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Sometimes, UFC fighters win fights in dominant fashion and leave no questions to be asked about their performances. However, most fights don't follow a linear path involving one fighter solidly winning most of the striking exchanges and grappling sequences.
It's far more common for the two fighters involved in a matchup to each have moments of success. Complete shutout wins are rarer than most UFC fans may realize. What's even rarer, however, is a fighter who has been on the receiving end of a lopsided beating to suddenly snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
But when these moments happen, they create a buzz unlike any other. Throughout all of 2022, the UFC hosted events that featured such bouts. Fans witnessed the improbable become probable, and this list compiles five of the greatest comebacks of the year.
#5. Drew Dober vs. Bobby Green, UFC Fight Night 216
While UFC Fight Night 216 was overshadowed by controversy due to Jared Cannonier being awarded the win in a fight that some felt he lost, there was another headline-worthy bout. Two of the promotion's most consistent action fighters, Drew Dober and Bobby Green, clashed.
The initial proceedings of the bout were predominantly in Green's favor. He used lateral movement and slick counterpunching to punish his foe for his relentless aggression. Before long, Dober's face wore evidence of how poorly the first round had gone for him.
By the second round, Dober seemed like he was out of his depth. However, his aggression never faded. He marched onwards and sandwiched his foe between him and the fence. While his first swing found nothing but air, his second swing connected his left hand to Green's face, KO'ing him with a vicious left hook.
#4. Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson, UFC 274
Michael Chandler arguably has all of the necessary tools to become the best lightweight in the world. He is as fast, explosive and powerful as any 155'er alive. Furthermore, his wrestling base grants him the skills to dictate where a fight will take place.
Unfortunately, the three-time Bellator lightweight champion fights as if he's under the belief that he's immortal. He steps too far forward with every punch he throws. While this enhances his incredible knockout power, it also means he frequently runs into counterpunches.
Furthermore, he favors wide looping punches over straight shots. At UFC 274, he faced former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. 'El Cucuy' was on the wrong side of age by then. Yet for the first round, Tony turned back the clock. He lit Michael Chandler up and even dropped him.
With no other recourse, 'Iron' sought to wrestle and hold on to his foe. But he did nothing of note and it seemed like the second round would be similar to the first. However, 17 seconds into the second round, Chandler stunned the world by flattening Ferguson with a sudden front kick that knocked him out cold.
#3. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya, UFC 281
Longtime kickboxing rivals Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya finally clashed in a trilogy bout at UFC 281. While the matchup was the third bout between the pair, it was their first meeting in MMA as their previous two fights took place in kickboxing. Fans anticipated a kickboxing bout due to both men's aversion to grappling.
Up until then, 'The Last Stylebender' had only ever used his grappling defensively. Meanwhile, 'Poatan' was so new to MMA that he only ever relied on his striking. Upon their clash, Pereira was rocked badly at the end of the first round. Had there been a few more seconds left, he would have surely been TKO'd.
Fortunately, he survived. However, costly mistakes that revealed his MMA inexperience led to Adesanya outgrappling him for large stretches of the fight. Furthermore, 'Poatan' was exhausted and didn't seem to have the gas tank necessary to contend with his foe's wrestling.
With nothing to lose but everything to gain, Pereira went for broke in the fifth round. Every time he backed Adesanya up to the fence, the Nigerian tried to wrap him up in the clinch. He'd been doing so throughout the entire bout. So when he tried to do so again, Pereira punished him.
Every time Adesanya reached out with both hands to clinch, he left a gap. It was through that gap that 'Poatan' threw a straight right that rocked his foe. Wobbled and hurt, Adesanya tried to clinch him again. However, Pereira stepped across him and slipped on the outside of his extended arm.
Standing on Adesanya's open side, he smashed him with a murderous left hook. The Nigerian reacted far too poorly to the referee's liking and the bout was called a TKO win for 'Poatan'.
#2. Jiří Procházka vs. Glover Teixeira, UFC 275
The manner in which Jiří Procházka captured the UFC light heavyweight title was chaotic. The Czech phenom was riding a lengthy 12-fight win streak that included 11 knockouts. Thus, in the eyes of many, his best chance to dethrone Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Glover Teixeira was by knocking him out.
Once the two clashed at UFC 275, however, something else occurred. While Procházka found some success, his risky style of stepping deep with every punch cost him. Furthermore, his habit of extending his combinations caused him to stand in the pocket for too long, undercutting his reach advantage.
Teixeira made him pay. He had a higher percentage of significant strikes landed and managed to secure five takedowns in the bout. Furthermore, he dropped his foe with a stinging left hook. While the Brazilian had to wade through shots of his own, the fight seemed all but over in the fifth round.
Teixeira froze his foe with a massive right hand. Instead of pursuing the KO, the Brazilian made the mistake of going for a guillotine-choke. Not long afterwards, Teixeira secured a takedown but Procházka kicked himself off the fence and rolled on top of the Brazilian.
A scramble ensued and with 30 seconds left in the round, the Czech phenom slapped on a rear-naked choke. No hooks were in, so it seemed like a last-ditch effort from a man seconds away from losing. Instead, to the shock of many, the BJJ white belt forced the accomplished black belt to tap out.
#1. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman, UFC 278
UFC 278 was not the first meeting between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman. The pair first crossed paths nearly seven years ago when neither man was well-known to the masses. While 'Rocky' had an advantage in the striking department, he was unable to stop 'The Nigerian Nightmare' from outwrestling him.
He lost but vowed to exact his vengeance. Years later, both men had improved by leaps and bounds. Leon Edwards, who was often dismissed as forgettable by his peers, had finally earned the title fight that eluded him for so long. Salt Lake City served as the battleground for a bout years in the making.
The Englishman's efforts were admirable as he stole the first round by becoming the first fighter to take Usman down in the UFC. Alas, the oxygen demands of Salt Lake City's high altitude environment taxed Edwards' lungs to no end. Before long, he was too exhausted to deny Usman's wrestling.
He spent the subsequent rounds being ragdolled. By the end of the fourth round, he looked all but beaten. Fortunately, his corner wasn't ready to surrender just yet. His coach, Dave Lovell, gave him a wake-up call and 'Rocky' obliged. In the fifth round, he threw the kitchen sink at his foe.
Throughout his career, Usman has avoided jabs and straight punches by slipping them. Unfortunately, he dips his head too low when doing so. Edwards made a read earlier in their bout and capitalized on it. A minute away from losing a lopsided decision, he faked a jab-straight left combination.
Usman dipped his head on the outside of what he thought was a straight left. Instead, he moved his head right into the arc of a head kick that left him frozen on the mat.
