5 best finishes in the UFC in April 2022

MMA fans witnessed some jaw-dropping finishes in the UFC in April 2022. The promotion kicked off the month with UFC 273 and followed up the pay-per-view with three Fight Night events over the next three weekends.

In the main event of the pay-per-view, featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski broke his run of four consecutive decision victories, picking up his first finish since 2019. 'The Great' successfully defended his 145-pound title in style, finishing Chan Sung Jung via TKO to cap off a near-perfect performance.

There weren't too many finishes at UFC 273, with nine out of 12 bouts going to the judges' scorecards. However, the subsequent Fight Nights made up for it, delivering numerous stoppages.

On that note, here are the five best finishes of April 2022.

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#5. Mike Malott def. Mickey Gall – UFC 273

Mickey Gall has endured a tumultuous run in the UFC since joining the promotion in 2016. He gained quite a bit of notoriety following his submission victory over WWE star CM Punk but has struggled to build on the win since then. At UFC 273, Gall took on promotional newcomer Mike Malott.

Malott joined the promotion following an impressive outing on Dana White's Contender Series. The Canadian was primarily known as a coach before taking his fighting career to a new level, and showed off his undeniable talent against Gall on the preliminary card of April's marquee event.

Just under four minutes into the bout, Malott caught Gall with a slick right hand, sending him crashing to the canvas. After a few follow-up shots, the referee called a halt to the action, handing 'Proper' a memorable octagon debut.

#4. Alexandr Romanov def. Chase Sherman – UFC Vegas 53

Alexandr Romanov doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves. This is likely because he's outside the rankings, but that may not be the case for very long. The Moldovan heavyweight contender is emerging as the divisional dark horse and his performance at UFC Vegas 53 showed just why.

Romanov took on Chase Sherman at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, eyeing his fifth win in the promotion. The unbeaten phenom secured a statement-making victory, backing up the insane odds that placed him as a massive betting favorite going into the bout.

Romanov adopted a wrestling-heavy approach as he always does. He ragdolled Sherman, throwing him all over the octagon before eventually locking in an Americana to force the tap. He further extended his unblemished professional record to 16-0 with the result.

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#3. Claudio Puelles def. Clay Guida – UFC Vegas 52

Claudio Puelles is among the most promising prospects on the roster. Puelles was a standout contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3, making it all the way to the final of the reality show. He came up short in the finale but has since put together a scintillating winning streak.

The 26-year-old Peruvian took on MMA veteran Clay Guida at UFC Vegas 52 in search of a fifth win on the bounce.

Guida started the fight the same way he has throughout his career, pushing the pace and utilizing non-stop movement. Inside the first two minutes, 'The Carpenter' attempted a double-leg takedown, prompting his opponent to pull guard and attempt some submissions.

After escaping an armbar, kimura and a triangle choke, Guida thought he was out of the woods as he attempted to scramble out of danger. While his opponent was trying to get back to his feet, Puelles latched onto the veteran's leg and locked in a beautiful kneebar, forcing an immediate tap.

This isn't the first time Claudio Puelles has used this submission. 'The Prince of Peru' secured his first win in the promotion with a similar move against Felipe Silva back in 2018. In December last year, he submitted Chris Gruetzemacher with a kneebar as well.

Puelles' future opponents will undoubtedly be wary of his grappling prowess going forward.

#2. Joanderson Brito def. Andre Fili – UFC Vegas 53

Andre Fili has been on the UFC roster since 2013 and has endured a turbulent run in the promotion's featherweight division. 'Touchy' has only ever lost to top contenders, with his defeats coming against the likes of Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Kattar, Sodiq Yussuf, and Bryce Mitchell.

At UFC Vegas 53, Fili took on Joanderson Brito, who joined the promotion just last year. Brito earned a UFC contract with a succesful showing on Dana White's Contender Series and subsequently lost in his full promotional debut against Bill Algeo.

The heavy-handed Brazilian earned his first win in the world's biggest MMA organization in style, knocking out his experienced counterpart just 41 seconds into the bout. He dominated every striking exchange before the finish, which came via a picture-perfect overhand.

Joanderson Brito advanced his professional record to 13-3-1 with the win over Andre Fili, who picked up his eighth loss in the promotion. Fili will need to return to the drawing board as he's won just one out of his last five fights. Meanwhile, Brito came away with a 'Performance of the Night' post-fight bonus.

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#1. Jessica Andrade def. Amanda Lemos – UFC Vegas 52

Jessica Andrade is among the best female fighters on the planet. The former strawweight queen has produced some memorable moments on the world's biggest stage, unlike anything we've ever seen in women's MMA. The powerful Brazilian boasts fight-ending power in her fists, a weapon very few female fighters possess.

After a failed shot at the title in the flyweight division, Andrade picked up a win over Cynthia Calvillo before opting to move back down to 115 pounds. She took on surging strawweight contender Amanda Lemos in the main event of UFC Vegas 52.

Amanda Lemos is known for her pin-point striking, making this a bad matchup for Jessica Andrade. 'Bate Estaca' has struggled against good strikers in the past, as was evident in her losses to Valentina Shevchenko, Rose Namajuas, Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

Andrade got picked apart throughout the first three minutes of the bout. Lemos used her reach effectively to keep the former champion at bay. Seemingly out of nowhere, 'Bate Estaca' closed the distance and locked in an arm-triangle choke, which her opponent eventually succumbed to.

This is the only standing arm-triangle choke in promotional history. Andrade re-entered the strawweight title picture as a result and is one or two wins away from another shot at gold.

She is 1-1 with reigning 115-pound queen Rose Namajunas and a trilogy bout could be on the cards if the champion emerges victorious in her rematch with Carla Esparza.