5 best UFC fights of March 2022

#2. Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva – UFC Vegas 50

Alex Pereira is regarded by many as one of the few fighters who could potentially dethrone UFC middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya. The duo locked horns twice while they were competing in kickboxing, with Pereira emerging victorious on both occasions.

Since their kickboxing days, they have enjoyed hugely contrasting careers. Pereira opted to remain in kickboxing while Adesanya fully committed to MMA following his second loss to 'Po Atan'. 'The Last Stylebender' has since gone on to do wonderful things in MMA, becoming a dominant world champion.

Pereira subsequently made the switch to MMA as well and has been training with light heavyweight champion Glover Texeira as he looks to make a mark in another sport. The multi-time kickboxing world champion joined the UFC in 2021 and delivered a sensational knockout victory in his promotional debut. In his next bout, he was booked to fight fellow Brazilian striker Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 50.

Many expected Pereira to breeze past Silva, who also prefers striking and is rarely seen attempting takedowns. However, the fight that ensued left fans shocked and thoroughly entertained.

Silva's toughness highlighted just how diverse Pereira's skillset is. 'Po Atan' was able to show just how good he is on the feet and he caught his compatriot with many powerful shots. Surprisingly, Silva managed to land some shots of his own during the fight, but was clearly outgunned in the matchup.

In particular, the third and final round was an absolute slugfest. Pereira was largely in control, but had to be wary of Silva, who was refusing to back down. They went the distance and 'Po Atan' came away with a unanimous decision victory.

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#1. Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena – UFC Columbus

The incredible bout between Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena at UFC Columbus can only be described as a brawl. The duo went toe-to-toe at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Brown's hometown.

Brown, who's been in the UFC since 2008, has always been an entertaining fighter to watch. Barberena also has a reputation for engaging in slugfests with his opponents, having won 'Fight of the Night' bonuses for his bout against Jason Witt and the memorable barnburner he had with Vicente Luque.

This matchup was expected to produce the goods and it delivered on its promise. Both fighters barely took a backward step and sustained quite a bit of damage courtesy of one another.

It seemed as though Brown clearly won the first round and Barberena won the third. The second was a very close affair and could've gone either way.

Ultimately, Barberena came away with a split-decision victory, much to the anger of the crowd in attendance. The judges scored the contest 29-28, 28-29 and 29-28 in favor of the eventual victor. Both fighters came away from UFC Columbus $50,000 richer as well, as their contest won the 'Fight of the Night' honors.