UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Results and Highlights

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UFC 282 - Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 08: (L-R) Opponents Jan Blachowicz of Poland and Magomed Ankalaev of Russia face off during the UFC 282 press conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 08, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

UFC 282 is the final Pay-Per-View card for the promotion in 2022, and will see the vacant light heavyweight title on the line.

Unfolding Saturday, Dec. 10 in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena, in place of the injured Jiri Prochazka, who was to face Glover Teixeira in a rematch atop the card, Jan Blachowicz instead took on Magomed Ankalaev.

As a result of Prochazka vacating the belt, the winner would claim gold, and likely find themselves in a title fight against Teixeira next year.

The co-main event saw Liverpool star Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, meanwhile, in his toughest test yet against the gritty Jared Gordon. A slow build up to the fight by Pimblett’s standards, however, gave him time to reignite his feud with Ilia Topuria, who was booked against fellow undefeated featherweight Bryce Mitchell on Saturday.

UFC 282 airs live on PPV, with the main card kicking off at 10PM ET. Prelims get underway at 6:30PM, were the televised portion of the early card commencing at 8PM ET. Full results from the event can be found below; full recaps for each fight will be linked.

Obi Won Shinobi the Pillow (Steven Koslow) debuts against Cameron Saiiman

Yes, “Obi Won” not “Obi-Wan” according to Tapology. Bruce Buffer gets all the credit for not tripping over this introduction. Round one sees some fun grappling exchanges; “Shinobi” looks like a bit of a ninja on the ground — sneaky good. With Koslow taking the fight on short notice, however, gas tank might be a question moving on past the opening frame. He’d also never left the first round as a pro, something that changed on Saturday.

After exploding out of takedowns in round one, Saiiman tried to wall-walk in round two. Didn’t work, but he’d wind up in control anyway. The Contender Series winner, making his debut as well, started the night a solid favorite. He looked more like it in the second, but landed a brutally illegal knee on a downed Koslow with just over a minute in the round.

“I’m not a little bitch, but that was f*cked up,” Koslow can be overheard saying while recovering. Point gets deducted from Saiiman. Koslow opting not to take the easy way out, but didn’t seem to be 100% even after several minutes to recover.

Round three. More grappling. Saiiman takes the back but is too high up. Koslow looking exhausted, but manages to reverse and get on top. Ref warning them, “no fingers in the eyes.” If we get a low blow, we’ll have Bingo on our foul card. Saiiman gets the back again. Landing some decent GNP. Koslow tries to turn in, can’t. Gets up, gets lit up. Looking out on his feet. Not defending intelligently. Ref wants a body. Finally calls it. Saiiman with the TKO. Koslow’s corner actually tried to throw in the towel, but hit the side of the octagon.

Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow by TKO (strikes), Round 3, 4:13

“Downtown” TJ Brown looks to topple “The King”

Erik “The King” Silva was the third debuting fighter in the first two fights at UFC 282. Won his way into the UFC on this year’s Contender Series. Brown comes out hot, great round for him. Round two, Silva starts strong, until Brown traps him against the fence and goes hunting for the rear-naked choke.

Between rounds, Silva’s corner tells him that Brown is tired. “I am too!” is probably not the response they were working for from their fighter. Brown gets the fight down early in the third. Goes to work on a Kimura. Drops an elbow/forearm or two. This looks to be Arkansas native Brown’s night. He sinks in an arm-triangle choke. That’s it. That’s the fight! TJ Brown via submission.

Brown, who has trained at Glory MMA and Fitness, fielded questions about the situation there, and James Krause, following the fight.

T.J. Brown def. Erik Silva by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 3:41

Featherweights looking to rebound — Billy Q and Alexander the “Great Ape”

An action packed opening round saw Alexander Hernandez and Billy Quarantillo both split open and bloodied. Hernandez landed the only takedowns in the round, and spent more time in control. With the damage more or less even, that likely gave him the round.

In round two, Billy Q began lighting up Hernandez. Hernandez was game, and looked to pursue takedowns, but he was out-gunned on the feet. The final sequence saw Hernandez shoot for a takedown. Quarantillo stuffed it, and rained down blows. Hernandez escaped, but out in the open, he was a sitting duck. Quarantillo began lighting him up, firing punches and knees until the ref waved it off with the pair still standing.

Billy Quarantillo def. Alexander Hernandez by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:30

Middleweight sluggers kick off televised card

Lots of action, as expected, in Chris Curtis vs. Joaquin Buckley. Round one, Curtis landed the most significant strike, a clean left hand. But Buckley ate it, and was the busier fighter overall, ripping the body at the end of the frame.

The active approach continued in round two. But it was the “Action Man” Curtis connecting with another left, countering a Buckley high kick. Buckley dropped, and Curtis piled on with hammer fists for the knockout win — number 30 in his career!

“Golden Boy” returns from one-year layoff with improved takedown defense

Edmen Shahbazyan was on the verge of going from hot prospect to bust, but after a year off to work on his game, he showed up at UFC 282 with noticeably improved takedown defense. Late in the second, however, it was his striking that got things down, as Shahbazyan began teeing off on Dalcha Lungiambula, landing knees, lefts, and rights. Lungiambula tried to cover up, but wasn’t doing enough. Battered by ground n’ pound, the ref called it off.

Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:41

If you blinked you missed Bigi Boy!

Jair Rozenstruik stung Chris Daukaus with a jab, followed up with a knee, then chased the American down, finishing it off with a left hand — all in just 23 seconds.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Chris Daukaus by knockout (punches), Round 1, 0:23

Raul wrecks “The Joker,” becomes youngest winning fighter in UFC history

Raul Rosas Jr. became the youngest fighter in Contender Series history at 17 earlier this year. Now 18, he became the youngest fighter to win in the UFC when he choked Jay Perrin into submission to cap off the UFC 282 prelims. “The Joker” was happy to play up the feud, but the teenager was just too much for him in the end. This kid is good. Here’s hoping they don’t rush him.

Topuria proves to be well-rounded, Paddy beware

A pair of unbeaten featherweights kicked off the UFC 282 main card, and Ilia Topuria, who had seemed more preoccupied with Paddy Pimblett during Fight Week, flipped the script.

While his striking was as clean as ever, Topuria managed to show strong takedown defense, and later willing went to the ground with submission specialist Bryce Mitchell. More impressively, Topuria beat Mitchell at his own came, forcing a tap in the second care of an arm-triangle choke.

“I knew that I was better than him on the ground, and I showed it,” Topuria said following the fight, speaking with Joe Rogan. He then questioned why the crowed was so quiet, after they serenaded him with boos and jeers on his way out.

Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:10

Darren Till returns, runs into wall in form of Dricus Du Plessis

Darren Till made his return at UFC 282 — and it wasn’t pretty early.

Discus Du Plessis was all over him right out of the gate. He trapped Till against the fence, and wailed away while Till did nothing but cover up. Till was eating dozens of punches, while jawing at the ref, insisting he was okay. Till then had to contend with a rear-naked choke, but the Liverpool fighter did manage to mount a late surge, getting Du Plessis to his back and landing some smashing elbows.

Till’s left eye was swollen up, but Du Plessis looked to have emptied the tank in round one. Till was picking his shots, landing a right hand, then a knee, early in round two. Du Plessis shot a takedown out of desperation, and landed it briefly. Till got right back up, and picked Du Plessis apart some more before the South African secured a late takedown and went after a leg lock before the horn.

Round three was for all the marbles. It was down to who wanted it more. Or, you know, insert whatever sports cliche you’d like. Though had the first been a 10-8 Dricus, well… it didn’t matter anyway. Du Plessis took Till down early, softened him up, forced him to roll over, and locked up the rear-naked choke.

Dricus du Plessis def. Darren Till by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 2:43

Ponzi locks up third-round finish over Morono

Just when it felt like the scorecards were going to be needed for the first time tonight, Santiago Ponzinibbio scored a knockout on Alex Morono care of a couple of well-placed right hands! That marked 10 finishes in 10 fights on a card that had looked soft on paper, but was punched up a couple of weight classes in terms of entertainment value.

Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:29

Paddy Pimblett’s T-Mobile debut fizzles

The UFC promised a Paddy Pimblett takeover as he fought in front of U.S. fans for the first time at the T-Mobile. It didn’t happen. Pimblett ended up in a grueling fight that slowed to a crawl in the second and third rounds. Pimblett would pull off a decision — winning 29-28 on all three scorecards. But it wasn’t the rousing success that many had hoped, including Pimblett himself, who said UFC 282 would be his breakthrough performance. It wasn’t — but he should grow from it.

Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Title stays vacant after UFC 282 main event ends in split draw

After a questionable decision in the co-main event, the judges completely botched the UFC 282 main event. While Jan Blachowicz had success early, chewing up the legs of Magomed Ankalaev, the Dagestani adjusted and came back. Most had him winning the fight, but the judges ruled it a split draw.

Even Blachowicz was surprised by the outcome, leading Joe Rogan to call him “an honorable man” following the fight. “I don’t know if I’m going to fight for this organization again, because I don’t know what happened,” a clearly upset Ankalaev said post-fight, while Rogan attempted to explain that the UFC wasn’t responsible for judges.

UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev Results

Main Card

Jan Błachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev ends in a split draw (48-47, 46-48, 47-47) – for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship
Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:29
Dricus du Plessis def. Darren Till by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 2:43
Ilia Topuria def. Bryce Mitchell by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:10

Preliminary Card

Raul Rosas Jr. def. Jay Perrin by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:44
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Chris Daukaus by knockout (punches), Round 1, 0:23
Edmen Shahbazyan def. Dalcha Lungiambula by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:41
Chris Curtis def. Joaquin Buckley by KO (strikes), Round 2, 2:49

Early Preliminary Card

Billy Quarantillo def. Alexander Hernandez by TKO (strikes), Round 2, 4:30
T.J. Brown def. Erik Silva by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 3, 3:41
Cameron Saaiman def. Steven Koslow by TKO (strikes), Round 3, 4:13

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