5 best UFC fights of November 2022

The UFC delivered on all fronts in November. Over the course of the penultimate month of 2022, the MMA leader put on three events, comprising some incredible finishes, as well as some explosive matchups.

We even witnessed a sure-fire contender for Fight of the Year, but more on that later.

Across two Fight Night shows and one blockbuster pay-per-view this past month, fans of the world's premier MMA promotion were treated to some truly spectacular fights, which have been ranked below.

Here are the five best UFC fights of November 2022.

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#5. Ion Cutelaba vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu – UFC Vegas 65

In the eleventh hour, the main event of UFC Vegas 65 between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivak fell through after the former was admitted to the hospital with medical issues. As such, the previously scheduled co-main event bout between Ion Cutelaba and Kennedy Nzechukwu was elevated to the headliner.

Ion Cutelaba is known for his explosive style, while Kennedy Nzechukwu has slowly emerged as a top-flight contender. With both fighters on the cusp of breaking into the light heavyweight top 15, this was always going to be an explosive matchup.

Cutelaba dominated the first round, taking his opponent down to the mat and landing heavy ground-and-pound strikes. Towards the end of the opening frame, Nzechukwu worked his way back to his feet, but had clearly lost the round.

In the second round, Nzechukwu landed a thunderous knee on his Moldovan counterpart and another knee soon after, sending Cutelaba crashing into the canvas. 'The African Savage' finished off the fight with a few follow-up strikes, prompting the referee to intervene.

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#4. Neil Magny vs. Daniel Rodriguez – UFC Vegas 64

Neil Magny is among the most admired and respected fighters in the UFC, largely due to his willingness to fight anyone, irrespective of rankings. The promotional veteran is notably the all-time leader for welterweight wins, ahead of former champions Georges St-Pierre and Kamaru Usman.

Magny has been the gatekeeper to the upper echelons of the 170-pound division for quite some time now. He is the ultimate test for up-and-coming prospects and his latest victim was surging contender Daniel Rodriguez.

Going into the bout, Daniel Rodriguez was riding a four-fight win streak, comprising wins over the likes of Mike Perry, Kevin Lee, and Li Jingliang. 'D-Rod' has established himself as one of the best strikers in the division since signing with the UFC and he backed up his reputation against Neil Magny.

Rodriguez's boxing was far too crisp for Magny early on. He was repeatedly having success with his left straight, which forced Magny to back-pedal and stay along the fence. 'The Haitian Sensation' struggled to manage the range against 'D-Rod' and it appeared as though the fight was slipping away from him heading into the final round.

An inspiring motivational speech from his coach in-between rounds seemingly lit a fire under Magny before the third round and he refused to back down thereafter. With just under 90 seconds left in the fight, he latched onto a D'Arce choke and forced the tap-out, becoming the first fighter to finish Rodriguez.

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#3. Mike Trizano vs. Seung Woo Choi – UFC 281

The featherweight scrap between Mike Trizano and Seung Woo Choi on the preliminary card for UFC 281 more than likely would've earned Fight of the Night honors if not for the Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler bout on the main card.

The bout started off in a fairly measured manner, with both fighters getting a feel for the range and speed of one another in the first 20 seconds. Out of nowhere, Trizano and Choi landed simultaneously on one another, and both featherweights fell to their bottoms.

Both Trizano and Choi bounced straight back to their feet after the double-knockdown and picked up where they left off. From that point on, they largely resorted to head-hunting and almost zero strikes were thrown to the body and the legs. Choi clearly had the power advantage, but Trizano was more accurate.

With the first round drawing to a close, the American uncorked a perfectly-timed check left hook, dropping his Korean counterpart for a second time. This time though, Choi was evidently compromised and after a few additional strikes on the ground, the referee stepped in, drawing a close to one of the most eventful one-round fights ever.

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#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira – UFC 281

Former kickboxing rivals Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira locked horns in the main event of UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in one of the most highly anticipated middleweight title fights in UFC history. The bout that ensued expectedly lived up to the hype.

UFC 281 fan-made poster [Image via @diaztwinsmma on Instagram]

With his two wins over Israel Adesanya in the kickboxing ring, including a brutal knockout, Alex Pereira was being touted as the only equal to 'The Last Stylebender' in the striking realm. Adesanya was looking to defend his middleweight strap for a sixth time, while Pereira was on the cusp of winning a world championship just eight fights into his professional MMA career.

The opening round was tetchy to say the least, with both fighters rightfully being cautious in their approach. While Pereira applied forward pressure, Adesanya used his movement and footwork to remain elusive.

The defending champion stole the round in the dying seconds, landing a crisp combination that staggered his Brazilian foe, who was seemingly saved by the bell.

The second round was closely contested as well, with Alex Pereira surprisingly landing a takedown before the bell. Israel Adesanya showed his class in the third and fourth frames, strategically using the clinch, initiating wrestling exchanges and putting the challenger in uncomfortable positions.

Going into the final round, Adesanya was ahead on the scorecards and needed to beat the clock in order to retain his title. However, cumulative damage from Pereira's leg kicks throughout the fight caught up with the Nigerian-born Kiwi and his movement was inhibited.

With three minutes left in the fight, Adesanya found himself cornered against the fence. Pereira landed a series of powerful shots, some of which went through the champion's guard, before he landed his signature left-hook flush on the chin. Adesanya was clearly dazed by the shot and after a few more strikes, the referee called a halt to the action and a new champion was crowned.

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#1. Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler – UFC 281

Since signing with the UFC in 2020, Michael Chandler's stock has reached astronomical heights. The former Bellator champion has adopted a kill-or-be-killed mentality since signing with the world's premier MMA promotion, which has produced some truly sensational fights so far.

Just one year after his Fight of the Year slugfest with Justin Gaethje at Madison Square Garden, Chandler produced another all-time classic when he took on one of the biggest stars in the UFC, Dustin Poirier.

There was quite a bit of tension between the lightweight duo heading into their bout at UFC 281. With both fighters looking to re-enter the title picture at 155 pounds, this was a high stakes matchup as well.

The first round was arguably the best round of the year as both Americans had moments of success. Chandler started strong and landed a barrage of punches early on, but somehow, Poirier was able to survive.

With Chandler pushing the pace, Poirier landed a perfect counter strike to drop his opponent, and by the end of the round, 'Iron' was bloodied and battered. Nevertheless, he did extremely well in the second round, taking Poirier down and controlling the majority of the round.

Seemingly 1-1 heading into the final frame, Chandler attempted another takedown, hoping to repeat his success from the previous round. However, Poirier took his back and proceeded to find the rear-naked choke, forcing the tap to conclude one of the best fights of the year.