5 best UFC events of 2022 so far

#3. UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje - Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

UFC 274 went down in Phoenix, Arizona, in May. While the main card was initially regarded as one of the best of the year at the time, it suffered some hiccups during fight week, which rubbed some shine off the pay-per-view.

Nonetheless, with three incredible matchups atop the bill, there was still a lot to look forward to.

In the co-main event of the pay-per-view, Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza produced one of the worst title fights in UFC history. The largely forgettable strawweight championship bout saw both fighters barely throw any strikes, with Esparza earning a split-decision win, likely thanks to her forward pressure.

Thankfully, the two lightweight scraps on the main card salvaged the entire event as Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira produced jaw-dropping performances. Chandler's knockout of Tony Ferguson, in particular, was undeniably the most memorable moment of the night.

The main event clash between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje was contested under weird circumstances, with Oliveira controversially missing weight prior to the fight. With only Gaethje eligible to win the belt, it felt as though the odds were stacked against the former Brazilian champion.

Despite being knocked down twice in the opening round, Oliveira rallied back and dropped Gaethje with a crisp right cross. With 'The Highlight' clearly dazed, 'do Bronx' pounced on his back and quickly found a submission, cemeting his standing as the best lightweight in the world.

If not for the Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson and Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje lightweight bouts, this event likely wouldn't feature on this list. However, with two scorching finishes and the back-and-forth nature of both fights, UFC 274 was definitely one of the better events of the first half of 2022.

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#4. UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2 – Toyota Center, Houston, Texas, USA

The second pay-per-view of 2022, UFC 271, went down at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, in February.

Headlined by dominant middleweight king Israel Adesanya and former foe Robert Whittaker, and comprising popular names like Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, Jared Cannonier and Bobby Green, this fight card delivered an enjoyable evening of MMA action.

There were some incredible bouts on the preliminary card, with the enthalling bantamweight scrap between Douglas Silva de Andrade and Sergey Morozov winning 'Fight of the Night' honors. Elsewhere in the prelims, women's MMA pioneer Roxanne Modafferi called a halt to her career soon after her unanimous decision loss to Casey O'Neill.

Strikeforce veteran Bobby Green put on a striking masterclass to kick off the main card, cruising to a comfortable decision win over Nasrat Haqparast. Next, Renato Moicano picked up an impressive submission victory over Alexander Hernandez, setting the stage for the three marquee bouts atop the card.

With a shot at the middleweight belt up for grabs, top-ranked 185-pound contenders Jared Cannonier and Derek Brunson squared off in the third fight of the main card. After being saved by the bell in the opening round, 'The Killa Gorilla' bounced back in the second and finished Brunson via TKO to stake his claim for a shot at gold.

The pay-per-view co-headliner saw Texas' own Derrick Lewis lock horns with surging Australian Tai Tuivasa. With Lewis ranked in the top five, this was a huge opportunity for Tuivasa to make a massive leap up the rankings, and he did so in spectacular fashion.

'Bam Bam' knocked out 'The Black Beast' with a thunderous elbow in the second round, which put the UFC veteran to sleep to cap off an exhilirating heavyweight slugfest.

In the main event, Israel Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight title for the fourth time, edging out a unanimous decision win against Robert Whittaker to further extend his championship reign.

Overall, it was a solid fight card, with Jared Cannonier and Tai Tuivasa's knockouts standing out as the most shocking moments of the night.