MMA Awards 2022: Breakout Fighter, Knockout of the Year and More

As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year.

Before we put a bow on 2022, it is time to crown the winners (and losers) of the End of Year awards.

Breakout Fighter of the Year: Alex Pereira

Runner-up: Usman Nurmagomedov

Alex Pereira won all three of his fights this year, transforming himself from a relatively unknown MMA fighter into the UFC middleweight champion–and the boogeyman for Israel Adesanya.

It feels like Pereira is forever destined to haunt Adesanya. That is precisely what he did this year, completing his rise to UFC champion in a remarkably short time. Their bout at UFC 281 felt like Pereira was stalking Adesanya for the first four rounds, until he finally connected with the requisite knockout blows in the fifth.

Pereira’s rise in the UFC over the past year was outrageous. A decorated kickboxer, Pereira made the transition to MMA look fairly easy.

Biggest Disappointment: Namajunas vs. Esparza II, UFC 274

Runner-up: Sean Strickland-Jack Hermansson

There was considerable anticipation in the buildup to the rematch of Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas. Unfortunately, it did not come close to meeting even moderate expectations.

This was one of the worst title fights in UFC history. There was no action. It appeared Namajunas’ strategy was to never be taken down, but she simply did not engage for five rounds. That was a bold approach, one that ultimately cost her the title.

The negative energy from the win seemed to carry over. Esparza dropped her newly won championship in her first title defense.

Submission of the Year: Oliveira vs. Gaethje, UFC 274

Runner-up: Jiri Prochazka-Glover Teixeira

This was the kind of submission that makes your heart beat just a little faster.

Slightly over three minutes into the fight, Charles Oliveira locked a rear-naked choke on Justin Gaethje. In that short amount of time, Oliveira had already outclassed Gaethje in technique, striking and jiu-jitsu. A crisp right hand dropped Gaethje to the mat, and it became mathematical as soon as Oliveira applied the choke.

When this occurred in May, it appeared Oliveira would be linked to the lightweight title for the considerable future. As it turned out, Islam Makhachev had other plans.

Worst Decision of the Year: Emmett vs. Kattar

Runner-up: Magomed Ankalaev-Jan Blachowicz

There were far too many flat-out bad decisions from the judges this past year. But the scorecard from the Josh Emmett-Calvin Kattar bout in June was particularly gnawing.

Despite Kattar landing more overall strikes and significant damage, Emmett won the bout by split decision. From a scoring standpoint, the most problematic round was the fourth. Two of the judges, Doug Crosby and Sal D’Amato, scored the round, 10-9, for Kattar, who landed more clean shots, particularly with a spinning elbow. There was no way to justify that round for Emmett, yet that is exactly what the third judge, Chris Lee, did, scoring it, 10-9, in Emmett’s favor.

Multiple negative ramifications followed. In addition to losing out on his winner’s purse, Kattar became the odd man out for the interim featherweight title fight–which pits Yair Rodriguez against Emmett in February at UFC 284. Instead, Kattar took a bout against Arnold Allen in October, which he lost when he suffered a torn ACL. Unfortunately, there were numerous other dreadful decisions, but this one was the worst.

KO of the Year: Chandler vs. Ferguson, UFC 274

Runner-up: Leon Edwards-Kamaru Usman

A front-face kick–one that was equal parts ferocious, violent, and fierce–caused a cataclysmic series of events. With that kick, Michael Chandler did what once would have been considered impossible–he removed the mystique and aura from Tony Ferguson.

One of the most frightening, dangerous figures to ever enter the Octagon, Ferguson was already in the back nine of his career entering that fight. But Chandler knocked him out and sent his career spiraling–Ferguson looked average, at best, in his ensuing loss to Nate Diaz in September. The victory further cemented the notion that Chandler is currently the most exciting fighter in all of MMA.

Incredibly, three of the fights listed–Chandler-Ferguson, Oliveira-Gaethje, and Namajunas-Esparza–all took place at UFC 274 in May. The Namajunas-Esparza debacle occurred in between two extraordinarily exciting bouts, further magnifying that disastrous bout. And though there were a number of compelling knockouts this year, especially the manner in which Leon Edwards ended Kamaru Usman’s title reign, this stands as the most spectacular KO of 2022.