The 10 Best Fights Coming In April 2022

He very well could be the best fighter on the planet right now, and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Jung fought for the featherweight title the first time back in 2013, when Anthony Pettis was forced to withdraw from his scheduled clash with Aldo. The 35-year-old divisional stalwart is 7-3 inside the Octagon and 3-1 over his last four starts, coming into this one off a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige last summer.

This is a bit of a “right place, right time” opportunity for the South Korean veteran and he’s more than capable of making the most of it on April 9 in Jacksonville.

Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan

Exactly 400 days after their first encounter, Sterling and Yan will share the Octagon for a second time with the UFC bantamweight title hanging in the balance.

Their first meeting came last year at UFC 259, with Sterling starting hot and sprinting out to a lead on Yan, who entered as the champion. But as the challenger began to slow, Yan started getting into rhythm and working his way back into the fight, only for the bout to be halted with 31 seconds remaining in the fourth round after the champion blasted Sterling with a knee to the head while he was downed.

Yan was disqualified, the title changed hands, and the combatants have been bickering with one another on social media ever since.

A rematch was expected to take place last October at UFC 267, but Sterling, who had neck surgery following their initial bout, wasn’t cleared to return, resulting in Yan besting Cory Sandhagen in a battle for the interim bantamweight title.

Sterling is adamant that he is the better man and eager to prove it conclusively now that he’s at full health, while Yan looks to begin a second reign as the undisputed top talent in the 135-pound weight class by dispatching his chief rival emphatically.

Their clash at UFC 259 was captivating from start to finish and the sequel should be more of the same.

Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev

Well, I guess we’re going to find out exactly where Chimaev fits in the welterweight hierarchy now…

Burns rebounded from his title fight setback against his former teammate Kamaru Usman last February with a one-sided decision win over Stephen Thompson in the summer, pushing his record to 5-1 since moving to the 170-pound weight class, and 7-1 over his last eight fights. The Brazilian has developed into a well-rounded, powerful force in every facet of the sport, and boasts the kind of poise, experience, and finishing abilities to make him the most dangerous fighter Chimaev has faced to date.

After bursting onto the scene with two wins in 10 days on Fight Island in the summer of 2020, the 27-year-old Chimaev has added a pair of one-sided victories over Gerald Meerschaert and Li Jingliang to his resume, pushing his record to 10-0 overall. He’s made good on his promise to smash everyone thus far, but takes another step up in competition here, while everyone looks on, waiting to see if he can continue his unbeaten, unbothered march towards the top of the division.

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This is outstanding matchmaking and, honestly, the most compelling bout of the month, without question, because there is still some uncertainty about where Chimaev’s ceiling rests. I will be on the edge of my seat from the time these two start making their way to the Octagon in Jacksonville and cannot wait to see how this one plays out.

Ian Garry vs. Darian Weeks

Some people are going to object to this selection, and I get it, but hear me out.

Garry debuted in the UFC with a ton of hype at UFC 268 in New York City, taking on Jordan Williams, and for the first four minutes and change, it didn’t look great. The young, Irish welterweight ate some shots, leaked some claret, and struggled to find his range and timing, but in the waning seconds of the round, he cracked the Dana White Contender Series graduate with a clean right hand that put him on the deck.

Fight over. Debut won. And the crowd goes wild.

Now he’s back for his sophomore appearance against Weeks, who gave Bryan Barberena all he could handle in his short notice debut last December and is surely excited about the opportunity to steal the momentum of the 24-year-old prospect that will be standing across the cage from him in Jacksonville.

This is a competitive matchup between a highly regarded emerging fighter and an unheralded competitor that showed he could hang with a grimy veteran without much of a training camp, and no matter how it shakes out, people will be talking about the outcome over breakfast on Sunday, April 10.

Vinc Pichel vs. Mark Madsen

I don’t know what to say other than this is a dynamite lightweight matchup between two older dudes (who are still both younger than me) looking to break into the Top 15.

Pichel is the best-kept secret in the lightweight division, though I’m sure the TUF Live alum would happily trade that title for a place in the rankings. The 39-year-old has a tremendous mustache along with a three-fight winning streak, a 7-2 record in the Octagon, and a 14-2 mark overall. He’s an absolute powerhouse with a noticeable mean streak once he steps into the cage, all of which makes him must-see TV whenever he competes.

A bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Olympics, Madsen has gone 9-0 since making the full-time transition to mixed martial arts, pushing his record to 11-0 overall. He’s earned three straight wins in the UFC, most recently edging out veteran fan favorite Clay Guida by split decision back in August.

Whoever wins this one could very well find themselves sharing the cage with a ranked competitor or one of the unranked rising stars of the 155-pound weight class in the second half of the year, plus, it should be a scramble-filled battle early in the night in Jacksonville that sets the tone for the rest of the evening.

UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad 2 (April 16)

Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad

More than six years and a combined 24 appearances after their first meeting, Luque and Muhammad will run it back as Top 5 welterweights looking to deliver the kind of performance that earns them a championship opportunity.

Luque, who won the first meeting at UFC 205 by first-round knockout, enters on a four-fight winning streak and having won 10 of his last 12 fights, with all but one of those wins coming inside the distance. The Brazilian is one of the most dangerous and durable fighters in the game, with a deft ability to lace up chokes in a flash and the toughness and grit to navigate his way through dicey moments and still get the job done.