After 12 months of shocking upsets, all-out brawls and everything in between, here's a short list of the sport's best entering the new year.
As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year.
The competition for best fighter in the world was fierce in 2022.
Alex Pereira won three fights this year, including a TKO victory against Israel Adesanya that crowned him the new UFC middleweight champion. Islam Makhachev continued his reign of dominance, wiping out Bobby Green before barely breaking a sweat while taking the lightweight strap from Charles Oliveira.