UFC 2022 Recap: Reports reveal insane number of fights and cage time last year

The UFC had an incredible 2022 with eight titles changing hands, several insane knockouts to remember, and a host of new talent showcasing their abilities on the biggest stage.

MMA outlet MMA Junkie teamed up with the promotion's live statistics producer, Michael Carroll, to quantify just how amazing the year was for the company.

They revealed that the UFC put on 511 fights in 2022, which totaled a staggering 92 hours, 30 minutes and 16 seconds. Also, 356,011 people attended live events, with the promotion raking in $84,437,808. 93 in live-gate revenue.

The longest fight card of the year occurred in February at UFC 271, which was headlined by Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. The event lasted 2 hours 57 minutes and 22 seconds.

A sum total of $9,950,950 was awarded for 199 fight-night bonuses. Furthermore, athletes were paid a total of $8,351,000 in Promotional Guidelines Compliance.

The year will also be remembered as the year of the cursed main event, either due to injuries sustained during the bout or fight cancelations.

Notable mentions would be Tom Aspinall's injury against Curtis Blaydes and Brian Ortega's shoulder dislocation against Yair Rodriguez, which cut short one of the most anticipated matchups in the featherweight division.

All in all, it appears that the growth experienced by the promotion during the COVID-19 era has continued with zeal. MMA has begun to seep further and further into 'mainstream culture', and 2023 should be no different.

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Nick Diaz spotted at UFC Performance Institute ahead of possible comeback in 2023

Nick Diaz is a bonafide legend of the sport, and alongside the likes of Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre, paved the way for the current crop of MMA fighters.

However, Diaz's story is among the most tragic in the sport's history. In 2015, he was banned for five years after testing positive for cannabis. The punishment, in hindsight, looks utterly ridiculous, particularly when considering that T.J. Dillashaw was banned for just two years despite admitting to taking EPO, one of the most effective PEDs in the world.

Diaz made his much-anticipated return against Robbie Lawler in 2021, but didn't look entirely 'match fit'. That said, the Stockton native was recently spotted at the UFC Performance Institute ahead of what could be a comeback.

The promotion's Twitter account posted the following:

"The General taking over the @UFCPI"