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The UFC put on four events in February 2022, including three Fight Nights and one pay-per-view.
The world's premier MMA promotion kicked off the second month of the year with a fight card headlined by top middleweight contenders Jack Hermansson and Sean Strickland. February was closed out with a catchweight bout between Islam Makhachev and Bobby Green.
The marquee event of the month went down on February 12th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas with UFC 271. Israel Adesanya, the reigning middleweight champ, successfully defended his title against Robert Whittaker on the night.
February produced some fantastic performances across these fight cards. The five best finishes of the month are discussed below.
#5. Jared Cannonier's TKO win over Derek Brunson at UFC 271
Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson squared off at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, with a shot at the middleweight championship on the line. Brunson was riding a five-fight win streak going into the bout and was looking to secure a rematch with Israel Adesanya, the reigning champ.
Brunson dominated the first round of the bout. He scored a knockdown early on and even finished the round attempting a rear-naked choke. Cannonier was arguably saved by the bell after the opening five minutes.
The second round saw Cannonier come into his own. As Brunson fatigued, 'The Killa Gorilla' landed numerous heavy shots including a vicious right hook, a thunderous elbow and a sneaky backhand strike. With his opponent clearly compromised, the former heavyweight and light heavyweight fighter staked his claim for the middleweight title with some vicious ground-and-pound strikes to finish the fight.
In his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Cannonier emphatically called for a shot at the 185 lbs title. Israel Adesanya successfully defended his title against Robert Whittaker later that night to set up an intriguing Adesanya-Cannonier matchup down the line.
Watch Jared Cannonier's post-fight interview below:
#4. David Onama's KO win over Gabriel Benitez at UFC Vegas 48
On the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 48, a featherweight matchup between Gabriel Benitez and David Onama was underway. Benitez, who's been on the UFC roster since 2014, has endured a tumultuous run in the promotion, going 6-5 in his last 11 bouts. Meanwhile, Onama was looking to pick up his first win in the UFC.
Benitez started strong, using his crisp boxing and powerful kicks to pick apart Onama. The Mexican pieced up his Ugandan counterpart in the first four minutes and looked set to win the round.
With around 30 seconds left on the clock, Onama unleashed an explosive combination. A couple of left hooks caught Benitez square on the jaw before a right cross put him down for good, forcing the referee to step in.
#3. Arman Tsarukyan's TKO win over Joel Alvarez at UFC Vegas 49
Arman Tsarukyan was ranked No.13 in the lightweight division going into his fight against unranked contender Joel Alvarez. Tsarukyan is one of the most promising prospects in the 155 lbs weight class and backed up the hype against Alvarez at UFC Vegas 49.
Many expected him to struggle against Alvarez, who towers over most lightweights and possesses phenomenal grappling skills. Tsarukyan made light work of his Spanish counterpart, taking him down and landing damaging elbows, one of which opened a deep cut.
At the end of the first round, Alvarez was bloodied and battered. In the second, Tsarukyan secured another takedown and finished the fight with more ground-and-pound strikes.
In his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, Tsarukyan put the lightweight division on notice. He highlighted his well-rounded skillset and revealed that he's eyeing a rematch with fellow lightweight contender Islam Makhachev down the line.
Watch Arman Tsarukyan's post-fight interview below:
#2. Tai Tuivasa's KO win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 271
In the co-main event of UFC 271, two fan-favorites squared off in a heavyweight clash. UFC veteran Derrick Lewis, who was ranked No.3 going into the bout, took on Australia's Tai Tuivasa, who sat just outside the top 10 at No.11.
Both Lewis and Tuivasa are known for their knockout power and ability to put their opponents to sleep. Their bout expectedly produced fireworks.
Derrick Lewis clearly won the first round. He landed some thunderous shots on Tai Tuivasa that would've put most fighters to sleep. Surprisingly, Lewis even showed off some wrestling skills and managed to take Tuivasa down with a beautiful outside-trip.
As soon as the second round started, both fighters started exchanging heavy blows. Every time Lewis connected with a strike, Tuivasa returned the favor. 90 seconds into the second round, the heavyweight duo found themselves in a phone-booth brawl and it seemed only a matter of time before someone got knocked out.
Tuivasa's relentless pressure forced Lewis to stay along the fence. The Australian then stepped in with a powerful elbow strike, putting 'The Black Beast' to sleep.
#1. Jamahal Hill's KO win over Johnny Walker at UFC Vegas 48
Light heavyweight contenders Jamahal Hill and Johnny Walker squared off in the main event of UFC Vegas 48. Walker was looking to return to winning ways following his loss to Thiago Santos, while Hill came into the bout eyeing a spot in the top ten of the 205 lbs rankings.
Both fighters' penchant for highlight-reel knockouts guaranteed that their bout would produce fireworks. In the opening minute of the fight, Jamahal Hill took control of the center of the octagon, forcing Johnny Walker to stay on the backfoot. Walker was evading most of Hill's attacks and even landed a few decent combinations of his own.
Hill then switched his stance and landed a powerful overhand right, sending Walker crashing to the canvas. 'Sweet Dreams' landed a few follow-up shots before the referee called a halt to the action at 2:55 of the first round.
With his win over Walker, Hill broke into the top ten of the light heavyweight division. He advanced his professional record to 10-1 with the KO victory and will be looking to move further up the rankings later this year.
Meanwhile, Walker picked up the fourth loss of his UFC career following his defeat to Hill. He is now 4-4 in the promotion and will need to make some significant adjustments to his game if he is to fulfill his title aspirations at 205 lbs.
