get an early shot at the championship upon entering the division.
Coming off losing her title to Julianna Pena, Nunes is primed for a fight to put her back in the title picture. Nunes has already fought Valentina Shevenko twice before, both times winning by incredibly tight judges decisions.
Shevenko, who has been dominating the flyweight division, would have momentum on her side and would be motivated by the closeness of two previous loses to Nunes, while Amanda Nunes still wants to prove that she's championship material.
A rematch between Nunes and Pena seems like it's destined to happen, and 2022 would be a great year for it. The last time these two met, Julianna Pena was able to get Nunes to submit to take the title, and we know Amanda Nunes wants a shot at becoming the UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion again.
With this fight fresh in fans' minds, and the intensity of these two fighters, the UFC could have back-to-back title bouts involving the same two competitors.
Almost all MMA fans are well aware of the gruesome injury Conor McGregor sustained in his last fight against Dustin Poirier, but the Irish MMA legend has been hard at work rehabbing for a return to the octagon. Wouldn't a great return fight be a rubber match against Nate Diaz?
After the first two fights between Diaz and McGregor, each fighter has one victory a piece. Settling this rivalry once and for all would be a dream bout.
Speaking of Conor McGregor, we never did get a satisfying conclusion to who was the better MMA fighter between Dustin Poirier and McGregor due to Conor's injury.
Conor McGregor doesn't take defeat lightly, much less a loss due to a fluke injury that left him unable to continue. Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor are ultimate competitors, and a fight in late 2022 or beyond could be a possibility.
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