Fighters to Watch 2022: Light Heavyweights & Heavyweights
Wrapping up this year's edition of the series with a tandem tour of the remaining two weight classes
Putting this series together for a second time really has been far more enjoyable than the first time around.
Maybe it’s because we’re fully settled into our house and not still in the early stages of moving in and unpacking. Maybe it’s because I’m so much more comfortable on this platform and in this space, a year removed from worrying about if anyone was going to read my newsletter and focused instead on just writing what I want to write, hitting publish, and leaving it there.
Or maybe it’s because I learned from last year and whittled down each division to a more manageable number, and then kept the blurbs about each fighter a little shorter than they were last year, making each divisional session a little less daunting this time around.
Whatever the combination of factors, here we are at the final two weight classes, which feature the fewest fighters, but still more than enough to get us up over the 250 fighters profiled mark.
That’s a lot of fighters while still only representing 40-50% of the UFC roster, which means there are some athletes that are going to surprise or enjoy a renaissance in 2022 that haven’t been discussed in this series, but that doesn’t mean they “came out of nowhere” or you shouldn’t pay attention to anyone not featured here.
Watch the fights, scribble down the names that stand out to you, and make a point of seeing what they do next; it’s really not that hard. Even if you can’t watch every event live, it’s easier than ever to go back and get caught up when you have time, and you often don’t need that much time.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together, but now comes the fun part: seeing how well I did with these assessments and observations over the next 52 weeks and 40-something events.
Check out previous instalments in the Fighters to Watch 2022 series here (number of athletes discussed in parenthesis):
Strawweights (29)
Flyweights (41)
Bantamweights (43)
Featherweights (31)
Lightweights (33)
Welterweights (24)
Middleweight (26)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION: GLOVER TEIXEIRA
I still smile every time I think about Teixeira finally reaching the summit and capturing championship gold, because he really is one of the genuine good dudes in this sport. Plus, I’m 363 days older than him and if he can reach his long-term career goals this late in his career, who’s to say I can’t do the same, huh?
In addition to being a beloved new titleholder, the 42-year-old is also a terrific fighter, showing an insane ability to weather damage and rally back over these last couple years. He’s dangerous on the feet, but most terrifying when he gets things to the ground, where Teixeira is equally capable of pounding you into oblivion or latching onto a choke that puts you to sleep.
He’s won six straight overall, five by stoppage, and is likely headed into s clash with Jiri Prochazka in his first title defence. It’s a dangerous matchup with an unpredictable, attacking fighter with serious power, but at this point, dismissing Teixeira’s chances is a fool’s errand. If he does emerge victorious, the veteran champion will be in an interesting spot, as there aren’t many contender he hasn’t already faced besides Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev, neither of whom has proven as of yet that they’re ready for that type of opportunity.
While I would love to see Teixeira hold on to the title for a while simply for the “Old Guy’s Still Got It!” factor of it all, the fact that he’s on top right now is awesome and can never be taken away from him, and that’s good enough for me.
MAGOMED ANKALAEV: I’m sure there were some people that were unimpressed by Ankalaev’s 2021 campaign, hoping that the Russian hopeful would continue collecting finishes and truly establish himself as a contender, but I actually like that he had to work his way through a couple of hard, grimy battles against Nikita Krylov and Volkan Oezdemir, because it’s only going to keep getting more challenging the further up the ladder he climbs. The 29-year-old has all the skills needed to be a contender, perhaps a champion, and the 30 minutes he accrued in those two fights will help him get there. His bout with Thiago Santos in March will tell us whether he’s ready to take that next step forward this year or if he still needs a little more seasoning.
JAN BLACHOWICZ: the former champ handled his title loss with the utmost class and professionalism, as expected, and has already signed up to face Rakic in hopes of getting right back into the mix at the top of the division in the first half of the year. Blachowicz was flat in his fight with Teixeira, but showed the full depth of his talent in defeating middleweight champ Israel Adesanya earlier in the year. With a sharp effort against Rakic at the end of March, the Polish veteran would put himself a win away from fighting for gold again.
PAUL CRAIG: the Scotsman is one of the most under-appreciated ranked fighters in the UFC at the moment — a guy with wins over a pair of ranked fighters, a five-fight unbeaten streak, and a truly elite part of his game that differentiates him from everyone else in the division. We’ve seen how dangerous he off his back, even in the late stages of a fight, and as he keeps making progress on the feet, his submission game will become an even bigger weapon in his arsenal. He’s gotten sparked a few times, but has been much more defensively sound over the last 2.5 years, and if that continues, he could be an intriguing figure going forward.
JIMMY CRUTE: the 25-year-old Australian currently stands as the top example of why this division drives me nuts, as he’s 4-3 in the UFC and lost two straight because in the light heavyweight ranks, guys like Crute only end up matched up against fighters they’re considerably better than or still not quite ready to beat. He needs to improve his defensive responsibility — and his chin could be a long-term worry — and could stand to be a little more patient with things, however his offensive talents are impressive. Right now, I think he’s destined to be an Edson Barboza type — perpetually entertaining, but with a ceiling below the top contenders — but he’s still only 25, so there is time for him to change my mind.
ION CUTELABA: I didn’t have “The Hulk” in my initial list of fighters, but added him because he’s got a stoppage win over Rountree Jr., he battled Jacoby to a draw last year, and he looked very good in his win over Devin Clark to close out the year, plus he’s training with my guy Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture and that counts for a lot with me. He’s always flashed upside, while also looking like a head case at times, but if he’s leaning more into the former than the latter now, he could surprise some folks in 2022. Beating Ryan Spann in February would be a major statement.
JAMAHAL HILL: “Sweet Dreams” handed Crute his second consecutive loss in December, dropping him in 48 seconds to bounce back after getting his elbow dislocated by Craig in June. The Michigan native has sharp, fast hands and an abundance of upside, which is why it is infuriating to me that he’s been booked against Johnny Walker in February. While it’s certainly a fight Hill can — and probably should — win, it’s also a pointless fight to me, pairing a guy coming off a great effort against a guy that is 1-3 in his last four and no longer carries the intrigue or “Hey, Johnny Walker is fun!” element that made him so interesting to so many earlier in his UFC career. My guy Sean Sheehan believes Hill can be light heavyweight champion one day, and I’m not dumb enough to argue against my wise Irish friend.
DUSTIN JACOBY: I don’t know if Jacoby can actually become a contender or if he’s even someone that is going to crack the Top 15, but he’s 4-0-1 since returning to the UFC in the fall of 2020 and I’m onboard with seeing how far he can take things. The 33-year-old striker knows who he is as a fighter, plays to his strengths, and has displayed a veteran understanding of the dynamics of a fight during this run, pressing hard when he needs to press, and digging deep when he needs to dig dep. Those are things that should keep him competitive with the guys ahead of him in the pecking order, and with another win or two, he should be lining up opposite the more established names in the 205-pound weight class.
DA UN JUNG: this is the guy to watch out for at light heavyweight this year. The 28-year-old South Korean has quietly gone 4-0-1 through his first five UFC starts, is unbeaten in his last 15 fights, and coming off a punishing first-round stoppage win over Kennedy Nzechukwu. Very few people are checking for him right now, but he should get a step up in competition next time out, and could be someone that makes a run at the rankings in 2022.
AZAMAT MURZAKANOV: because the light heavyweight division can be a wasteland when it comes to emerging names, I’m including the 35-year-old Murzakanov on this list, even though doing so violates my “don’t include DWCS grads with no UFC experience on this list” edict. He’s 10-0 as a pro and slated to face the man listed below him here in mid-March, which should be instructive in terms of figuring out where he fits in the division and whether he can go on a little run here. His age and limited activity over the last several years make me skeptical, but I’d rather include him and be right, than leave him off and be wrong about him.
TAFON NCHUKWI: I still think extremely highly of Nchukwi as a prospect, even after he looked not great in his loss to Jun Yong Park in May. I think light heavyweight is a better fit for him than middleweight, view his victory over Mike Rodriguez in September as a step in the right direction, and will be paying close attention to see what kind of progress he makes this year. There are too many solid foundational pieces of his game that intriguing me to make me bail on the 27-year-old at this point or even should he lose to Murzakanov. This is a long-term investment for me.
KENNEDY NZECHUKWU: the Fortis MMA product reminds me of a bear cub that still doesn’t know he’s a goddamn bear yet, if that makes sense. He has all kinds of natural gifts, very clear power, but hasn’t figured out that he’s allowed to just deploy those things without hesitation and start fights by putting the fear of God into his opponents. Part of that is because he’s still only 11 fights into his career, and part of it is because he’s a genuinely good kid that doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, but if you don’t think “The General” Sayif Saud will continue to try to help Nzechukwu get there and give him the best chance to maximize his very clear potential, you haven’t been paying attention these last couple years.
MICHEL OLEKSIEJCZUK: here’s another kid I’m really interested in seeing how he progresses in the coming year because on the feet, I love everything about Okelsiejczuk. I love the smoothness of his hands and the way he works the body. I love his ability to recognize when he has guys hurt and go in for the kill. I love that he’s game to get after it too. If he can shore up his takedown defence and get better at avoiding bad spots on the ground, he could become an interesting figure in the light heavyweight division. His March date with Jacoby is already circled on my calendar.
JIRI PROCHAZKA: this dude is a wild man, and I mean that in the most loving, appreciative way possible. He followed up his 2020 debut win over Volkan Oezdemir with a Knockout of the Year contender against Dominick Reyes in May, and is expected to be the first to challenge Teixeira for the light heavyweight title at some point during the first half of 2022. He’s won a dozen consecutive fights, 11 of them by T/KO, and fights with the kind of reckless abandon that makes him absolute must-watch TV every time out. And he’s only 29.
ALEKSANDAR RAKIC: even though Rakic has posted consecutive victories since his questionable split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, they have done nothing but dampen the excitement that existed around him when he was first ascending the ranks. I’ll never begrudge someone for fighting smart and not rushing into risky situations, and I appreciate that Rakic has been working on the other areas of his game as well, but if he hopes to land a championship opportunity in 2022, he’ll need to do more than eke out uninspired victories going forward. A big effort against Blachowicz at the end of March would be a great way to get people talking about him again.
DOMINICK REYES: talk about a guy at a career crossroads… after winning his first 12 fights and arguably doing enough to dethrone Jon Jones, Reyes has suffered back-to-back vicious knockout losses that have him riding a three-fight slide heading into this year. He’s very good as the hammer, but has struggled with being the nail, and if that doesn’t change, his time as a title contender will end up being very short. It’s hard not to feel bad for Reyes because he really did do enough to beat Jones and win the title, but the judges thought differently and now he just might be on the downside of things. What a cruel sport this can be.
KHALIL ROUNTREE JR.: I’m biased because Rountree Jr. might be my favorite person to interview right now, but there has always been something about his game, his collection of skills and attributes that has intrigued me, and even though I probably should know better, I’m not giving up on “The War Horse” yet. He split a pair of appearances in 2021, losing the first and winning the second when he mashed Modestas Bukauskas’ leg with one of those oblique kicks that makes everyone cringe every time they’re thrown. Who he faces next and how that one goes should tell us a lot about whether Rountree Jr. can be a factor in this division going forward or not.
THIAGO SANTOS: I probably don’t need to include “Marreta” in this list at this point, but his power keeps him relevant in the division and gives him an outside chance to stringing together enough wins to get back into the title mix in a hurry, even though we haven’t seen it on display in a while. The 38-year-old Brazilian got back into the win column in a tepid matchup against Johnny Walker, and is set to be Ankalaev’s major litmus test in March, which is another one of those “why are we doing this fight?” matchups for me, but could put Santos back in the thick of the chase should he win.
ANTHONY SMITH: “Lionheart” deserves a lot of credit for how impressive he’s looked over his last three fights because coming out of his loss to Rakic in August 2020, you couldn’t be faulted for thinking he was done as a contender. Since then, however, Smith has earned finishes of Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute, and Ryan Spann to stabilizing himself in the rankings and put himself in a position as the veteran gatekeeper to the upper tier, and putting himself in a position to potentially make another run at challenging for the title in 2022.
RYAN SPANN: some may buck at my including Spann here, given that he’s lost two of his last three and was stopped in each, but I think those fights were necessary steps in the Fortis MMA product becoming the best version of himself. Spann has an abundance of skills and talents, but he also gets out over his skis a little at times, and it costs him. If he can dial that back just a little — like 10 or 15% — I think he can be a Top 10 fixture and a real contender. His matchup with Ion Cutelaba at the end of February represents a critical juncture in his career.
HEAVYWEIGHT
CHAMPION: FRANCIS NGANNOU
Ngannou answered every question people could have had about him in his rematch with Stipe Miocic in March, stuffing an early takedown attempt, registering a takedown of his own, and battering the two-time champ on the feet to claim the heavyweight title.
The Cameroonian standout is one of the most terrifying figures to ever grace the Octagon — a plus athlete with menacing power, an incredible ability to synthesize information and build skills, and a tireless work ethic forged in the sand mines of his homeland. It really is insane to think how good Ngannou could be / would have been had he began training sooner because he’s made this run in a little more than eight years after starting at zero.
Ngannou has the talent and magnetism to be a massive star, and already started making some mainstream crossover moves, showing up in the latest instalment of the Fast series, but he’s perpetually at odds with the UFC, and that has limited not only his appearances over the last several years, but clouds his future in the promotion as well.
He’s inked to face interim champ Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout in two weeks and how things shake out there will obviously have a massive impact on what the rest of his 2022 campaign may look like.
INTERIM CHAMP: CIRYL GANE
“Bon Gamin” was the bronze medalist in the Fighter of the Year race for me, registering three wins, capped by his claiming the interim strap by stopping Derrick Lewis in Houston at UFC 265.
The 31-year-old is extremely fluid with his movement and his striking, and fights within himself at all times, happy to pick from the outside and pile up victories rather than chasing down openings that don’t exist. When he does have an opponent hurt, however, Gane is a sharp finisher, and feels like a genuine threat to his former teammate Ngannou.
Yeah, that’s right — these dudes both came up under Fernand Lopez, have trained and sparred together in the past, and there is a little competitive tension, “Big Brother, Little Brother” thing going on heading into this clash in a couple weeks.
If he beats Ngannou, it’s going to be difficult not to forecast Gane holding onto the title for a considerable amount of time. He’s 10-0 and carrying a piece of UFC hardware just three years into his MMA career, and it he pushed that winning streak to 11 and unifies the titles, he’ll have a chance to etch his name in the history books.
TOM ASPINALL: after earning two wins in both his freshman and sophomore years on the UFC roster, Aspinall’s junior year could be a major turning point for the emerging Brit. He’s 28, smooth on the feet, and a legit black belt on the ground, plus he’s not in any hurry to get to the top fo the division, all of which makes me love him as a prospect. His next test comes against Shamil Abdurakhimov in March, and if he keeps moving forward after that one, Aspinall will find himself sharing the Octagon with one of the established figures in the division in the second half of the 2022.
CURTIS BLAYDES: the 30-year-old wrestler has only lost to two dudes in the UFC, Ngannou twice and Derrick Lewis last February, but somehow still feels like he’s stalled out and far from contention, which isn’t really true. If he’s going to get all the way into contention, he should, in my opinion, really commit to his wrestling and figure out more ways to set up his takedowns, because while he’s a menace on the ground, Blaydes can also telegraph his entries at times, which is how Lewis slept him last year.
TANNER BOSER: the big kid from Bonnyville, Alberta snapped a two-fight skid with a knockout win over Ovince Saint Preux in June, bringing his record to 4-3 in the UFC. One of those losses came against Gane, and the other two were close decisions defeats where he could have been more active, which prompted him to be more aggressive and active against OSP. He should have a chance to break into the Top 15 this year, and could develop into a Cheick Kongo type over the next couple years.
CHRIS DAUKAUS: while Daukaus stumbled in his step up against Lewis to close out 2021, he still made it to that point in his first 14 months on the roster, which is saying something. Now training full time, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make some adjustments and start another run this year. While I’m not quite sure where he tops out, the former Philly cop should get a couple more changes to show he can hang with the big boys in the next 12 months.
JUAN ESPINO: the former TUF winner is the UFC heavyweight equivalent of a back-up catcher — he makes the odd appearance, shows he can hang, but is never a recurring presence in the lineup. His lost a janky technical decision to Alexander Romanov last year following an errant knee to the pills, and has been on sabbatical since. The Aleksei Oleinik, “veteran dude with a deft submission game” role is there for the taking, but Espino seems far more content to stick with the good thing he’s got going for now.
CARLOS FELIPE: the 26-year-old Brazilian is one of the more perplexing figures in this division to me, because he could be 1-4 instead of 3-2 which would completely shift where he’s at right now. You can see the upside at times, but it’s often obscured by Felipe wanting to be a Diaz Brother, and the fact that he carries himself like someone that has already done something when, to be clear, he has not, is always worrisome. He dropped a unanimous decision to Andrei Arlovski last time out and could fade into obscurity with another tepid showing, but since heavyweights get a bit of a longer leash than others, I’m including him in case he sorts things out and actually starts delivering the kind of performances that live up to the delusions of grandeur he has for himself.
JON JONES: I don’t know if he’s ever going to fight again. I don’t know if he can avoid making mistakes in his life away from the cage long enough to resume his Hall of Fame career. All I know is that Jones is the most complete and special talent I’ve watched compete up close in my lifetime, and his return to action would be one of the biggest stories of the year if it should come to pass. First and foremost though, I just want the dude to get out of his own way, get some real serious professional help, and do better.
DERRICK LEWIS: it looks like the UFC may have finally settled on Lewis being the final boss you have to beat in order to establish yourself as a title challenger as less than a month after he dismissed Daukaus, “The Black Beast” has been booked against the ascending Tai Tuivasa. Because he’s lost in two championship fights, Lewis has a little more work to do in order to get back there, but regardless of how terrible the fight was, his win over Ngannou will always be his ace in the hole. If he stops “Bam Bam” and scores another good finish while Ngannou holds gold, he could land himself a return engagement with “The Predator.”
STIPE MIOCIC: I get why Miocic is holding out for a third fight with Ngannou, but he’s fought two people in five bouts over four years and is coming off a loss to the current champ where he didn’t really have much to offer. I really think Miocic would be better off targeting Jones and trying to make that fight happen because he’s got the tools to beat “Bones” and doing so would earn him the championship opportunity he covets.
SERGEI PAVLOVICH: the 29-year-old Russian got thrown to the wolves in his promotional debut, landing opposite Alistair Overeem in a fight that went exactly how you would expect a fight between an inexperienced 20-something and “The Reem” would go. He rebounded with consecutive stoppage wins over cannon fodder, but has now been on the sidelines for over two years. He showed upside, looked like someone that could be one of the few young, emerging heavyweights the UFC could build up, but he can’t seem to find his way back to the Octagon at this point, making it impossible to know where he stands.
ALEXANDER ROMANOV: “King Kong” remained undefeated through 2021, registering the aforementioned janky decision win over Espino before going all King Kong on Jared Vanderaa in October. The 31-year-old from Moldova has a unique skill set, an obvious nose for the finish, and four straight wins in the UFC, which landed him a date opposite Ilir Latifi, which tells me the UFC doesn’t see him as more than a mid-pack guy at the moment. If he stops Latifi, that should change.
JUSTIN TAFA: Tafa is a long-range prospect for me, but even right now, he’s fun to watch because like many of the ANZACs and Pacific Islanders that came before him, the 28-year-old “Bad Man” loves to sling leather and get in scraps. He got back into the win column with a first-round finish to close out 2021 following a couple close decision losses, and should continue to operate as a discount Mark Hunt for the next couple years, with the potential to bloom into the evolutionary successor to Hunto if everything breaks his way and he works on his craft.
TAI TUIVASA: the man from West Sydney continued his resurgence in 2021, posting three wins (and three finishes) to push his winning streak to four and set up his impending clash with Lewis. Tuivasa was hustled into the deep end of the talent pool before he really knew how to swim, and admitted as much himself, which is a huge positive. He’s sorted himself out, dialled back the brawling, and could be a real dark horse contender in the division if he gets by Lewis in February.
ALEXANDER VOLKOV: the towering Russian has settled into life as the fifth, sixth, or seventh best heavyweight in the UFC (depending on recent results) and probably doesn’t need to be on this list, but like a sucker, I’m still holding out hope that he takes that small step forward, gets a little more ornery, and becomes a real problem for folks in the Top 5. I think it’s the “Drago” nickname that screws me up because when I hear it, all I can think is “If he dies, he dies,” but Volkov doesn’t seem to have that in him. He’s 8-3 in the UFC, but has lost to three of the five people stationed above him in the rankings, which means he’s the mid-level boss before Lewis’ top-level boss before the tandem big bosses currently lording over the division.