ESPN put out their 2022 MMA predictions and it contains some events which, if true, would make for an exciting year ahead.
Among these predictions was a Conor McGregor title shot. Hardly beyond reason, given the Irishman’s PPV pulling power, he can pretty much get whatever he wants in the UFC!
Other predictions suggested that 1 star would leave for boxing, Valentina would have her best year ever by becoming double champ and perhaps most significantly, the UFC would open a women’s atomweight division!
The UFC had more in-fight time in 2021 than in any other year in the company’s history. With more fights being put on than ever before, it makes sense that the UFC would add another division to their promotion, and why not atomweight!
This is of course just a prediction for now, and even if the UFC did add another division it might not even be this one! The company has long flirted with adding other men’s divisions, like a 165 lbs division, and some heavyweight fighters, like Stipe Miocic, have even called for a 245 lbs division.
This would make a lot of sense, considering that the weight gap between light heavyweight (205 lbs) and heavyweight (265 lbs) is the largest jump between any division in MMA.
However, considering how far women’s MMA has come in the UFC from the time when Dana White claimed that women would never fight in his promotion, it would be pretty cool if the women’s arm of the UFC could swell with another exciting division!
