UFC 282 full results: Blachowicz-Ankalaev fight to split draw; Pimblett decisions Gordon
Saturday's main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas featured a title fight that wasn't even supposed to happen.
In mid-November, light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka suffered a significant shoulder injury and was forced to pull out of his UFC 282 headliner versus Glover Teixeira. Then, facing a long recovery, Prochazka vacated his belt in order to not hold up the division. Teixeira declined an opportunity to fight someone else for the title, so the UFC elevated the fight between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev to the main event and put the vacated belt on the line.
And after Saturday's main event, the fight might as well have not even happened. The belt remained vacant after Ankalaev and Blachowicz fought to a hotly disputed split draw. Judges scored it 48-47, 46-48 and 47-47.
In the co-main the judges also made a controversial call and awarded Paddy Pimblett the unanimous decision victory over Jared Gordon despite lopsided stats in Gordon's favor.
Here's how the fights unfolded:
UFC 282 main card results
Light heavyweight: Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev ends in split decision (48-47, 46-48, 47-47)
Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Catchweight (180 lbs): Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches) at 2:29 of R3:
SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO KNOCKS OUT ALEX MORONO WITH ONE OF THE BEST COMEBACKS OF THE YEAR #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/d6CkIlt9OP
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) December 11, 2022
Middleweight: Dricus du Plessis def. Darren Till by submission (neck crank) at 2:43 of R3
Featherweight: Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell by submission (arm triangle) at 3:10 of R2:
Ilia Topuria submits Bryce Mitchell!!!!pic.twitter.com/J7z9F1fmpe
— MMA mania (@mmamania) December 11, 2022
UFC 282 prelim card full results
THE HYPE IS REAL!!! RAUL ROSAS JR. GETS IT DONE IN THE FIRST ROUND!!! #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/fKOmviRL0m
— UFC (@ufc) December 11, 2022
Heavyweight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Chris Daukaus by KO (punches) at 0:23 of R1:
Oh my! Jairzinho Rozenstruik just stopped Chris Daukaus in 20 seconds! #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/dDAs2wDF4o
— Al Zullino (@phre) December 11, 2022
Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula by TKO (knee, punches) at 4:41 of R2:
Edmen Shahbazyan TKOs Dalcha Lungiambula! pic.twitter.com/2bsnYDyd6R
— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) December 11, 2022
Middleweight: Chris Curtis def. Joaquin Buckley by KO (punches) at 2:49 of R2:
ACTION-MAN INDEED BROUGHT THE ACTION 😤 #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/e9JN6rH8j8
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 11, 2022
UFC 282 early prelim card full results
Featherweight: Billy Quarantillo def. Alexander Hernandez by TKO (punches) at 4:30 of R2:
WHAT A COMEBACK FOR BILLY Q 💥 #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/Lx18cbkt4F
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 11, 2022
Featherweight: T.J. Brown def. Erik Silva by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:41 of R3:
TRIANGLE FOR TJ 📐 #UFC282 pic.twitter.com/R9qI0yQ1IX
— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) December 11, 2022
Bantamweight: Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow by TKO (knees and punches) at 4:13 of R3:
Cameron Saaiman brought the finishing combo 🎮 #UFC282
Stream #UFC282 TONIGHT on @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/4XaKa7EqGb pic.twitter.com/PbHkgKYbYX— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) December 11, 2022