5 best UFC fights of April 2022

The UFC put on four events in April 2022 and as such, fans were treated to some terrific fights as we inch closer to what promises to be a blockbuster summer for the world's premier MMA organization.

The promotion kicked off April in style, with UFC 273 delivering on all fronts. Two championship bouts and a number of pivotal fights went down at the stacked pay-per-view, and we even witnessed a legitimate 'Fight of the Year' contender.

The marquee pay-per-view was followed up by UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad and UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade on the subsequent weekend, before the month closed out with UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera.

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

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#5. Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Wu Yanan – UFC Vegas 51

Unranked 135-pounders Mayra Bueno Silva and Wu Yanan stole the show at UFC Vegas 51. The fight card, which was headlined by a welterweight clash between top-ranked contenders Vicente Luque and Belal Muhammad, was uneventful to say the least, apart from this women's bantamweight clash.

Both fighters are known for their striking prowess and this matchup stood out even before the Fight Night event. Bueno Silva has a traditional Muay Thai stance, with a high guard and very little movement. On the flipside, Yanan's kickboxing background shines through in her fights as she utilizes agility and lateral movement.

The stylistic clash was incredible to watch, as both fighters enjoyed moments of success at various points. Bueno Silva started better than her Chinese counterpart, winning the first round. Yan bounced back in the second, outstriking her Brazilian foe.

In the all-important third round, Bueno Silva turned up the pace while Yanan seemingly started to fatigue. She rallied in the final frame to come away with a unanimous decision victory. Their three-round bout won the 'Fight of the Night' honors and both fighters came away with a $50,000 bonus each.

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#4. Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2 – UFC 273

A title unification bout brimming with bad blood went down in the co-main event of UFC 273. Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling squared off against interim champion Petr Yan at the pay-per-view, over a year after their controversial first meeting.

In their first clash, Yan lost his title via disqualification after landing an illegal knee on Sterling. Going into the rematch, the Russian was eyeing revenge and was a massive betting favorite, considering the nature of the first fight before the illegal strike.

Aljamain Sterling was the target of a ton of criticism before his rematch with Petr Yan. Many fans, fighters and analysts accused the American of over-exaggerating his reaction to the illegal strike in the first fight, which ultimately saw the belt change hands. 'Funk Master' silenced his doubters in style, edging out a narrow decision win over his bitter rival.

Sterling dominated Yan in the third and fourth rounds, outwrestling the Russian and coming tantalizingly close to submitting him. 'No Mercy' bounced back in the final ten minutes, clearly winning the last two rounds, leaving the razor-thin first five minutes as the deciding factor.

The judges scored the bout in favor of Sterling via split decision. The bout was a closely contested and tactical affair, which in addition to the high stakes, made for dramatic viewing. Additionally, there was an expectation that 'Funk Master' would suffer a fate similar to that of their first meeting, making his impressive showing all the more commendable.

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#3. Dwight Grant vs. Sergey Khandozhko – UFC Vegas 52

Sergey Khandozhko is among the most experienced prospects in the UFC right now. The 29-year-old Russian joined the promotion two years ago with 30 professional MMA fights under his belt and has shown quite a bit of promise since then.

Khandozhko went 1-1 in his first two fights in the stacked welterweight division before being booked to take on Dwight Grant, who's been on the roster since 2018. The duo locked horns at UFC Vegas 52 and produced the best bout of the event by far, earning both combatants the 'Fight of the Night' bonus.

Sergey Khandozhko started strong, scoring an early knockdown in the very first round. Dwight Grant returned the favor minutes later, landing a powerful overhand to floor his Russian counterpart.

After both fighters were dropped in the first frame, they adopted a more patient approach in the second. Grant seemed to land the harder strikes but was constantly backing up. This ultimately led to his downfall as Khandozhko cornered him into the cage and uncorked a sharp left hook that ended the fight.

#2. Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera – UFC Vegas 53

Top-ranked bantamweight contenders Rob Font and Marlon Vera squared off in a pivotal main event clash at UFC Vegas 53. Font was coming off a decisive loss to Jose Aldo, while Vera was fresh off his sensational knockout victory against Frankie Edgar.

The bantamweight division has sprung back into life since Aljamain Sterling shocked the world by retaining his belt. With Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw, and Aldo all having a meaningful claim to a shot at gold, Font and Vera knew that the victor would put himself in a strong position in the pecking order at 135 pounds.

UFC Vegas 53 poster [Image via @BigMarcel24 on Twitter]

Rob Font clearly won the first round, outboxing Marlon Vera throughout the opening five minutes. Vera bounced back and took a commanding lead in the next three rounds, dropping Font multiple times with his vicious and wide arsenal of strikes. 'Chito' bloodied and battered his opponent en route to a unanimous decision victory to break into the top-tier of the division.

Vera is now likely one or two wins away from a championship opportunity. The durable Ecuadorian appears to be peaking at the right time and has emerged as an intriguing addition to the title mix.

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#1. Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC 273

In the immediate aftermath of the incredible barnburner between Gilbert Burns and Khamzat Chimaev, there was a feeling that we not only witnessed one of the best fights of the month, but also potentially the best fight of the year.

Gilbert Burns earned the respect of the MMA community by accepting a fight against the much lower-ranked Khamzat Chimaev. Burns previously held the No.2 spot in the welterweight rankings. If he'd turned down the Chimaev fight, nobody would've batted an eyelid.

However, Burns is among a handful of fighters who truly embody the 'anyone, anywhere, anytime' attitude. He was a sizeable betting underdog going into the fight with many expecting Chimaev to steamroll the Brazilian like he'd done with previous opponents.

Prior to the fight against Burns, Chimaev had only been hit twice in the famed octagon. At UFC 273, 'Borz' endured the toughest fight of his career by a long way as the welterweight duo delivered one of the greatest three-round fights of all time.

In the opening ten minutes, they won one round each and going into the third, the win was up for grabs.

Chimaev showed championship mettle in the final round, keeping his composure and walking down Burns with his relentless forward pressure. He came away with a unanimous decision victory to vault himself into the top five at 170 pounds, setting himself up for some massive matchups down the line.