UFC 282 was a bit of a tough pill to swallow on paper for the fans as it saw multiple fights canceled due to injuries. However, the card still proved to be very exciting and gave us plenty of fireworks before a disappointing finish to the final pay-per-view of 2022.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the night and break down the three fights we looked at in our UFC 282 preview.
Prelim Highlights
Edmen Shahbazyan got his UFC career off to a hot start winning his first four fights. He then followed that up with three straight losses and decided to take a year off to improve his skills. He looked great in his return tonight against Dalcha Lungiambula, scoring a second-round knockout after landing a huge knee up the middle. Shahbazyan was clearly a step ahead in the striking the whole fight, but after that knee landed, he pounced immediately and secured the win. Keep an eye on this middleweight as he could quickly make his way back up the rankings.
Whenever two hard-hitting heavyweights step into the octagon, you don’t expect the fight to last very long. And yet, Jairzinho Rozenstruik still exceeded our expectation by putting Chris Daukaus away in just 23 seconds. It was actually a jab that hurt Daukaus initially but Rozenstruik followed it up with relentless pressure and eventually dropped him with another jab that put the fight away. Rozenstruik has been near the top of the heavyweight rankings before, but after this performance, you can be he’ll be improving that number nine next to his name.
The story was great for the final prelim of the night as Raul Rosas Jr. became the youngest fighter in UFC history to step into the octagon. And it only got better once the bell rung as Rosas scored a big takedown early in the fight and got himself to an advantageous position almost immediately. He showed incredible technique and locked in a rear naked choke just under three minutes into the first round to secure his first UFC victory – likely the first of many.
Main Card Highlights
In the opening bout of the main card, two red hot featherweights faced off with a whole lot of momentum on the line. Ilia Topuria clearly wanted to keep the fight on the feet while Bryce Mitchell was desperately trying to get the fight to the ground. Topuria clipped Mitchell a few times but the real difference maker was his takedown defense, as he was able to stuff his opponent’s shots again and again. Mitchell did finally score one takedown late in the first but Topuria was able to get back to his feet. In the second, he continued pouring it on and dropped Mitchell before pouncing on him. The commentary team talked about it being a mistake for Topuria to take the fight to Mitchell’s world and maybe a minute later, he ragdolled Mitchell into a submission. It was a dominant performance for Topuria who said he wants a title fight next. At the very least, he is sure to vault up the rankings quite a bit.
It was a wild fight in the middleweight division when Dricus Du Plessis and Darren Till squared off. Du Plessis scored a takedown early in the first and dominated for about four minutes. At one point, the tally on significant strikes was 60-0 in favor of Du Plessis. Till did manage to get back to his feet and score some points late in the first but it was a dominant first round for his opponent. The second round completely flipped the script though as Du Plessis was seemingly gassed and Till was able to pick him apart on the feet. Then, with less than a minute to go, Du Plessis managed to score another takedown. It was anyone’s fight heading into the third and about halfway through, Du Plessis scored another big takedown and got Till’s back. This time, with both fighters a lot more tired, Du Plessis managed to sink in a choke and score the submission win. The victory should land him somewhere in the top 10 in the class next week.
Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono
This was supposed to be a welterweight showdown between Ponzinibbio and former champion Robbie Lawler but due to an injury, Morono had to fill in for the latter in a 180 lb. catchweight bout. Luckily, these two guys were still more than ready and willing to put on a show for the fans. They traded strikes right from the beginning, but Morono landed a big shot late in the first that dropped Ponzinibbio and likely won him the round. In the second, Ponzinibbio changed up his attack a bit and started firing shots to the body, to some success. Morono also appeared to be having some issues with his lead leg after Ponzinibbio landed some strong calf kicks early, and that greatly hampered his attack. Seemingly even in the third, the two threw some big shots and Morono landed a big right behind the ear of Ponzinibbio and wobbled him. Morono pounced but Ponzinibbio managed to survive the flurry before landing a few big shots of his own. Morono eventually dropped and the ref stepped in to call the fight for a knockout win for Ponzinibbio.
My pick: Ponzinibbio via decision
Result: Ponzinibbio via 3rd round knockout
Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon
Few fighters have been able to establish the level of popularity that Pimblett has acquired in his young UFC career. He has already reached a level of stardom that makes him an immediate draw regardless of his opponent or the stakes. However, his skills were tested in a big way against Gordon tonight. Gordon found a home repeatedly for his big left hook and seemed to stun Pimblett a bit momentarily. Both guys had moments in a close first round, but it seemed as though Gordon won most of the exchanges. In the second, Pimblett managed to open up a bit more with his striking, utilizing his kicks more effectively and winning the round. The third round seemed to be for all the marbles and Gordon decided to throw the striking out and start pressuring Pimblett with grappling instead. For about four and a half minutes, he press Pimblett’s back against the cage and controlled the fight. However, he eventually made a mistake and Pimblett managed to take his back in the closing seconds, ending the fight in a dominant position and giving the judges a very difficult decision to make. While it seemed Gordon may have won the first and third rounds, the judges scored it unanimously in favor of Pimblett, bringing him to a perfect 4-0 in the octagon. After the fight, Pimblett said he didn’t think the fight was close and he clearly won the first two rounds. The tape will tell a different story, but in the end it’s another win for Pimblett and his stardom is only going to grow.
My pick: Pimblett via 2nd round knockout
Result: Pimblett via decision
Jan Blachowicz def. Magomed Ankalaev
With the light heavyweight title vacated by Jiri Prochazka due to an injury, these two guys were thrust into a huge opportunity in this main event. For Blachowicz, this was very familiar territory has he is a former champ in the division while Ankalaev is the up-and-coming star considered to be the future of the class.
Both guys worked their striking in the first round, with neither one really gaining an advantage, leaving the first round very much up in the air. In the second though, Blachowicz landed a series of calf kicks that really had Ankalaev hurt, forcing him to switch his stance multiple times. The third saw more of the same with both of Ankalaev’s legs clearly bothering him, but he managed to turn the tide by using his grappling. In the back half of the fight, Ankalaev scored multiple takedowns and managed to hold Blachowiz down until the final bell.
It was a very close fight that went to the judges’ decision and was ruled a split draw, with a judge scoring it for each fighter and the third scoring it a draw. It’s an unfortunate ending for what is already a very complicated situation in this division. Prochazka will return and has been promised a title fight after vacating. Glover Teixeira, another former champion, was in line for his rematch in this main event that was canceled. Now we have four guys with a claim on the belt and no champion in this division. It will be interesting to see what the UFC does with this situation, but this was as fitting an end to this injury-plagued card as you could imagine.
My pick: Blachowicz via 4th round knockout
Result: Split draw
The UFC will return to ESPN+ on Saturday, December 17th for UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland. Be sure to check back for a preview of the event.