Sherdog’s 2022 Event of the Year

Crafting an “Event of the Year” candidate is a bit like baking a cake. The chef can gather all the ingredients together, follow the recipe to a T and there is still a chance it could come out tasting like chalk. A fight card could be stacked to the gills with talent, and it could even play out as most expect, but that by itself might not guarantee a show worth remembering. Some of the most memorable events in MMA history have defied prognostications, subverted expectations and surprised in essential ways. Inside Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 12, the Ultimate Fighting Championship set the stage and the players delivered in ways most will not soon forget.

Before diving into the glory that was UFC 281, a few other noteworthy extravaganzas bear mentioning. Some received votes from the Sherdog staff, while others were important enough on their own to at least receive some notation. Most of the major organizations hit the road this year, emerging from their respective COVID-forced cocoons and spreading their wings in full arenas and international venues. Cage Warriors Fighting Championship ventured forth three times to San Diego, though its blowout event was not in the confines of Humphrey’s by the Bay but the home soil of England—in Manchester of all places. When 13 fights are scheduled and all 13 conclude by stoppage, as they did at CW 136, and include flying and spinning knockouts, it can catch the attention of year-end awards panels.

It was also a noteworthy year for One Championship, which abandoned its track of tape-delayed fight cards to secure a primo deal with Amazon Prime with sights on United States travel in May. Of its various One on Prime Video cards, none particularly stood out, largely thanks to a swath of pre-fight issues. What did work, however, was when One put all its eggs in one basket with One X in March. The three-part gala—with a boatload of belts on the line, as well as a few featured attractions like submission grappling and a mixed-rules match involving Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon—put it all together for one heck of a spectacle.

Typically worthy of consideration year after year is at least one tentpole fight card from Bellator MMA or the Rizin Fighting Federation, but surprisingly, the former retracted to run its fewest events in years while the latter struggled with recycling its same talent without doling out something worthy of a blue ribbon. However, the two have concocted Rizin vs. Bellator MMA at the renowned Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on New Year’s Eve. If it overdelivers, it could merit further discussion. Meanwhile, Invicta Fighting Championships only staged 38 fights all year, with an overall finish rate of just 34.2%; and the Professional Fighters League dished out another $6 million without one over-the-top evening during its season. Instead, these leagues largely left it to the UFC to put on the big fights and memorable moments.

Other than a few votes for the aforementioned One X, UFC 282 and UFC 275 generated conversation for which event was the best in this calendar year. The former might have been colored by recency bias, as it had taken place mere weeks ago and was still fresh in the minds of panelists; and it did start off with plenty of momentum, as the first 10 fights all ended violently. With the last two bouts resulting in controversial decisions, however, any additional consideration went out the window along with the head-scratching scorecards issued by judges who shall remain nameless.

The other popular pick, UFC 275, went down in June and unquestionably had legs, as it played host to the consensus best fight of the year: Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira. The morning—for the fighters competing in Singapore, not the pay-per-view audience watching stateside—saw not only thrilling action but high drama and multiple spectacular performances. Lost in the sea of madness that was a banner year for clean knockouts in the UFC were the blistering beatdowns of Na Liang and Steve Garcia by Silvana Gomez Juarez and Maheshate Hayisaer. Bolstering the smashing show was the highly anticipated Weili Zhang-Joanna Jedrzejczyk rematch, running back one of the greatest fights to ever happen in the sport. This was not to be the case in Rounds 6 through potentially 10, as Zhang instead authored a “Knockout of the Year” contender by belting “Joanna Violence” with a picturesque spinning backfist. Even the unbreakable aura of Valentina Shevchenko was threatened by Taila Santos that night. All of those happenings paled in comparison to what unfolded in New York City in November.

Fight fans certainly knew they were going to be in for a treat based on the matchmaking at UFC 281. Two thrones were available for the taking, with one held by a dominant champion and the other in the form of a round robin. Fans were abuzz both ahead of the card and live at The Garden. Does this scene sound familiar? In 2021, “Event of the Year” honors went to UFC 268, which featured many of the same faces and produced fireworks inside Madison Square Garden. Something might be in the air when it comes MSG and UFC shows, as history did not so much repeat itself as it surpassed previous marks in several ways.

No champion that night proved indestructible, although many believed one if not two titles would change hands at night’s end. While UFC 268 did not get off the ground until the Chris Barnett spectacular, Carlos Ulberg kicked off UFC 281 by absolutely pummeling Romanian brawler Nicolae Negumereanu and in doing becoming the first fighter to finish him. The 20,845 fans in attendance were quite lathered up after seeing Ulberg punch out Negumereanu, and what came next was an otherwise nondescript but clear-cut decision win for Montel Jackson over Julio Arce. Michael Trizano then took the stage, having missed weight the day before by nearly three pounds, and decided that even if he were ineligible to win a bonus, he would damn sure try to claim one.

For the good part of five minutes, South Korea’s Seung Woo Choi and Trizano treated one another like they were owed money by the other. A whole 110 head shots were thrown in that short window of supreme violence, and a solid percentage connected from both fighters. Within seconds, the two combatants electrified the building, performing the ultra-rare double knockdown. Choi pushed the pace, Trizano swung back and the two traded toe-to-toe until “Sting” started to get stung. Just when Choi thought he had his man hurt after an exchange, Trizano lashed out with a devastating left hook, sealing the deal in an absolute banger that could have been in contention for “Round of the Year.” As it turned out, UFC 281 was just getting started.

To be considered one of the best events in a year means the combination of several key ingredients: relevance, excitement, violence and competitiveness. If one sprinkles in something crazy and unexpected, it turns things up a notch. That proved to be the case for the next match, in the form of a 115-pound potential pink-slip derby between former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz and the aforementioned Juarez. At fight’s end, Kowalkiewicz floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, earning a decision win that seemed obvious albeit impressive, as she had turned around her career after a painful five-fight skid leading into 2022. The New York State Athletic Commission had other plans.

Right before the decision wound up in announcer Bruce Buffer’s hands, a member of the commission jumped into the cage, pen in hand, to correct the scores. As fans grew restless and some grew curious that a NYC version of the “Montreal Screwjob” was about to play out, Kowalkiewicz was undoubtedly sweating it while waiting for what she expected to be an obvious win. Due to an alleged “tabulation error” in which the scores of the final frame ended up getting mixed up, the incorrect numbers were crossed out and the Polish woman prevailed by unanimous verdict, turning a clean victory into something far more dramatic.

How did underdog Matt Frevola, replete with sharp Fight Finder profile photograph, fare when he stepped in the cage after the oddball decision? He did not wilt against undefeated knockout artist Ottman Azaitar. Instead, “The Steamrolla” mashed Azaitar with two rights and a quick left hook up close, planting him in the dirt and forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to dig him out and clean him for frying. What followed was the final decision of the night, as Andre Petroski passed an important grappling-based test against Wellington Turman. The remaining eight fights all ended by stoppage, with Sportscenter running out of space on the Sunday highlight reel package when all was said and done.

The women’s flyweight affair pitting bona fide British star Molly McCann against surging and arguably undefeated uber-prospect Erin Blanchfield looks worse in hindsight, even though McCann closed as the biggest betting underdog that night. Instead of tossing “Meatball” into the co-main event of a big London-based or, better yet, Liverpool card with a few stellar knockouts on her recent ledger, the UFC served her up as the sacrificial lamb to bolster the 23-year-old woman nicknamed “Cold Blooded.” Even those that expected Blanchfield to prevail were not likely expecting how the contest turned out. One could scarcely call it a fight. In what appeared like more of a “Beatdown of the Year” contender, Blanchfield tossed the Brit to the ground, unloaded on her with something like 100 strikes in the span of three-plus miserable minutes and cranked McCann’s arm like she wanted to take it home with her in a to-go bag. But for the finishes later on the card, that one-sided shellacking should have been up for “Performance of the Night” consideration.

The second of two weight offenders took center stage in the Octagon—still on the prelims—as the slightly heavy Ryan Spann prepared to slug it out with Dominick Reyes, a man two fights removed from arguably beating Jon Jones. This could have been the fight where Reyes got back on track, as he had been served bad matchups against Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka in rapid succession. Spann, with frighteningly heavy hands but an admittedly small track record of bludgeonings, did just that. In a mere 80 seconds and exactly eight blows, “Superman” devastated “The Devastator,” lamping the ex-title challenger with a right hand behind the ear to fold Reyes like a house of cards. Like Trizano before him, Spann eliminated the possibility of taking home bonus money by missing weight, but he still made a statement and even admitted he trained for the first time ahead of the fight. If that is indeed true, the 205-pound division better watch out.

An action-heavy preliminary showcase concluded as Renato Carneiro reminded lightweights watching that while he is undoubtedly a submission artist, he has hands, too. Brad Riddell never found his bearings in their short encounter, with jabs and stunning strikes marking Riddell up until “Moicano” landed the takedown. From there, it was practically academic, as Carneiro claimed the back and elicited the tap via rear-naked choke. As a pro, every single one of Carneiro’s finishes have come by rear-naked choke, including each of his last five triumphs inside the Octagon. Minutes later, the stage was set, the lights went low and The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” blared in The Garden.

Fresh off of three kneebars in his last five wins—a UFC record, as no competitor had ever landed more than one—Claudio Puelles took a giant leap up in competition against Dan Hooker. His trick did not work on the Kiwi, who nevertheless had to fight off several early attempts. When Hooker escaped brilliantly, Puelles channeled his inner Nick Serra and would not get up from the butt-scoot position. Unlike Serra, Puelles was not disqualified for his guard-pulling ways and instead was picked apart by the far more technical and well-rounded Hooker. “The Hangman” hung Puelles out to dry with rangy strikes, stifling desperate shots and belting the body with powerful blows. This was too much for the young Peruvian to bear, as his midsection could not stand up to the pounding. He was not the only competitor to come to a crashing halt on this growingly intense main card.

Some aging veterans, especially those who have sat atop the mountain for any period of time, can hang around too long in the sport, even when it has passed them by. In exhibit #2411 of this instance, Toms River, New Jersey, legend Frankie Edgar wanted to go out on a high note. Instead of drawing an opponent of suitable age and experience or a ranked adversary to push himself, he took on a promising up-and-comer with little relative name value who was dangerous but hopefully not someone who would wipe him out. Edgar fans around the world cried out in two minutes of the fateful match, as the 41-year-old bantamweight had nothing left to give. This sport never fails to remind us that it is cruel, and Factory X product Chris Gutierrez sent Edgar into the shadow realm and his subsequent retirement with a walk-off knockout. Even that blistering knockout did not gain Gutierrez a check at night’s end, because the last three fights claimed every one.

How did the subsequent competitors follow a lights-out knockout and a tearful retirement address from Edgar in front of home fans? Nothing special. After all, it was just Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler facing off. It turned out to be just a run-of-the-mill endeavor, as the two lightweight contenders delivered 12 minutes of all-out action, replete with momentum swings, horrendously damaging blows, mighty takedowns and sneaky submissions. The fight most had anticipated would easily claim “Fight of the Night” honors did so with gusto, with moments where fans could turn to one another and suggest “this fight is over,” only for the losing man to turn things around. Back-and-forth, the two fashioned the Tasmanian Devil’s tornado of feet and fists mixed with an Andy Capp-style fight cloud. Put simply, it had something for everybody. Even ardent Chandler fans would have to give it up after Poirier snatched the submission midway through the final round. Two title fights loomed, and the fighters knew backstage they would have to put on quite the show if they hoped to stand out among the pack of wild results thus far.

Zhang was a woman possessed when it came to the strawweight throne. Carla Esparza, a worthy adversary and two-time champion, wanted to impose her game, but “Magnum” said “not so fast, my friend.” The betting public largely believed Zhang was going to handle Esparza by shutting down the grappling or at least not succumbing to it as many have in the past. Few expected that it would be Zhang who could get the better of the action should the fight hit the mat. In Round 2, after Esparza had little luck in the first stanza beyond a quick reversal to claim top position momentarily, she went back to the well for a takedown. This one came from too far out, and Zhang masterfully sprawled to work her way around to take Esparza’s back and set up an unorthodox crucifix in the process. The betting line for Zhang to earn the stoppage by strikes was close to even money, while her winning via submission came closer to +800. Lo and behold, Zhang opted to use her advantageous submissions to throttle the champion. The woman from China made it look easy, announcing herself once more as the greatest strawweight on the planet while daring any challenger to step up.

One more place at greatness stood for the winner of the UFC 281 main event. In the red corner, defending his title without a single loss in the middleweight division, stood Israel Adesanya, a man nearly unchallenged in the promotion. Opposing him in the blue corner, fresh into his career with just three UFC wins and four total victories dating back the last five years, stared back Alex Pereira—a man who famously topped Adesanya twice in kickboxing. MMA is not kickboxing, onlookers aptly pointed out, with glove size, ring-versus-cage enclosure and a vastly increased ruleset at the headliners’ disposal. The previous moments Pereira had against Adesanya would not present themselves when inside a cage with small gloves, some thought. After all, Adesanya arguably beat Pereira the first time and was winning the rematch before getting clipped with that left hook.

With just seven professional MMA fights under his belt, “Poatan” performed as a seasoned veteran who had scientifically perfected his weight cut as a hulking 185-pounder. The strikes Adesanya landed, while seemingly in greater number like in Round 3, did not have an appreciable effect, while Pereira’s power always showed to be a concern on the other side. Well-prepared for this meeting, Adesanya ended up landing the first takedown of his UFC tenure on Pereira, and he even kept the Brazilian on his back for an extended period, as the challenger appeared to be fading. The two entered the championship rounds, and Adesanya was up three rounds to one on all three scorecards.

Fatigue, frustration and failure to land cleanly had not discouraged Pereira, who came into this championship opportunity with one goal in mind: to crush his enemies, see them driven before him and to hear the lamentation of their women. There was no other option. Defeat would send him well down the ranks, and the calls of “he was not ready” would scuttle any momentum he had built thus far. Another crack at the throne might never come. Coach Glover Teixeira knew this, and he threw all of his energy to his teammate at the end of the fourth round. “Poatan” walked out of his corner differently leading up to the momentous last round.

All Adesanya had to do was cruise, stay on the outside and potshot with leg kicks and ample movement. Cardio appeared to be in his favor, as Pereira was definitely flagging, his work rate having declined. The shots from Adesanya had started to take effect, with blows connecting that Pereira had shrugged off in earlier rounds. A leg kick and a body kick even made Pereira flinch early. Adesanya stayed at safe range until Pereira bullied his way in. As they split up from a clinch exchange, “The Last Stylebender” pawed out a low kick that clacked off the guard; the damage was immediate. The Nigerian-born champion somersaulted backwards when hitting the ground after the check hurt him, and this was all the Brazilian needed to accelerate. Pereira charged like a bull, ripping the body but not ultimately punishing Adesanya any worse than the checked kick.

Adesanya had gained his sea legs back again, until Pereira measured his man with a leaping right hand and a follow-up right on the inside. Adesanya masked it well, but he skirted on outside of the wall in some trouble. “Poatan” saw it and fired off an uppercut that snapped the head back, and for the first time since the Kelvin Gastelum fight, Adesanya was hurt. As if he wanted to knock out the champion, the champion’s family and everyone the champion had ever known, Pereira unleashed a brutal bombardment of bombs that shook Adesanya back and forth like a ship getting hammered by waves in a storm. Adesanya was wounded, low on energy and struggling to remain standing as Pereira commenced the final attack.

Referee Marc Goddard picked up that the champ was no longer with it and halted the fight. In one titanic exchange, the Brazilian bomber had shaken up the entire landscape of the 185-pound division. While Blachowicz proved that even a god-king like Adesanya can bleed, Pereira showed the entire division that he can be stopped. This knockout served as the oversized cherry on the gargantuan sundae that was UFC 281, one smothered with any number of delicious toppings. The Nov. 12 spectacle that played out for fans in New York will be one to remember for years to come, thanks to thrilling action, statement-making performances and shocking outcomes.

UFC 281 takes its rightful place alongside previous Sherdog “Event of the Year” winners in UFC 268, UFC 249, UFC 236, UFC 229, UFC 214, UFC 206, UFC 194, UFC 178, UFC 166, UFC on Fox 5, UFC 134, WEC 53, UFC 100 and UFC 84.