5 fights to make for UFC 281 winners

UFC 281, arguably the best pay-per-view of 2022, delivered the goods and then some. A historic night of finishes at Madison Square Garden was capped off by a shocking knockout in the main event, but more on that later.

With a total of 11 finishes across the fight card and all five main event bouts ending in stoppages, the UFC's return to MSG was as explosive as it gets. The victors at the recently concluded pay-per-view will be moving on to bigger and better things down the line.

With that said, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC 281.

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#5. Ryan Spann vs. Jamahal Hill

Off the back of his submission win over Ion Cutelaba earlier this year, Ryan Spann moved up to the No.12 spot in the light heavyweight rankings. The hard-hitting American was then matched up with former title challenger Dominick Reyes, who held the No.7 spot.

With a berth in the top 10 up for grabs, Spann made light work of Reyes, knocking him out in the very first round.

Ryan Spann is among the most entertaining fighters in the 205-pound division. The 31-year-old clearly has heavy hands, and with 12 submissions on his record, he is a dangerous matchup for anyone he faces.

Spann will likely take on a top-ranked contender in his next outing. With the light heavyweight title set to be contested next month at UFC 282, the American will be eager to ascend the ranks. A fight against Jamahal Hill appears to make sense for all parties involved.

Hill occupies the No.6 spot in the rankings and, like Spann, is also coming off a massive knockout victory over a former title challenger. He called for a fight against former champion Jan Blachowicz or a title shot after his last win.

However, with Blachowicz now booked against Magomed Ankalaev, and Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic out with injuries, Spann will likely be the highest-ranked fighter in the top 10 available for Hill when the updated rankings come out.

Both light heavyweights have thunderous power, which makes this matchup a no-brainer from the UFC matchmakers' point of view.

Jamahal Hill (left) and Ryan Spann (right) [Images via @ufc & @fightpicsthatgohard on Instagram]

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#4. Dan Hooker vs. Renato Moicano

Dan Hooker returned to winning ways in style at UFC 281, putting away rising prospect Claudio Puelles with relative ease to pick up his first finish in over three years. Hooker's recent losses notably came against the best of the best and his latest win will serve as a huge confidence-booster.

In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, 'The Hangman' called for a fight on the UFC 284 card, slated to go down in Australia next year.

At the post-fight presser, Hooker claimed that he is willing to fight anyone, ranked or unranked, despite holding the No.12 spot on the lightweight ladder. A fight against another victor at UFC 281, Renato Moicano, seems logical for both fighters.

Moicano dispatched Hooker's teammate Brad Riddell, submitting him inside the very first round. After a turbulent run in the featherweight division, the Brazilian now looks settled at 155 pounds. He even called out Hooker at the post-fight presser, but wants the fight to take place in Brazil.

With next year's first two pay-per-views set for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in January and Perth in Australia a month later, a Hooker vs. Moicano bout on either pay-per-view is an ideal addition. Considering City Kickboxing fighters typically fight on the same card, and Hooker's star power relative to Moicano, this potential matchup would be a great fit for Down Under.

In his expletive-filled post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Moicano reiterated his desire to break into the lightweight rankings. With Hooker's willingness to take on anyone, and Moicano's strong motivation to have a number next to his name, this is the ideal pairing.

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#3. Dustin Poirier vs. Beneil Dariush

Coming off his disappointing loss to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira last year, Dustin Poirier was seemingly unsure about his future. With his goal of winning undisputed UFC gold in ruins at the time, everything from retirement to a potential move to welterweight was being discussed.

Nevertheless, Poirier returned to the win column in emphatic fashion at UFC 281, submitting Michael Chandler to further solidify his standing among the best lightweights in the world.

'The Diamond' showed tremendous heart against Chandler, finding a finish in the third round after sustaining a ton of damage in the previous two.

Dustin Poirier held the No.2 spot in the rankings going into the fight against Michael Chandler. With lightweight king Islam Makhachev set to fight reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in Australia next year, Poirier will likely need one more big win to seal another shot at gold.

The only logical matchup for Poirier at 155 pounds is Beneil Dariush, who came away with a massive victory last month. Dariush defeated highly touted up-and-coming contender Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, extending his win streak to eight.

Dariush also appears to be one win away from a title shot, making this matchup all the more plausible, maybe even for the undercard of Makhachev vs. Volkanovski.

Beneil Dariush isn't quite as popular as the rest of the top-ranked lightweights. A win over a widely recognized star like Dustin Poirier will not only boost his stock, but will also cement his place in a title fight next time around.

For Poirier, this could be his last chance to earn another shot at the undisputed title.

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#2. Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas 3 – UFC strawweight championship bout

Zhang Weili was a massive betting favorite heading into her championship bout against strawweight queen Carla Esparza at UFC 281, with many claiming that the Chinese star is the worst possible matchup for the two-time champion.

Weili showed exactly why she was such a big favorite, finishing Esparza in the second round to reclaim the title she once owned.

Zhang Weili is now a two-time champion. Ironically, her next bout could come against another two-time champion, who happens to have two wins over her.

Rose Namajunas famously knocked out Weili back last year to become a two-time titleholder. The TUF finalist then defended the title in her rematch with the Chinese standout, which was a very close affair. Despite the fact that Namajunas is coming off a loss, which was her lackluster snoozefest against Carla Esparza, a trilogy bout against Weili is warranted.

A potential third meeting between the two strawweight sensations has massive implications. Namajunas will have to beat Weili once again to become a three-time champion, and for the reigning queen, this is a chance to defeat the only fighter who has a win over her in the UFC.

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#1. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya 2 – UFC middleweight championship bout

In just his eighth professional MMA fight and fourth appearance inside the UFC octagon, Alex Pereira turned the MMA world on its head. A little over a year after his UFC debut at Madison Square Garden, the Brazilian knockout artist returned to the same arena to contest the middleweight title.

Pereira stunned the crowd in attendance and fans around the world as he rallied for a come-from-behind victory to end his former kickboxing foe and 185-pound kingpin Israel Adesanya's dominant championship reign.

Alex Pereira's win over Israel Adesanya marked the latter's first-ever loss at 185 pounds. 'Poatan' has now knocked out 'The Last Stylebender' twice across professional combat sports and holds three wins over the Nigerian-born Kiwi in total. However, their first two fights were in the kickboxing ring and shouldn't prevent Adesanya from securing a rematch.

The former champion was among the most dominant champions in the promotion going into this past weekend and his credentials warrant an immediate shot at the title. Moreover, he was clearly winning the fight until the fifth-round stoppage, which some argued was a tad premature.

Adesanya's legacy will be on the line heading into a rematch with Pereira. Another loss to the Brazilian, especially another knockout, doesn't bode well for his championship aspirations.

Pereira remains the boogeyman of Adesanya's storied career and 'The Last Stylebender' will be itching to have his revenge.