The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has continuously provided MMA fans with a wide variety of high-profile and action-packed bouts featuring the very best fighters from all professions competing today, with the calendar year of 2022 once again showcasing the immense talent that the promotion so often provides its worldwide fanbase on a weekly basis.
2022 has once again concluded as a major successful tenure for all UFC fans and fighters alike with numerous excellent bouts so often leaving MMA fans speechless.
Whether it’s a rugged bloodbath brawl, fast-paced grappling encounter or a combination of both, the UFC never fails to entertain ahead of any fight night showdown between some of the sport’s most illustrious names.
For any fans looking to reminiscent on the greatest bouts that were scheduled throughout the calendar year, here is best fights to watch on repeat for any eager MMA fanatics:
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Dustin Poirier vs Michael Chandler – UFC 281:
A fairly recent encounter between two fan favorite commodities of the Lightweight division, which concluded in a brutal submission victory for Poirier by way of a near naked choke after a brutal three rounds.
After a back-and-forth opening round that saw both fighters unload with numerous shattering blows, Poirier forced a deep cut over Chandler’s eye that left Michael seeping blood all over the canvas and his opponent.
Chandler brought a unique blend of stand up and ground game to the fight which influenced the pace to that of an energetic rate as both fighters continued to trade ruthless strikes.
Despite an incredible effort from Chandler, Poirier returned the favor by locking in a rear naked choke midway through the final round which left Chandler with no other option but to tap out, marking this as another excellent box office performance from Dustin Poirier who continues to excite fans with his eccentric fighting style.
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Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev – UFC 273:
Heading into this bout, the pre-fight UFC odds suggested that this would be a comfortable victory for the UFC’s latest hotshot fighter, Khamzat Chimaev, who has continuously dazzled fans with his dominance over the MMA landscape throughout his professional career and has quickly emerged as a future Middleweight title contender.
However, the former UFC Middleweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns, would prove to be a stiff competitor for the Swede as Burns and Chimaev both shared a round each leaving the victory up for grabs ahead of the third and final round.
Both fighters showcased their impeccable spirit and skill to put on a fight that left fans begging for more with Chimaev ultimately earning the victory via unanimous decision after a decisive final round showing.
Burns also earned the gratitude of all UFC fans on the night as he was willing to accept the challenge against the much lower ranked Chimaev at the last minute and gave the upstart the most daunting bout of his young career as Chimaev had only previously been struck twice before when stepping into the Octagon.
You know for certain that this was an unbelievable bout when it ultimately claimed the fight of the night bonuses on a card that was headlined by Alexander Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie for the UFC Featherweight championship.
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Jiri Prochazka vs Glover Teixeira – UFC 275:
Following on the disappointing main event showing at UFC 282 between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev for the still vacant UFC Light Heavyweight championship, that infamously ended in a draw, UFC fans may want to look back on the phenomenal showdown between two fellow Light Heavyweight phenom’s Jiri Prochazka and then defending champion Glover Teixeira.
The opening round was dominated by Glover as he took the fight to the ground and continuously connected with several brutal strikes that many would speculate Prochazka would struggle to recover from.
Round two saw the challenger connect with a few brutal blows before Teixeira regained control on the ground and struck a series of nasty elbows to cut Prochazka over his left eye.
Rounds three and four were filled to the brim with never-ending back-and-forth action with both fighters leaving the crowd on edge as to who would walk away victorious.
Despite Glover stunning Prochazka early in the fifth round, the challenger fought back but was once again taken to the ground with Teixeira locked in a full mount, giving Prochazka a very miniscule chance in escaping before the final horn that would surely see Glover regain his championship.
With the clock ticking away, Prochazka would somehow transition into a rear naked choke and would ultimately force Glover to tap out with only 28 seconds remaining in the final round, winning the Light Heavyweight championship in just his third UFC bout in the most dramatic way possible.
Whilst there have many concerns as to the status of the future champion of this division nowadays, this remains as one of the top Light Heavyweight bouts in recent memory giving the fans every bit of the action that they were looking forward to witnessing.
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
