5 best UFC knockouts of June 2022

The UFC delivered another month of scorching MMA action in June 2022. As the world's premier MMA organization gears up for a blockbuster summer, we thought we'd look back on what was arguably the most action-packed month of the year so far.

We even witnessed a 'Knockout of the Year' contender, which brought an end to one legendary former champion's gold-laden career.

A former champion retired in June 2022 [Image via @btsportufc on Twitter]

The promotion put on four fight cards in June, including three regular Fight Nights and one stacked pay-per-view. Over the course of these events, fans witnessed some truly spectacular finishes.

Here are the five best knockouts of June 2022.

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#5. Jake Mathews def. Andre Fialho – UFC 275

Back when he was just 19 years old, Jake Mathews signed with the UFC with a ton of expectations on his shoulders. Only a handful of fighters in the world have featured in the octagon at such a young age and Mathews has admirably maintained a winning record while competing at the highest level.

After joining the UFC in 2014, Mathews compiled a 10-5 run over the next seven years. Desperately in need of a statement-making win to really make a run for a spot in the rankings, 'The Celtic Kid' took on Andre Fialho at UFC 275 in Singapore, looking for his 11th win in the octagon.

Mathews looked like a fighter reborn right from the get-go and his hands looked better than ever. The Australian's crisp boxing combinations stunted Fialho's forward pressure and it became clear that we were witnessing the very best version of 'The Celtic Kid' we'd seen thus far.

In the second round, it appeared as though Mathews was truly in the zone and he was seemingly landing every shot he threw. Halfway through the second frame, the Aussie connected with a powerful right hook, which put Fialho to sleep.

#4. Ricardo Ramos def. Danny Chavez – UFC Austin

Since joining the UFC in 2017 as a bantamweight prospect, Ricardo Ramos has slowly emerged as an intriguing contender at featherweight. After a five-fight stint at 135 pounds, the Brazilian opted to move up to 145, and in his fifth bout in the division, he took on Danny Chavez at UFC Austin.

Ramos initially made a name for himself with his impressive spinning elbow knockout of Aiemann Zahabi back in 2017. There have only been three other such knockouts since then, courtesy of Dong Hyun Kim, Jiri Prochazka, and Molly McCann, at least until Ramos' fight against Chavez.

A little over a minute into their bout, 'Carcacinha' uncorked a perfectly-timed spinning attack. His elbow caught Chavez flush on the chin, sending him crashing down to the canvas.

Ricardo Ramos' Paradigm Sports stablemate and global superstar Conor McGregor even took to social media to commend the Brazilian's creative finish.

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#3. Jeremiah Wells def. Court McGee – UFC Austin

Jeremiah Wells doesn't quite have the hype his performances have warranted thus far. The Philadelphia native signed with the UFC in 2021 and delivered two impressive finishes in his first two fights inside the octagon, stopping Warlley Alves and Mike Mathena.

In his third octagon outing, the 35-year-old locked horns with Court McGee, who's been on the roster for over a decade.

Court McGee is known for his durability, with all but one of his losses coming via decision prior to this bout against Jeremiah Wells.

In the opening exchanges, McGee was able to evade most of Wells' power shots and forced him to backpedal. After a tetchy 90 seconds, Wells explosively burst forward, catching his counterpart with a perfectly-placed hook. McGee came crashing down to the ground, and after two follow-up shots, the referee called a halt to the bout.

#2. Maheshate def. Steve Garcia – UFC 275

Chinese up-and-comer Maheshate earned a UFC contract following a successful performance in season 5 of Dana White's Contender Series, where he cruised to a dominant unanimous decision win. In his promotional debut, the 22-year-old took on Steve Garcia, who is also an alum of DWCS.

Both fighters came out like a house on fire, with Garcia's signature forward pressure causing problems for Maheshate early on. Amidst frantic striking exchanges in the opening seconds of the bout, the Chinese star dropped his American counterpart, who gathered himself and attempted a takedown, which he failed to complete.

After about 20 seconds of clinch work against the fence, the duo separated. As Garcia came forward once again, Maheshate connected with a crisp right hook to pick up his first octagon victory, as well as a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.

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#1. Zhang Weili def. Joanna Jędrzejczyk – UFC 275

Back in early 2020, when Zhang Weili was the reigning strawweight queen and former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk was looking to reclaim the title she lost a few years prior, the 115-pound duo combined to deliver the greatest women's fight in promotional history.

Weili emerged victorious on the night, coming away with a razor-thin split decision win. Two years after their memorable first encounter, Jędrzejczyk returned to the octagon to run it back with her former foe, with huge title implications on the line.

Dana White previously stated that the victor will fight current strawweight titleholder Carla Esparza next. With such high stakes, Weili and Jędrzejczyk picked up where they left off and the striking exchanges in the first round of the rematch were reminiscent of their initial meeting.

Weili finished the first round strong, using her much-improved wrestling to stifle Jędrzejczyk's pressure. In the second frame, 'Magnum' uncorked a picture-perfect spinning backfist which saw Jędrzejczyk fall face-first into the mat.

Weili Zhang more than likely earned a title shot with her highlight reel finish. Joanna Jędrzejczyk, on the other hand, called a halt to her career soon after the bout, drawing curtains on a historic and hugely influential run in the UFC.