The UFC dotcom editorial staff handed out awards to close out an exciting 2022 in the Octagon, including Fight of the Year and more!
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Leon Edwards "LOOK AT ME NOW" sound bite is the most epic ever. That post fight interview was AMAZING. He lifted every person thats ever felt like the underdog in LIFE. He lifted the world in that moment.
That post interview was epic. Him saying how everyone doubted him and now he's champion was lit.
Watched it 2 days ago and it still makes my eyes well up. The raw emotion combined with the unlikely outcome of the fight was the stuff of legend
P4p head shot. Dead.
"Pound for pound, headshot, dead" is one of the most epic phrases ever, especially considering its context
agree，have watched many times
Edwards coldest post fight in ring interview ever in MMA his voice man chills “pound 4 pound headshot dead that’s it “ 🥶 🥶 🥶
Yeah I have to agree I haven't seen a better post fight interview and facetiming his mam in the back also was pretty sweet. Just the whole story is epic !
yes this was nice and ngl over in boxing caleb plant burying old boy direll i think after finishing him was some stone cold shit 💀☠
@@dawadahyahawadah7094 yeah man that was wild. Clean knockout after Direll saying he was gona Bury him or some shit pre fight 😅
I was getting teary eyed hearing him say "y'all doubted me but ... LOOK AT ME NOW"
@@hikki6478 such a feel good interview that's worth playing back every so often. That's his legacy right there
Glover's evolution throughout the years is crazy. The way he changed his game and adapted to become champ.
Ooo
Idk about that, Jon Jones left. That's about it
@@yusuf8938 Jones not fighting is out of Glover's control. Someone has to be the champ. What I mean is when Glover first came into the UFC he was a boxer and a knockout artist. Now that he's older, he changed the way he fights and is more of a grappler. Back in the day you would expect KOs from him. Idk how new you are to MMA, but this is pretty obvious.
Even in defeat he still showed why he is so highly rated.
He didn't really change anything
Wei Li’s submission of Esparza goes under the radar man, a back crucifix choke that’s sickkkk
That was my pick for sub of the year
I agree, but Jessica's sub was special man. Rare as hell and against top competition as well.
@@mrkang4080 Idk man, Weili’s sub had more weight to it, cuz it was for a belt, plus Esparza shits on Lemos in the ground game, so for By your standards, Zhang’s sub should’ve been the winner, cuz it was for a belt against an elite wrestler, idk how they chose that bum ass submission over Zhang’s
@@theoptimisticatheist1528 you’re overthinking it lmao
Nothing Special against Esparza shes a Old Girl shes not that good anymore its a differente Time..
Khamzat v Burns deserves an honorable mention. Such a sick fight.
deserved fight of the year, glover vs jiri was good, but did not have the hype and the energy
@@mahito8998 nah Jiri vs Glover was 100% FOTY, Khamzat vs Burns definitely 2nd place though
@@mahito8998 DID NOT HAVE THE HYPE AND ENERGY?????
@@mahito8998 You're kidding! That Glover-Jiri fight was the most evenly matched fight of the year. Literally either one could have won more than a few times, in the back and forth... until that very last few seconds, when Glover went for the kill and was killed himself... with both no longer able to stand-up, so they duked it out on the mat, with the master of BJJ falling to his own sword against novice in BJJ... Old man glover also is an elite boxer, so if one of those punches he had hurt Jiri had been hard enough to render the younger guy falling to a TKO, it wouldn't have surprised anyone. Likewise, Jiri is so big, strong, and young, if one of his powerful swings or Muay Thai knees or kicks ended the old man, no one would have been surprised. Ditto, if the BJJ master ended Jiri. But it surprised Jiri, Glover, and everyone else that Jiri subbed Glover... especially that last BJJ move of Glover's against a very dazed Jiri was thought of as the finishing touch.... only to have the extremely hurt Jiri immediately reversing the BJJ & ending an elite BJJ master like Glover on the mat!
@@mahito8998 bruh you gotta be mentally challenged. Khamzat burns doesn’t come close to jiri Glover😭😭😭
No matter how many times ppl call it lucky, the clip doesn’t lie 2:03 the reaching and touching of Usman’s left glove to pull it down getting Usman to circle right and duck. Then the fake left kick twisting to make sure if he saw a kick he wouldn’t react too much. Following by the lethal combo but instead faking the jab get him circling right seeing what he’d been throwing a left body kick only to turn over into the ducking head of usman. Beautiful.
People calling it lucky are just struggling to cope with either emotion, money lost, or both.
How many defenses will he have? Lol
@@wellplayed8332 2 feels generous
Jiri v Glover was such a back and forth i was on the edge of my seat the whole fight. And for Jiri to come out with the submission in the final minute was incredible. Easy Fight of The Year award.
Was easily one of the best fights I've ever seen.
Man the way jiri got out of the arm triangle choke was fuc%ing unbelievable
Agree, back and forth brawling and subs attempts. High energy on both sides till the end. I'm a new fan for both fighters, they still respect each other before, during and after the fight, what a classic.
Love the fact that they included the pep talk by Leon's coach. Iconic ❤️
If it weren't for that speech Leon wouldn't be the And New!
@@leviharnage8418 That was literally some Rocky Balboa shit, IRL😭
Leon “rocky” edwards, the nostalgia when they started playing the Rocky theme song
If Leon beats Usman again that will be crazy
Either leon finishes him or usman takes him down and holds him for 5 rounds straight. I don’t see any other way the fight could go
I don’t see that happening tbh
@@Chadius_Thundercock Leon and finish shouldn’t even be in the same sentence, Leon is the ultimate point fighter with nearly 0 finishes in the last 5 years. Usman has a higher chance of finishing Leon than Leon has a chance of finishing Usman
@@User-79916_ue still finished snoozeman
@@GorillaWithThemGuns im going with Usman but realistically some fighters are never the same after a bad ko like that gonna have to see how he rebounds and how his chin holds up
Glover is the definition of a warriors spirit. Man's a goat in his own way
GOATS don't lose titles on their first defence. He is a journeyman who got a lucky break with other people's injuries.
@@littlesebastian4389 jan was injured?
@MilkyMilkyMan I won't call Glover goat (too many people overuse that term), but he isn't a journeyman. He gave Jiri his toughest fight, and if it weren't for unforced errors he would've retained the title.
@@littlesebastian4389 You can't be a champion and a journeyman. You can't call Bisping a journeyman anymore either, he's a champion. Very similar. Journeymen don't win titles aka Jorge Masvidal.
@@littlesebastian4389 imagine being so brain washed and mad at the world that you actually think texeira is a journeyman
Leon Edwards fight was just out of fantasy, will be forever in our memories. One of the greatest moments in MMA history.
Crazy moment
The one in a million kick that got him a title, in a fight he got dominated xD
@@deathcal29 he won two rounds 5th and first
im afraid it will be shortlived. usman will be back with a vengeance. on a flip side, a fighter usually changed once he's been ko'd
greatest moment? naah, he just got lucky.
People saying Edwards head kick was lucky, he trained that sequence heavily before the fight and even did the headshot gesture before the fight started. Well calculated! Leon has to be the most composed fighter in the UFC
The level of the sport has come up so much in the past 5-10 years its crazy
Bro tried sneaking in 10 years, nah the last 5 years
its gonna get even better as times goes on, boxing is dying at the moment
@@draco2xx facts boxing is going downhill. 2023 is supposed to be pretty good with Fury vs Usyk and some other big fights already being announced. But yeah boxing is pretty much dead.
the impressive thing about that Usman Edwards fight was that Edwards is not used to high altitude while Usman is most fighters would have given up being gassed out like that and getting outwrestled to death for a striker he grapples really well, always tried to get out of bad positions and never accepted them unless he was completely gassed.
True, Usman also let off the gas. Thought he was good enough to stand at range with Edwards.
@@TheThigh Yes, even Usman --- who trained at higher altitude next door Colorado --- was breathing heavily. Look at his diaphragm when the 5th started. Leon was exhausted and Usman himself wasn't that much better; Usman simply had more experience fighting championship fights. People kept saying Usman and Glover could have done better and finished Leon and Jiri off, respectively. But they DID THEIR VERY BEST, in those last few minutes... everyone was exhausted like shit, hardly able to stand straight! Anyway, in London, at sea level, an older/36 year-old Usman... with a horrible KO kick to his head ---- WILL be facing an even more prime, more determined, more agile/faster, and more skilled 31 year-old Leon, without altitude/breathing issues. Ditto for Glover; even if he defeats the mostly striker Hill, against Jiri, if he's able to heal up from his shoulder injuries.... the old veteran --- who will be more than 2 years older than the last older guy who face a much younger Jiri ---- will face a stronger, more prime, and more skilled Jiri, too! Very tough situations for both extremely skilled Usman and Glover....
@@kiabtoomlauj6249 Edwards just got lucky with the headkick and nothing else.
@@longjidalu3845 It takes a lot of skill to get lucky in a championship fight. I think Usman is still the better fighter, but Leon earned that win.
@@kiabtoomlauj6249 crazy that Usman was gassing even with all that EPO in his system.
Glover may not have won the match but he won my heart.
its amazing how everyone were shitting on Leon UFC put him on the shelf even though he only lost to Usman and went on a long winning streak remember how people were calling him glass chin because he got rocked after fighting for 24 minutes dominating Nate? and all this hate for what? he never ran his mouth or hurt anybody, I donno why people try so hard to drag each other down
You're reaching: no one called him glass chin and he wasn't hated, he was just ignored..
@@akindtroll28 nah bro, Diaz fanboys make up a large portion of the UFC fan base and they couldn’t stop criticising Leon, Masvidal fanboys too
@@akindtroll28 people definitely clowned him hard and said diaz basically won that fight
Nate had the same fight as edwards did.. he got dominated all match and got a lucky strike that wobbled nate.. strikers chance is a real thing thats why usman should of just hugged him for another minute
@@akindtroll28 you are underestimating the cte army.
FINALLY Jack Della Maddalena is getting the shine he deserves! The man is going to be a belt contender in the future. Super stoked to see him get some recognition here!
I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're from Australia
Who ?
WA Represent
That dudes striking is insane
His nose is smashed
Procházka vs Teixeira is the best fight I've ever seen. It could have ended any time, constantly back and forth, top quality fighters and finish 30 seconds before the end in a 5 round fight.
@@EarthenGames I agree with most of this but Jones vs Cormier was clearly a higher skilled fight.
leo edwards ko leg kick still gives me goosebumps everytime when i see it till this day
I thought they were gonna give chandler ko of the year for the front kick. I’m so happy they made the right choice and finally gave Leon his much deserved respect
Washed up tony is not exciting
That's the one that should've won. Leon's was so basic.
@@Eyeofthetiger69buddy I bet $10,000 dollars u can throw a front kick to someone’s head rn. And I’ll bet $1,000,000 u can’t throw a roundhouse to the head. Discussion over bud.
The jiri vs glover fight has to be hands down the best fight ever
Absolutely not. Best fight EVER? That is a ridiculous overstatement.
greatest fight ever. It had everything. Good accuracy (maybe head movement sucked). You couldn't tell who was gonna win. Lots of moments where it could have ended. Great survival and escape through everything. Greatest fight ever!
@@bradleye660 that's not crazy to say at all, definitely top 5. Did you not see that fight??
@@TheHenlio also saw gus jones live, and if you have watched the fight, it’s definitely a ridiculous statement to say best ever
It’s debatable but it’s not a ridiculous statement. It was a great fkg fight and more entertaining than Jones vs Gus 1 in my opinion.
Leon's corner deserves fighter of the year..💯!
I still think islam makachev or perriera deserved it more.. they werent getting dominated like edwards was.. and they for sure didnt get lucky to have a strikers chance for a ko.. both of their finished came from their gameplan.. but oh well i guess it was the most hyped one and the more views means the more sht u get
@KZheadAccount prolly but well see whose improved more
Everything about Leon’s victory from the corner pep talk, to the clinical finish, to the post fight speech… will forever be edged in history Also how can you not love Trevor Whitman mane as smiling as Leon was celebrating
RIP Stephan Bonnar 😔
😨😰
Thought this was one of those Joe Rogan jokes but damn it’s real.. rip
RIP
@@musamansa8577 no damn not a east few years for SB it’s been a sad period with Rumble and the others all passing 😔
1:15 whoever edited Edwards post fight speech with him doing the boom headshot before the bout started deserves a raise.
💯
Not an edit lmao
Not an edit bro
@@bobbydeazy y'all on crack they showed pre fight footage (fighter intros) with a post fight speech and y'all don't think that's an edit? It's not the same gesture he did after he won it's before. Obviously he did it after wards with the belt but, notice how he doesn't have the belt in the timestamp I posted.
@@Rammsteinfanboy2 maybe you didn't see the fight of course its an edit but he did it at the start of fight too at announcements and happy Xmas to you to brother
Just give all the awards to Jiri and glover. That had everything. That was everything. Amazing fight
Yeah just give Jiri v. Glover Knockout of the year
@@henrychi4197 ☠️☠️☠️
Get of ur knees
Hard to argue with any of these picks. What a phenomenal year for this sport.
Fantastic choice of Fight of The Year. That was one of the most crazy 5 rounds I watched.
Watching KZ cry in the octagon after his title match was heartbreaking :(
How about Judges Gift of the Year award?
2:27 lol joe saying he got kicked into the shadow realm always cracks me up
I just love Leon Coaches!!
I said there's no way he can go back to his corner if he doesn't knock Kamaru out. That was some old school Caribbean style, "If you don't beat him up then we will beat you," coaching. And it worked!
@@beautifulblacksoul8611 🤣🤣🤣
They were so inspirational
@@beautifulblacksoul8611 😂💯
2022 was a incredible year for UFC, from the Calvin Kattar, Giga fight of the year contender in January, Khamzat, Gilbert Burns war in April, Jiri and Glover, Dustin vs Chandler, Charles Vs Islam, Izzy, Pereira, Kevin Holland, Wonderboy, man so many epic fights, still my personal favorite moment was Leon Edwards headkick KO of Kamaru Usman, what a iconic moment 👏👏👏🦵 Happy Holidays everyone! 😊
I think Leon’s KO may be the single greatest moment in mma history. If not #1 then certainly in the top 5
Certainly top 5
#1
That Andrade sub was so cool. Such a unique move that it doesn’t seem like anyone really saw it coming. Makes me curious to see if it’s something we’ll see in the future or if it’ll be just a one of a kind moment.
Islam’s submission of Charles should’ve won it
The look on his face, just the energy of it, Usman watching Edwards, getting the belt put on around his waist... Spinechilling
Leon's eyes got huge when he sees Usman hit the deck 👀
Edwards vs usman 2 will be one of the fights that will be talked about forever. Headkicks don't land that flush shin to chin. It's just unbelievable and the leg and body kicks set it up. Usman was hurting so bad he had to fake a low blow 90 seconds before the KO
Solid Award Choices. I’m not a Leon fan, but got to give credit where credit is due.
Leon definitely got one of the best comebacks in UFC History.
Oh Yeah He Did
Schnell vs. Samudarji>>
@@isaacsechslingloff8008 that one was legit too
Leons ko was the 100% the best ive seen in years
The performance volk put on against holloway in that third fight was impeccable. I truly believe he can upset the world next year if he takes out Islam and gets that second belt. What a year it has been.
jack madalena is gonna be champ everyone head hunts he constantly rips the body
What a year! So many great fights that Izzy / Pereira didn't even get mentioned! That is incredible in itself.🤯
Lol even Trevor Whitman was cheesing hard when Leon won.
Fighter of the year is Sam Alvey
👑 Defeated and Disputed
That Leon head kick is one for the ages.
Having watched Leon’s ko live and witnessing the greatest ko in the history of the ufc it fills me with national pride 🇬🇧, I cried when I head what he said on the mic and almost do every time I hear it
What a year for MMA! 🔥
IMO my favorite fight this year was Tsarukyan Gamrot. The back and forth technical wrestling and scrambling was awesome. Submission of the year I’d give to Matt Schnell getting that triangle on Sumaderji.
Totalmente de acuerdo.👍
Fighter year- Alex pereira, Ko year- Chandler vs Ferguson
We love this Shit ❤️ For me the best Moment was Leon Edwards 🤷🏻♂️this night was crazy!!!
Beating a prime Max is no simple feat, Volk did it 3 times. He's simply a cut above the rest.
I would say Max is a little out of his prime but he's still very good.
@@TheeUnknown420out of his prime? After his performances against Kattar and Yair? No. Volks just a step ahead and figured Max out
Leon still gives me chills. Loved it
What volk did to max, not just once but 3 times, shows you how much volk has improved to do that to someone who can be considered a goat in that division. Not forgetting Jose aldo of course.
I would say 2 times. The 2nd fight was closest and Volk did not dominate it. Max arguably won it.
@@sterlingwalker4374max didn’t win
@@sterlingwalker4374 max did not win - 3/2 for alexander
Actual great list!
Salamat tito dolpy
It’s crazy how Leon literally played out his nickname just like in the actual fucking movies. Insane that his nickname happens to be that and make the ufc version haha. Love it
great fight Edwards & Uzman
That Andrade submission was craaaazy
Shout out for Leon’s corner man to, that fight had everything.
That standing arm triangle from Andrade was NASTY.
My brain can't really comprehend that. The choke is normally performed with so much emphasis on using your body weight. Insane.
Volkanovsaki. End of story
The scene of the belt getting wrapped around edwards 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾
"Pound for pound headshot DEAD" Is my favourite UFC line in the last 5 years
That Andrade standing choke......
That was brutal
OG fighter of the year- Felony Charles Bennett
That was a fun little Christmas Eve gift.
Merry frigging Christmas!!!
That whole sequence of events during the Leon vs. Usman title fight was just crazy man ! Legit movie vibes. From the fight starting off solid for Leon, winning the round pretty damn decisively... To getting dominated by Usman's grappling for the rest of the fight, body language & facial expressions showing nothing but defeat, while Usman was taking extra long stares n what at the end of every round to "punk" Leon because he felt & seen the defeated look in him as well.... Then the absolute fiery.. motivating... intense talking Leon's corner gave him just before that 5th round..... With just less than a minute left in the fight, while EVERYONE was kinda just accepting that this was another dominate Usman performance, while he's coasting to victory... out of NOWHERE, Leon sets up and lands an absolute sniper head kick.... folding Usman like a lawn chair, knocking him out cold with his eyes wide open looking to the heavens !!!!! LMFAO, I don't think I've ever yelled around louder for a fight finish before. & if that all wasn't enough... Dude delivers (what I believe is) the most raw/emotion filled post fight speech ever ! (Oh, and almost forgot... The foreshadowing Leon did right before the fight started with the headshot shit ? Just... wow, haha) ABSOLUTELY LEGENDARY LEON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pain.
Leon just electrified the arena🔥
Fight of the year Damn
Leon "LOOK AT ME NOW" Edwards
All perfect choices, W UFC
I'd have given 'Fighter of the year' to Leon 'Rocky' Edwards..the man won the mental game, the waiting game for so effin long..such a big underdog till the last round and then to pull off that spectacular ko and then the speech, the scenes after.. his 'Rocky' story, his conversations with his mum..David beat Golaith that day and his win will remain one of the most special moments for me as a fan.
Agree with them all 💯
Makhachev not getting submission of the year is a joke.
Islam will have his time don’t worry
It was a very strong submission considering who he submitted. It wasn't too spectacular though
@@NoName-ce9nw but its more spectacular than standing arm triangle choking a striker imo.
@@NoName-ce9nw not spectacular? He knocked down the most dangerous strikers im his division and then submitted the man with the most submissions.. the meaning of that is much more than leon getting a lucky ko on usman after being dominated.. islam literally went from “he beat nobody” to “nobody can beat him” in just 1 fight.. sht was the most spectacular thing ive watches in a while 😂
@@NoName-ce9nw He basically finished THE finisher. And that transition on the ground WAS spectacular. He pulled that s*** up in 10 secs.
Jiri is a beast. God bless
Facts hope he gets better quick
Merry Christmas ⛄🎄🦌🎁 Everyone
I ❤ UFC
Iv said it before and will say it again, given all the circumstances you could argue that Leon’s KO is the greatest moment in ufc history. I was literally turning it off in the 5th after the round looked so similar to the rest of the fight but I said to myself there’s no point in watching 20+ minutes without finishing what I started and I’m so grateful I did. I was about to go to sleep and then ended up staying awake for hours
nobody does it better than the ufc. killer year
Agreed
I'm Ready For UFC's 30th Anniversary In 2023.
Surprised UFC didn't give it to pimplit
🤣
Dana doesn’t give out awards
@@Which_Way did I mention him?
Paddy debut in 2021 so hes newcomer in 2021 not 2022
@@mysticmac4244 what are you even talking about
*Do They Even Know it's Christmas?* ✝🎄
Great finnish by Leon, Israel, Alex went the same . Love it even if I'm agreeing with Cheals recommendations lol
First time I’m 100% agree with their picks. Great job! Jiri and Glover was one of the most epics fights in UFC history, Leon ko was the greatest upset I’ve seen and most def Volk should be the fighter of the year. Great job UFC!
No fake judges here
1:48 I NEED this coach to kick my ass everytime I feel lazy to wake up or to do my work immediately 😄
Jack Della next up 🇦🇺
Both Alex should be Fighter of the Year.
?
ah, pereira... no
@@innit4983 yes he kod the guy nobody could touch 😂 the guy people thought would go undefeated 😂and he did it with 4 fights in the ufc coming from double champ status in a heavily stacked division… perriera doesnt get the credit he deserves.. leon got lucky thats all
@@uabforfindingthisbutalr6464 I’d say pereira is number two, but Volk just had a more impressive year
@@innit4983 i agree with that
Damn. Leon did the "headshot" before the fight
🔥🔥🔥
Jack della maddelena is a promising contender, his boxing is incredible
@1:48 Loaded up Edwards in that corner with fn dynamite 🧨 💣
How is this not the best sport in the world???
Leon "Rocky" Edwards lived up to his name in the most epic way possible. Just replace "look at me now" with "Adriiiiiiian" and I would have thought I was watching Rocky the movie. Lol
Pretty good picks in my book .