NEWS ATHLETES FIGHTERS TO WATCH IN 2022. Make Sure You Know Which Fighters Are On The Rise As UFC Action Gets Underway In 2022. BY E. SPENCER KYTE, ON TWITTER @SPENCERKYTE • JAN. 3, 2022 Of the different things I do over the course of a year here on the UFC website, the thing that I have always loved the most is putting together Fighters on the Rise. Before each event, Fighters on the Rise shines a spotlight on three athletes set to compete that weekend that are, as the series name suggests, climbing the ranks in their respective divisions. This year’s collection of fighters has run the gamut from promotional newcomers Michael Chandler and Loopy Godinez and emerging contenders Islam Makhachev and Jiri Prochazka to rookie standouts Manon Fiorot and Erin Blanchfield and unsung talents Max Griffin and Shavkat Rakhmonov, a pair of welterweights that each had tremendous success inside the Octagon over the last 12 months. Drop a view on our comment section As the year winds to a close ...