20 Bold Predictions for 2022

Last year I came on here and said 2020 was mad, but we are well used to madness in MMA. This year, I’m saying the same thing. 2021 really was a new normal for us. Events almost every weekend, mad KOs, mad fights and even madder people. And you know what? 2022 will probably be no different!

Now that the rambling intro is over, let’s get to the predictions. Directly below is a podcast with Sean and Graeme reviewing last year’s predictions (and how amazingly accurate they were) before announcing the 2022 batch. Scroll down below if you just want to read them, or stop scrolling if you don’t want any podcast spoilers. Merry Christmas!

1. Jon Jones returns in a UFC heavyweight title fight and loses

2. Magomed Magomedov wins the Bellator bantamweight tournament

3. Jamahal Hill wins the UFC light-heavyweight title

 
4. Kayla Harrrison signs with UFC and wins the title that Nunes vacated

5. Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to fight

6. Amanda Nunes wins 3 fights in a row

7. Both Diaz brothers fight exactly once, and both lose 

8. Frans Mlambo signs for the UFC 

9. Stephen Thompson fights MVP

10. Khamzat Chimaev defeats Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title and immediately challenges the middleweight champion

11. Irish fighters go undefeated in the UFC

12. Darren Till gets cut from UFC 

13. An Irish fighter gets to a PFL final

14. Jose Aldo fights Dominick Cruz

15. Tom Aspinall earns a UFC heavyweight title shot

16. A major MMA organisation signs a broadcast deal with Amazon

17. A UFC champion is stripped of a title due to a failed drug test 

18. A fighter not currently in the UFC becomes a UFC champion

19. Ray Cooper III wins the PFL tournament 

20. Conor McGregor fights Tony Ferguson in his return from injury