5 best UFC knockouts of May 2022

UFC fans enjoyed yet another month of thrilling action in May as the MMA leader delivered three solid fight cards, comprising some excellent individual performances and finishes.

We even witnessed a sure-shot 'Knockout of the Year' contender, but more on that later.

The promotion kicked off the month with UFC 274 in Phoenix, Arizona, and followed up the pay-per-view with two Fight Night events at the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Over the course of these events, fans witnessed some truly memorable knockouts, which have been ranked below.

Here are the five best knockouts of May 2022.

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#5. Michael Johnson def. Alan Patrick – UFC Vegas 54

Michael Johnson owns one of the weirdest professional records you'll ever see. Coming into 2022, the American's record stood at 19-17, despite holding wins over the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Edson Barboza.

Johnson is one of the most inconsistent fighters on the roster. After his unanimous decision victory over Artem Lobov back in 2018, 'The Menace' lost his next four bouts and came into his UFC Vegas 54 matchup opposite Brazilian lightweight Alan Patrick desperate to break his losing streak.

He returned to the win column in emphatic fashion, knocking out Patrick to pick up his first win in over four years.

The first round was an evenly contested affair, as both fighters enjoyed moments of success in the striking exchanges. Johnson finished the round in a strong position, taking his opponent down and dominating from top position for the final minute of the opening frame.

Patrick struggled with Johnson's hand-speed throughout the bout. A little under four minutes into the second round, the Brazilian got caught with a powerful left hook, which put him to sleep.

It was Johnson's first knockout victory in over six years.

#4. Manuel Torres def. Frank Camacho – UFC Vegas 54

Manuel Torres earned a UFC contract following his successful appearance on Dana White's Contender Series last year. The heavy-handed Mexican lightweight made his full promotional debut at UFC Vegas 54, where he took on Frank Camacho, who's been on the roster since 2017.

Torres made a strong statement with his performance, coming away with a first-round TKO victory to cap off a masterful display of boxing.

Torres' hands were on fire right from the get-go, and it became apparent early into the bout that Camacho was in for a long night. The latter struggled against the reach and accuracy of his Mexican counterpart. He even attempted a few takedowns to stifle the striking threat of 'El Loco', but his success was short-lived.

Halfway through the third minute of the first round, Torres landed a pin-point right uppercut that sent Camacho crashing down to the canvas. The promotional newcomer earned a post-fight performance bonus for his exquisite knockout.

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#3. Andre Fialho vs. Cameron VanCamp – UFC 274

Andre Fialho has made quite the impression since his promotional debut earlier this year – a unanimous decision loss to Michel Pereira. The Portuguese welterweight returned to the octagon just three months after his narrow defeat to Pereira, finishing American prospect Miguel Baeza inside the opening round to open his account in the UFC.

Soon after his win over Baeza, Fialho demanded another fight and the matchmakers obliged. He took on Cameron VanCamp on the preliminary card of UFC 274, coming away with yet another knockout victory.

Fialho needed just over two-and-a-half minutes to put VanCamp away. He dropped the American with a picture-perfect left hook and the referee lunged in moments later to call a halt to the action.

The 28-year-old picked up his second 'Performance of the Night' bonus on the bounce with his win over VanCamp. As expected, he demanded another quick return to the octagon in his post-fight interview and the matchmakers obliged once again. He will feature at UFC 275 in Singapore as well.

#2. Chidi Njokuani def. Dusko Todorovic – UFC Vegas 55

Chidi Njokuani joined the promotion last year off the back of a dominant showing on Dana White's Contender Series. He is the younger brother of Anthony Njokuani, a UFC and WEC veteran, who currently competes in Eagle FC.

'Chidi Bang Bang' made his full promotional debut against Marc Andre-Barriault in February, producing a 16-second knockout. He then made a quick turnaround and was booked to fight Dusko Todorovic in his next outing.

The 33-year-old delivered another scintillating knockout, finishing Todorovic in devastating fashion to further boost his stock.

Todorovic did his best in the opening round, forcing Njokuani into some grappling exchanges. However, the striking specialist largely stayed out of danger on the mat and even threw up a few submission attempts of his own.

With just 12 seconds remaining in the first round, Njokuani uncorked a thunderous elbow strike while breaking away from the clinch, separating Todorovic from consciousness.

Now 2-0 in the octagon with two post-fight performance bonuses, 'Chidi Bang Bang' has emerged as an intriguing contender in the middleweight division.

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#1. Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson – UFC 274

Top-ranked lightweights Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson locked horns in a highly anticipated bout at UFC 274, with both fighters looking to snap their respective losing skids and return to winning ways.

Ferguson, in particular, was in desperate need of a win, with his last victory coming back in 2019 against Donald Cerrone.

Unfortunately for 'El Cucuy', he suffered the worst loss of his career thus far, coming out on the wrong end of a surefire 'Knockout of the Year' contender.

Ferguson performed admirably in the first round. He knocked down Chandler with a left hook in the opening frame and even sliced open a cut under the former Bellator champion's eye.

However, just 17 seconds into the second round, Ferguson found himself backpedalling as Chandler came forward and unleashed a jaw-dropping front kick. 'El Cucuy' faceplanted into the canvas after getting caught flush under the chin, while 'Iron' celebrated emphatically.

At the post-fight press conference, Dana White hailed Chandler's knockout as "the most vicious" one he'd ever seen.