UFC 282: Błachowicz vs. Ankalaev was a mixed‑martial‑arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The event took place on 10 December 2022 at the T‑Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. An attendance of 18,455 spectators generated a total gate of $4,409,511.
Background
The original headliner was scheduled to be a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between the incumbent champion Jiří Procházka and former champion Glover Teixeira. Procházka withdrew on 23 November 2022 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery; he subsequently vacated the title. As a result, the co‑main event—former champion Jan Błachowicz versus Magomed Ankalaev—was promoted to the main slot and contested for the vacant Light Heavyweight Championship.
Several other bouts underwent changes in the lead‑up to the event:
- A heavyweight clash between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus was moved from an earlier Fight Night to UFC 282.
- Promotional newcomer Bo Nickal withdrew from a middle‑weight bout against Jamie Pickett because of injury.
- A light‑heavyweight fight originally slated as Alexander Gustafsson vs. Ovince Saint‑Preux saw multiple replacements (Philipe Lins, Antonio Trocoli) before Saint‑Preux was ultimately removed from the card.
- Bantamweight fighter Cameron Saaiman’s opponent Ronnie Lawrence withdrew; Saaiman faced promotional newcomer Steven Koslow instead.
- A welterweight bout between former champion Robbie Lawler and Santiago Ponzinibbio was cancelled when Lawler suffered an undisclosed injury; Ponzinibbio fought Alex Morono at a 180‑lb catchweight.
- Flyweight Daniel da Silva missed weight and was pulled from his fight with Vinícius Salvador for medical reasons.
Event Results
| Weight class | Fight | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Light Heavyweight (vacant title) | Jan Błachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev | Split‑draw (48–47, 46–48, 47–47) – 5 rounds |
| Lightweight | Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon | Decision (unanimous) – 3 rounds |
| Catchweight (180 lb) | Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Alex Morono | KO (punches) – round 3 |
| Middleweight | Dricus du Plessis vs. Darren Till | Submission (face crank) – round 3 |
| Featherweight | Ilia Topuria vs. Bryce Mitchell | Submission (arm‑triangle choke) – round 2 |
| Bantamweight | Raúl Rosas Jr. vs. Jay Perrin | Submission (face crank) – round 1 |
| Heavyweight | Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus | KO (punch) – 23 seconds into round 1 |
| Middleweight | Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dalcha Lungiambula | TKO (punches) – round 2 |
| Middleweight | Chris Curtis vs. Joaquín Buckley | KO (punches) – round 2 |
| Featherweight (pre‑lim.) | Billy Quarantillo vs. Alexander Hernandez | TKO (knees & punches) – round 2 |
| Featherweight (pre‑lim.) | T.J. Brown vs. Erik Silva | Submission (arm‑triangle choke) – round 3 |
| Bantamweight (pre‑lim.) | Cameron Saaiman vs. Steven Koslow | TKO (knees & punches) – round 3 (Saaiman deducted 1 point for an illegal knee) |
Notes: Raúl Rosas Jr., at 18 years old, set the UFC record as the youngest fighter to win a bout.
Bonus Awards
The UFC awarded $50,000 bonuses as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Dricus du Plessis vs. Darren Till
- Performance of the Night: Santiago Ponzinibbio, Ilia Topuria, Raúl Rosas Jr., Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Edmen Shahbazyan, Chris Curtis, Billy Quarantillo, T.J. Brown, and Cameron Saaiman
With eleven post‑fight bonuses, UFC 282 set the record for the most bonuses handed out at a single UFC event.
Significance
UFC 282 is notable for the vacant Light Heavyweight Championship being decided by a split‑draw, for the numerous card adjustments caused by injuries and withdrawals, and for establishing a new UFC record for the number of performance bonuses awarded in one event.