5 best UFC fights of May 2022

#4. Charles Oliviera vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC 274

For as long as this scorching bout lasted, it was a thrilling sight to behold.

Two of the most lethal finishers in the UFC, Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, locked horns in the main event of UFC 274. Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title after controversially missing weight by 0.5 pounds, and only Gaethje was eligible to walk away with the belt if he came out on top.

Nevertheless, Oliveira further extended his scintillating win streak, finishing Gaethje inside the very first round.

Gaethje started strong and even scored a knockdown early on. However, likely out of fear of his counterpart's grappling prowess, the American opted to allow Oliveira back to his feet rather than join him on the canvas.

With both fighters clearly looking for a quick finish, Gaethje started loading up on his punches and knocked down the former champion for a second time. Oliveira bounced back soon after, dropping 'The Highlight' with a crisp right straight before pouncing on him on the ground.

Despite being bloodied, Oliveira worked his way to Gaethje's back swiftly and sunk in a rear-naked choke to finish the fight.

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#3. Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC 274

Michael Chandler has made quite the impression since joining the UFC back in 2020. The former Bellator lightweight champion hit the ground running upon joining the world's premier MMA organization, coming away with a first-round TKO win over perennial contender Dan Hooker in his promotional debut.

However, Chandler came up short in his next two bouts against Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, which saw him drift further away from title contention. At UFC 274, 'Iron' took on former interim champion Tony Ferguson, who was also looking to snap his losing skid.

Ferguson was coming off consecutive losses to Gaethje, Oliveira and Beneil Dariush going into the bout with Chandler. 'El Cucuy' lost almost every round in the three aforementioned losses and it appeared as though time had finally caught up with the TUF winner.

Nonetheless, Ferguson looked back to his best in the first round, dropping Chandler with a left hook and causing significant damage from bottom position after 'Iron' took him down.

17 seconds into the second round, Chandler bounced back in emphatic fashion, putting Ferguson to sleep with a thunderous front kick up the middle.

Chandler's surefire 'Knockout of the Year' contender turned the MMA world on its head. Moreover, his memorable pro-wrestling style post-fight interview went viral, as did the still image of his foot crashing into Ferguson's chin.