UFC 282
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Website | www |
UFC 282: Błachowicz vs. Ankalaev was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 10, 2022, hosted at the T-Mobile Arena located in Paradise, Nevada, United States.
Background
Originally, the event was scheduled to feature a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between reigning titleholder Jiří Procházka and former champion Glover Teixeira. Procházka had secured victory in their initial encounter at UFC 275 in June, winning by submission in the fifth round. However, on November 23, Procházka withdrew due to a shoulder injury that necessitated surgery, subsequently vacating the championship. Teixeira opted not to face replacement opponent Magomed Ankalaev. As a result, the co-main event featuring former champion Jan Błachowicz against Ankalaev was promoted to headline status for the vacant title.
A heavyweight contest between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus, initially planned for UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan, was postponed and rescheduled for this card for reasons not publicly disclosed.
Promotional debutant Bo Nickal was originally set to make his first appearance against Jamie Pickett in a middleweight bout but withdrew because of injury, leading to the cancellation of their matchup.
A light heavyweight clash involving former title challenger Alexander Gustafsson and ex-interim contender Ovince Saint Preux was arranged. Gustafsson later pulled out for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament champion Philipe Lins. Lins subsequently withdrew as well, with Antonio Trocoli stepping in as a replacement. Trocoli also withdrew due to visa complications, and with no further replacements available, Saint Preux was removed from the lineup.
A bantamweight fight between Cameron Saaiman and Ronnie Lawrence was scheduled; however, Lawrence withdrew shortly before the event. Promotional newcomer Steven Koslow filled in as his replacement.
A welterweight bout was planned between former UFC Welterweight Champion Robbie Lawler and Santiago Ponzinibbio. This fight had been previously booked for UFC 245 in 2019 but was canceled due to Ponzinibbio suffering a staph infection. The matchup fell apart again when Lawler withdrew because of injury and was replaced by Alex Morono, with the bout contested at a catchweight of 180 pounds.
A flyweight matchup featuring Daniel da Silva versus Vinicius Salvador was expected but ultimately canceled after da Silva missed weight and was withdrawn due to an undisclosed medical condition.
Results
Bonus awards
A total of $50,000 bonuses were granted to the following competitors:
- Fight of the Night: Dricus du Plessis vs. Darren Till
- Performance of the Night: Santiago Ponzinibbio, Ilia Topuria, Raúl Rosas Jr., Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Edmen Shahbazyan, Chris Curtis, Billy Quarantillo, T.J. Brown, and Cameron Saaiman
This event established a new UFC milestone by distributing eleven post-fight bonuses, the highest number ever awarded at a single event.