2022 could be a victorious year for Brazilian fans in the UFC. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS montage
After a season of successes and setbacks, Brazilian fans have reason to start 2022 optimistic about their UFC representatives. In the year that begins, there are some possibilities that could take the green and yellow team to the top of the main MMA organization in the world.
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Analyzing the panorama, considering fighters who stood out in 2021, there are reasons to be hopeful in some scenarios. Brazil could reach a title fight in some categories, including both men and women.
To understand how the season could unfold, our team put together a list of 10 possibilities for men's and women's title fights within Ultimate. Highlights are listed in alphabetical order.
1) Alexandre Pantoja
A. Pantoja is on the front line for a bantamweight title fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Highlight of flies (up to 56,7kg.) for years, Alexandre pantoja enters the current season with his passport practically guaranteed to fight for the category belt. Current number three in the ranking, the Brazilian would be responsible for sharing the octagon with Brandon Moreno for the Mexican's first title defense.
The fighter, who has already defeated the current champion on two occasions throughout his career, was the favorite for the duel. Pantoja, however, ended up getting injured and gave way to Deiveson Figueiredo. Thus, the 'God of War' found the opportunity to try to regain the title lost in June.
Outside of combat, Alexandre publicly regretted the fact that he was not ready to fight for the title. As a consolation, Deiveson confirmed that, if he regains the title, he will give preference to his compatriot for a clash. It is worth remembering that the man from Pará and Pantoja already faced each other in 2019, with a victory for the former champion, on points.
2) Deiveson Figueiredo
D. Figueiredo was the flyweight champion in 2020. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Quoted in the topic above, Deiveson Figueiredo He is currently the one who has the greatest chance of becoming Ultimate champion, given that the fighter has a match scheduled to fight for the title. Replacing Pantoja, the man from Pará stars in a historic trilogy for the flyweights on January 22nd, at UFC 270.
After starring, alongside Brandon Moreno, one of the best fights in the history of the division in December 2020 - which ended in a draw -, and ending up defeated in the second fight, in June 2021, Figueiredo tries to regain his old throne.
With Pantoja's departure, the man from Pará wasted no time and took on the challenge of sharing the octagon with Moreno for the third time. If he regains the throne, the Brazilian will return to the path of victories, as he has not had a triumph since November 2020, when he defended his old belt against Alex Perez.
3) Gilbert Durinho
G. Durinho (left) in victory over T. Woodley (right) on May 30th. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc_brasil
Challenger for the welterweight title (up to 77kg.) in 2021, Gilbert Durinho he will always be one big victory away from a title shot. An exemplary Ultimate employee and frequent figure inside the Octagon, the Niteroi native makes a point of staying active.
Even defeated by Kamaru Usman In his first opportunity to fight for a title in the organization, Durinho even put the champion's throne in danger for a moment in the main fight of the UFC 258. In the clash, the Brazilian ended up being defeated by a knockout and was momentarily removed from his dream of wearing the belt.
Five months after the stumble against the champion, Gilbert returned to the octagon, and against an elite rival. The chosen one was Stephen Thompson, famous for his movement and versatility in his strikes. In the clash, Durinho knew how to control his opponent and completely nullified his game, winning by points.
The triumph over the North American confirmed the Niteroi native in second place in the welterweight rankings, behind only Colby covington and, of course, Usman himself. The prominent position means that the Tupiniquim is always an option, as it is always willing to fight.
4) Jennifer Maia
J. Maia (right) submitted J. Calderwood (left) in the UFC Las Vegas 5. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Number four in the flyweight rankings (up to 56,7kg.), Jennifer maia carries the reputation of being the only woman to scare Valentina Shevchenko inside the octagon, in this category. Challenging the Kyrgyzstani's belt, considered by many to be one of the best fighters of all time, the Brazilian is in the process of rising again in the group.
Today, Maia is not the favorite for a new challenge to Shevchenko. The Paraná native, however, has an important commitment confirmed, which could leave her one step away from a new fight for the title.
On January 15, in the first event of the 2022 UFC season, Jennifer will share the octagon with Katlyn chookagian, current number two. If she wins, the Brazilian will be able to jump in the group and take second place. A great result could even result in the Tupiniquim attracting the attention of the board and being promoted to challenger to the champion, who has no fight scheduled.
5) Jéssica Andrade, 'Bate-Estaca'
J. Bate-Estaca (left) was the strawweight champion in 2019. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @ufc
With a UFC belt under his belt, Jessica Andrade, 'Bate-Estaca', is an athlete who has great prestige with the organization. Former strawweight champion (up to 52,1kg.), the woman from Paraná, today, represents the flyweights and comes from a recent title fight against Valentina Shevchenko.
Even losing to the Kyrgyzstani in April 2021, the Brazilian remains in first place in the category led by Valentina. The prominent position is given by the recovery of Bate-Estaca, who, in the challenge following the stumble against the legend, won Cynthia calvillo brutally, and September of last season.
Currently, Andrade expresses an interest in performing in both the flyweight and strawweight divisions, where she reigned in 2019. Although she is coming off a recent defeat to Shevchenko, the Brazilian's confident performances could guarantee the athlete a new opportunity for a rematch against Valentina, who beat the Paraná native with a knockout in the second round.
6) José Aldo
J. Aldo (right) defeated R. Font (left) in the UFC Las Vegas 44. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Brazilian MMA legend, José Aldo he has definitely reinvented himself and is experiencing a new great moment in Ultimate. Considered by many to be the best featherweight (up to 65,7kg) of all time, the Brazilian continues to silence critics and promote great performances in bantamweight (up to 61,2kg).
After having already publicly confessed his haste in accepting a title fight against Petr yan, in 2020, the Brazilian understood the new moment and, with each new challenge, he has shown evolution in the new category.
The starting point was the confrontation against Marlon Vera, in December 2020, in which Aldo won comfortably on points. Subsequently, in 2021, Manauara faced Peter Munhoz and, again, he was superior, in a great battle.
In his last commitment of the season, José was tested again. This time, the 'People's Champion' shared the octagon with the dangerous Rob font. Even with some scares and tension, the Brazilian proved his superiority and defeated one of the candidates for a future title fight.
With another triumph, Aldo definitively reached the top 5 and, today, occupies third place in the group. The athlete has shown patience and avoids talking about the belt. After beating Font, the Tupiniquim reinforced his desire to face the former champion of the category, TJ Dillashaw, who is recovering from knee surgery.
7) Mackenzie Dern
M. Dern (right) is currently number five in the strawweight rankings. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Legend of jiu-jitsu, the multi-time world champion in the 'gentle art' arrived at the UFC to carry the sport and take it to the Octagon. The North American with Brazilian roots joined the company's squad undefeated and soon found favor with fans and management.
Representative of the strawweights (up to 52,1kg.), Dern suffered the first defeat in his career in the meeting with Amanda ribas, just a few months after becoming a mother. The stumble, instead of shaking the promise, made Mackenzie mature, which was proven in the next challenges.
After the setback against Minas Gerais, there were four consecutive victories, three of them by submission. Dern, however, was defeated again in her last commitment, when she was scheduled to face Marina Rodriguez.
In the clash, the Brazilians gave a show to the spectators, delivering a five-round 'war', defined by the judges in a unanimous decision for the Gaucho. With the stumble, Mackenzie momentarily strayed from his dream of fighting for the title. The promise's performance, however, did not disappoint, as the fighter continues to show progress with each event she participates in.
At 28 years old, Mackenzie is currently fifth in the strawweight rankings. The fighter does not yet have a date for her debut in the 2021 season. If she is selected against an opponent within the top 5, a big victory could propel her even further to the top of the group.
8) Marina Rodriguez
M. Rodriguez (right) is on the front line to fight for the UFC strawweight belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Responsible for the second defeat in his career Mackenzie dern, Marina Rodriguez has been silencing critics since his UFC debut. An underdog in most of her challenges in the organization, the gaúcha, today, is the best placed Brazilian in the straws.
With excellent striking, Rodriguez has increasingly become a respected name in the category. The aggressiveness, precise combinations and power of the attacks made the fighter reach third place in the division and caught the attention of the Ultimate management.
For the UFC, Rodriguez has already competed in eight fights, winning five, drawing in two and losing in one. Today, the gaucho has three positive results in a row, one of them being a tough knockout over the promising Amanda ribas.
A strong candidate for a title fight, Marina may have to wait a few months for her dream to come true. In recent days, Ultimate's president, Dana White, confirmed that Carla esparza will be the next challenger to the throne of Rose namajunas.
Rodriguez, however, has already shown herself open to fighting for the belt in any scenario. One of the main characteristics of the gaúcha is always being prepared for a confrontation.
9) Taila Santos
T. Santos defeated G. Robertson via unanimous decision by the judges. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Brazilian promise in the Ultimate flyweight, Taila Santos 'ate around the edges' and, when the fans noticed, the fighter was already a highlight of the category led by Valentina Shevchenko. At the moment, the fighter has enchanted with confident performances and visible talent.
In total, Santos has five commitments since his Ultimate debut. The Brazilian ended up losing on her debut, but subsequently recovered with property.
With convincing performances, today, Taila has four consecutive victories. In his last challenge, Santos 'saved' the monotonous UFC Las Vegas 43, being the last athlete in the event to win in the fast lane, when she finished Joanne Wood in the first round.
Currently, Santos is in fifth place in the flyweight division. The Brazilian, today, represents one of the few unprecedented challenges to Shevchenko in the elite of the under-56,7kg group.
10) Vicente Luque
V. Luque (right) defeated N. Price (left) by technical knockout in the third round. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @luquevicente
Known as the 'Silent Assassin', Vincent Luque He is a favorite among Brazilian fans at welterweight. Famous for his aggressiveness and for not disappointing anything when fighting on the ground, the Brazilian built, through blood and sweat, literally, his path towards the top of the category led by Kamaru Usman.
The Brazilian has officially entered the radar for a future title shot after his last two victories. In March, the Tupiniquim team shared the octagon with the former group champion, Tyron woodley, and had no problem getting past the veteran, submitting the 'former king' in the first round.
Afterwards, the experienced Michael chiesa was the big challenge. A member of the group's elite and a specialist in grappling, the North American was frightening, but soon understood that Luque was already on a different level. Against his opponent, Vicente was calm enough to reverse a fall in the opening moments and, 'in his rival's area', managed a finish that even surprised Dana White, who said he was impressed with the Brazilian's talent.
With the victory, Luque reached fourth place in the welterweight division. In a prominent place, the fighter, today, represents an unprecedented challenge to the champion, Usman, who has already expressed his interest in testing himself against the Tupiniquim.
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