Fighters to Watch 2022: Featherweights
Led by Alexander Volkanovski, the 145-pound weight class remains an all-action collection with great potential for exciting pairings and new names to emerge in the coming year
There were a couple years there five or six years ago where the spotlight of the MMA world was focused on the featherweight division, as Conor McGregor maniacally chased down and dethroned Jose Aldo before holding the weight class hostage for a year while he pursued lightweight gold.
It waned a little when Max Holloway ascended to the throne, then gained a little momentum as “Blessed” established himself as the ruler of the 145-pound ranks just in time for the popular Hawaiian to be knocked from atop the ranks by Alexander Volkanovski, who remains there today.
Despite a pair of close, competitive fights with Holloway and an impressive win over Brian Ortega at UFC 266 in September, the Australian champion feels — at least to me — like an underrated all-time great at the moment; a guy that doesn’t get as much credit for the career he’s crafted, but is undeniably an outstanding fighter.
But with a potential third fight against Holloway on the horizon and a helluva lot of interesting options existing just outside of the championship class at the moment, we could be at the start of a banner year for the division once again.
Check out previous instalments in the Fighters to Watch 2022 series here (number of athletes discussed in parenthesis):
Strawweights (29)
Flyweights (41)
Bantamweights (43)
FEATHERWEIGHT
CHAMPION: ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI
Here’s what I wrote about “Alexander the Great” in chronicling his year and detailing where he stands heading into 2022:
The 33-year-old Australian is 10-0 inside the Octagon and just celebrated his two-year anniversary as the ruler of the 145-pounders. He holds wins over Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway (twice), and Brian Ortega, has won 20 consecutive fights overall, and is one of the most complete and technical fighters on the roster today.
It’s the recipe for inclusion in the all-time great conversation at featherweight, and a testament to a blue-collar work ethic in and out of the Octagon that was on display in his September win over Brian Ortega.
That bout feels like one of those contests that is only going to get better with age, the more we reflect on how dominant the champion was for the majority of the fight and how incredibly he extricated himself from two of the challenger’s signature chokes.
He really is an incredible fighter, despite not having any one signature skill or weapon, if that makes sense. He has outstanding conditioning, a tremendous ability to adjust on the fly, and is terrific at crafting and executing his game plans, but none of those things jump off the television in highlight reels. Volkanovski doesn’t get enough credit for his boxing, which is superb, his wrestling, which he’s only had to use in spurts, or how defensively responsible he is, which is how he rarely seems to be get stuck in bad spots, but the guy is the complete package and I will be interested to see if a third win over Holloway in 2022
ARNOLD ALLEN (above): yesterday when I wrote about Chris Gutierrez, I suggested he has the most surprising six-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC, and while I stand by that, I believe Allen has the longest winning streak people won’t believe is real. “The Almighty” is 8-0 in the UFC, but because of injuries and other challenges (Hello COVID!), the soon-to-be 28-year-old Brit has been limited to single appearances each of the last two years. If he can stay healthy and active, Allen has a chance to be a contender in the 145-pound weight class, though I could also see him moving up to ‘55 at some point because he’s a big boy that likes to lift big weights.
MELSIK BAGHDASARYAN: I wasn’t sold on Baghdasaryan coming off DWCS and was still hesitant to buy in after his debut win over Collin Anglin. While his decision victory over short-notice opponent Bruno Souza isn’t a major convincing point, it’s a second straight win and he showed he could control a fight for 15 minutes, which is something others with limited MMA experience and a striking background struggle with early in their UFC careers. His first date opposite a wrestler will be the real litmus test, but I’m more intrigued by his upside today than I’ve been at any other point in the past.
SHANE BURGOS: I’m including Burgos here because you literally have to watch him every time he steps into the Octagon. The guy is allergic to being in a boring fight, is a staple in the Top 15, and should continue to be an all-action, entertaining fights machine going forward. I think he’s hit the upper limit of where he can make it in the featherweight division, but there ain’t nothing wrong with being the 15th best featherweight in the UFC and piling up bonuses.
ALEX CACERES: raise your hand if you have Caceres figuring it all out and going on the best run of his career after 10 years in the UFC? Put your hands down, you goddamn liars! No one saw this coming, but after two more victories in 2021, “Bruce Leeroy” enters 2022 on a five-fight winning streak, positioned as a miserable opponent for ascending hopefuls and a tricky dance partner for veterans trying to get right or move ahead. He’s ticketed to face Sodiq Yusuff in March, which should tell us a lot about what to expect from each going forward.
GIGA CHIKADZE: even though Chikadze went 5-0 over his first two years in the UFC, I wasn’t convinced he was a contender; he hadn’t beaten anyone of real substance (sorry Omar Morales) and I didn't know whether he could continue to dictate the terms of engagement as he kept climbing the ladder. While I’m still not 100 percent sure on the latter part, he stopped both Cub Swanson and Edson Barboza in 2021 to move into the Top 10, and has a main event date with Calvin Kattar next week that would make him a contender if he were to win.
HAKEEM DAWODU: “Mean Hakeem” is a wild card in the division to me because he’s a dangerous striker than could out-point, out-technical a number of fighters on the feet if they’re willing to stand with him. But if you can wrestle, Dawodu instantly becomes less dangerous, as we saw at UFC 263 when he lost to Movsar Evloev. If he can get his defensive wrestling and takedown defence to a point where he can force everyone outside of the elite set to stand, the 30-year-old Calgary resident could become an interesting figure in the 145-pound weight class, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen. His February assignment opposite Mike Trizano is a critical one.
JOSH EMMETT: the 36-year-old got one in right under the wire in 2021, edging out Dan Ige at UFC 269 to push his winning streak to four and cement his place in the Top 10. He has gnarly power and solid wrestling in his back pocket if he needs it, but staying healthy has been a real challenge over the last few years, which has limited his opportunities. A marquee opportunity against someone ahead of him in the rankings would make sense, but I could also see Emmett being cast in the “veteran gatekeeper” role to start 2022 as well.
MOVSAR EVLOEV: a perfect 15-0 in his career, which includes five straight wins in the UFC, Evloev is one of the top emerging talents on the roster, and can further solidify that standing with a win over Ilia Topuria at UFC 270. He has all the skills and tools to be a contender and potentially a champion, with the lone piece that needs continued work being his conditioning, as he faded down the stretch of his bout with Dawodu. Some of that is because of his grappling-heavy approach, but still — it’s something to continue addressing because it might be the only thing standing in the way of a title run in the next couple years.
MAX HOLLOWAY (above): this is going to sound like heresy to some people, but I thought Holloway didn’t look as sharp in his win over Yair Rodriguez to close out 2021, and I’m honestly interested to see if the amount of punishment he’s endured over the last several years is starting to catch up with him. I know everyone likes to focus on the punishment Holloway doles out, and he’s landed 1,511 significant strikes in his last seven fights combined, but he’s also absorbed 970 significant strikes during that same stretch, and after six straight 25-minute battles and 29 career fights, would it really be that surprising to see “Blessed” start slowing down? A third fight with Volkanovski should tell us exactly where he stands and what to expect in the next couple years, should it come together.
DAN IGE: I think Ige is the successor to Jeremy Stephens in the role of “10th Best Featherweight in the UFC,” where he’s a miserable matchup for hopefuls, a rough night at the office for the veterans stationed ahead of him in the rankings, and destined to end up being under appreciated because his record will never accurately reflect his skills, talents, and how close he fights everyone. The 30-year-old Xtreme Couture representative enters 2022 with a 1-3 mark in his last four, but I’d still consider him a “live dog” against the seven men immediately in front of him in the rankings and a good test for the six guys behind him in the Top 15.
CHARLES JOURDAIN: I’m a little biased when it comes to Jourdain because I’ve really enjoyed speaking with him throughout his UFC career and want to see him succeed because our home and native land needs someone to carry the torch for Canada in the UFC. That said, he just turned 26 at the end of November, he’s coming off a good win over Andre Ewell and has flashed real upside in the past. If he can maintain some consistency and learn how to control the terms of engagement a little more, there is a path to Jourdain working into the Top 15.
CHAN SUNG JUNG: it’s going to be really interesting to me to see how the UFC deploys “The Korean Zombie” from her on out. He got a main event assignment coming off his loss to Brian Ortega, defeating Ige in June, but he turns 35 in March, and his ceiling is well established. I would prefer to see him facing veterans and narrow window guys trying to crack the title conversation (Emmett, Chikadze) rather than potentially picking off promising new names, but there is an appeal to someone that needs a big win to move into the championship picture getting that victory over someone like Jung. His first booking of the year could be instructive.
CALVIN KATTAR: I don’t mind Kattar being the guy Chikadze needs to get passed in order to prove he’s a real title threat, because I think Kattar is best suited for playing that role in the featherweight ranks. He’s a step behind the absolute elites in the division, but proven himself to be a step ahead of those in the second half of the Top 15, so let him fight the guys that are close to contention, and if he beats a few of them over the next two years, he’s back in the thick of the chase. Two years later, I still really wish he got two more rounds to work against Zabit Magomedsharipov because I think he would have beaten him, and that would have changed things in a major way for the New England Cartel member.
KAMUELA KIRK: the 27-year-old has to be included on this list because he waltzed into the UFC on short notice and registered a victory over Makwan Amirkhani in June. I know Amirkhani is in a skid, but that’s still a good win, and Kirk wouldn’t be the first fighter that needed a few years to work out some of the kinks and deal with a couple losses before putting things together. He’s won three straight and is a person of interest to me for the time being, and depending on how his next fight plays out, that could turn into his being a full-fledged fighter to watch going forward.
ZABIT MAGOMEDSHARIPOV: unbeaten in six UFC appearances, but out of action since November 2019, Magomedsharipov is the biggest wild card in the featherweight ranks — a potential Top 5 fighter who may or may not make a return to action in 2022. He’s looked very good in the past, but there were questions that still needed to be answered before his health-related absence, and even more that need to be address should he come back. All that being said, Zabit coming back would be an absolute jolt of lightning in an already electric division, so fingers crossed.
BRYCE MITCHELL: after a low-key breakthrough year in 2020, “Thug Nasty” was sidelined for all of 2021, slowing his momentum. He’s pencilled in to face Edson Barboza in March, which would be a solid step up and a very big test for the Arkansas camouflage fan, but thus far, Mitchell hasn’t provided many reasons to question his abilities inside the Octagon. That said, out-wrestling Andre Fili and beating a tenured Top 15 talent (across two divisions) are two different things, and I want to see Mitchell get it done before proclaiming him a potential contender in the 145-pound ranks.
LERONE MURPHY: “The Miracle” pushed his record to 11-0-1 with a second-round knockout win over Amirkhani on October 30 at UFC 267, connecting with a perfectly timed knee up the middle as Amirkhani changed levels. He’s the least talked about unbeaten fighter with a couple good wins on his resume and feels like he’s going to have to go the Leon Edwards route of piling up lengthy unbeaten streak before anyone starts to give him any attention. Having spoken to Murphy in the past, I know he’s up to the challenge, though I’d like to think going 3-0-1 in his first four assignments will get him a date with another established name next time out.
DAVID ONAMA: circle this one and feel free to tell your friends you’re the only person that is high on Onama heading into 2022 if you’d like because there won't be many of us checking for him before his next appearance. Here’s the thing: Onama pushed Mason Jones hard up a division, on short notice, just two weeks after pushing his record to 8-0, and I’m real curious to see what kind of noise he can make once he settles in at featherweight and gets a full camp behind him. I know the Glory MMA squad are high on him, so I’m paying close attention, and suggest you do the same.
BRIAN ORTEGA: I know I’m always the guy that says there is nothing wrong with being the fifth or ninth or 15th best fighter in a given division, and I genuinely believe that, but at the same time, I feel for dudes like Ortega, who is better than 99% of the pack, yet has two people in front of him that I just don’t think he can beat in Volkanovski and Holloway. There are a couple fun matchups out there for him at ‘45 still, but I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he explored a move to lightweight in the year ahead rather than treading water in a division where a championship opportunity could be difficult to come by again.
JONATHAN PEARCE: “JSP” is 2-0 since moving back to featherweight, posting stoppage wins over Kai Kamaka and Omar Morales. The 29-year-old Fight Ready representative is one of those guys that isn’t going to wow you with anything he does, but he’s a good wrestler, has exhibited sound finishing instincts, and could quietly cobble together a nice little winning streak if he keeps things up in 2022. He’s the quintessential preliminary card fighter that “came out of nowhere” once he’s matched up with a name and pushes his winning streak to four or five or more, so pay attention now and get ahead of the pack in knowing who he is and what he brings to the table.
YAIR RODRIGUEZ: Rodriguez is both exactly who I want to see Ortega fight next simply because it would be electric and in the same boat as the two-time title challenger, stuck being not quite good enough to beat the absolute best the division has to offer, but capable of beating everyone else. More than anything, I just want to see Rodriguez be active in 2022 because the fact that he’s only fought four times since his UFC 211 clash with Frankie Edgar on May 13, 2017 is a goddamn crime.
PAT SABATINI: any time you win three straight fights in the UFC, I’m going to pay attention, and when you do it after having championship success in one of the better minor league promotions in the sport, I’m paying even greater attention. Sabatini is a blue-collar grappler from Philly who works with a great squad, showed smarts, toughness, and resolve in posting a trio of wins in his rookie campaign, and could be the unheralded fighter at ‘45 that makes a push towards or even into the Top 15 in the next 12 months.
ILIA TOPURIA: Topuria was my pick for the top prospect in the division heading into last year, and nothing has happened to prompt me to change that position heading into this year. Though he only fought once, the 24-year-old finished Ryan Hall inside of one, running his record to 11-0 in the process. He’s scheduled to face Movsar Evloev at UFC 270 in a couple weeks in a battle for the top prospect title, and a win there should land him opposite an established contender in Q2 or Q3.
MIKE TRIZANO (above): first and foremost, look at that glorious mullet; I might have to re-think saying Ricky Simón has the best hockey hair in the UFC. Secondly, Trizano came back after nearly two years away and outworked Ludovit Klein in May, pushing his record to 9-1 and getting him moving in the right direction again. He knows who he is as a fighter, which is a big key, and could emerge as a “grind ‘em out, win ugly” staple in the lower third of the Top 15 or just below that over the next year.
ZUBAIRA TUKHUGOV: I wasn’t going to include Tukhugov on this list because he’s been around the UFC for a while and never really shown any consistency, but he just looked so damn good against Ricardo Ramos at the end of October that I had to put him in here. He’s 6-2-1 in nine UFC starts, has slick boxing, solid wrestling in his back pocket, and lots of in-cage swagger, but as much as I could see him stringing together two more victories to push into the Top 15, I could also see him laying an egg next time out or missing the entire year for undisclosed reasons all the same. Honestly, he’s been one of the most frustrating guys to figure out for like seven years now, so I’m not sure why that would be any different now.
LANDO VANNATA: Vannata dropped down to ‘45 for the first time in his UFC career in May, posting a split decision win (that had no business being a split decision) over Mike Grundy, showcasing insane takedown defence and the groovy offensive style that made him a fan favorite at lightweight. If he can consistently make the weight and fight a little more frequently, the 29-year-old Albuquerque resident could be a real intriguing dark horse in the featherweight division over the next couple years.
SEAN WOODSON: this coming year is critical for Woodson in my estimation because right now, he’s 3-1 in the UFC, but no one can say with any certainty whether he’s capable of emerging as a contender or not. There are some intriguing elements to his game — namely his height and reach for the division — and he’s shown good finishing abilities at times, but my guess is that the cut to ‘45 is rough and therefore limits him a little, which is why I wouldn’t be shocked to see him transition to lightweight either this year or next, even though his upside isn’t as high in the 155-pound weight class.
SODIQ YUSUFF: “Super Sodiq” suffered his first UFC setback and second loss of his career in his lone appearance of 2021, falling to Arnold Allen in an entertaining April engagement. He’s hyper-technical and has very good speed, and has always felt to me like the kind of guy that just needs to garner a little more experience and seasoning in order to take that next step. As mentioned earlier, he’s slated to face Alex Caceres in March, and the outcome of that one should provide some clarity on what to expect from Yusuff in 2022 and beyond.
Tune in tomorrow for the next instalment in the Fighters to Watch 2022 series, where we’ll take a look at the lightweight division.