5 fights to make for UFC 282 winners

UFC 282 certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. The final pay-per-view of the year kicked off with 10 straight finishes, leading into the controversial main and co-main event bouts.

The headliner ended in a split-draw, leaving the promotion's light heavyweight title vacant for the time being. Meanwhile, the co-headliner drew outrage across the MMA community, taking some attention away from the scorching finishes before the marquee fights. All in all, it was a memorable night of MMA action.

View this post on Instagram

Instagram Post

The victors at UFC 282 will be looking to uphold their momentum heading into their next bouts as they climb the ranks in their respective divisions.

On that note, here are five fights to make for the biggest winners at UFC 282.

#5. Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Tai Tuivasa

Prior to UFC 282, Jairzinho Rozenstruik was amidst a disappointing run of form. After suffering the first defeat of his career at the hands of Francis Ngannou back in 2020, 'Bigi Boy' has struggled for consistency.

The Surinamese heavyweight was coming off back-to-back losses to Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov heading into his fight with Chris Daukaus this past weekend. Rozenstruik made light work of Daukaus, finishing the American in just 23 seconds to return to winning ways.

FULL FIGHT: Rozenstruik vs Daukaus ⚔️💥 #BigiBoy #UFC282 https://t.co/a0yF6xLwMj

Jairzinho Rozenstruik protected his place in the heavyweight top 10 with his win over Chris Daukaus and will be itching to extend his win streak next time around. A fight against fellow knockout artist Tai Tuivasa appears to make sense for all parties involved.

Tuivasa has emerged as a fan-favorite in recent years, with his all-action style and affable personality. The Australian racked up five straight knockout wins to break into the top tier of the heavyweight rankings, but losses to Ciryl Gane and Sergei Pavlovich have halted his momentum.

Both Tuivasa and Rozenstruik will be looking to re-enter title contention in 2023. Given both heavyweights' style of fighting, this is as explosive a matchup one could hope for, and from the matchmakers' point of view, it's a no-brainer.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (left) & Tai Tuivasa (right) [Images via @jairzinho.rozenstruik & @bambamtuivasa on Instagram]

#4. Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Bryan Barberena

Unfortunate injuries robbed Santiago Ponzinibbio off his athletic prime, but he appears to have finally re-discovered his groove. Once considered a serious threat to the welterweight title, Ponzinibbio's championship aspirations have taken a massive hit in recent years.

After returning from a lengthy injury layoff, Ponzinibbio went 1-3 in his next four fights. Looking to bounce back after two split-decision losses, 'The Argentine Dagger' took on Alex Morono at UFC 282 and came away with his first finish since 2018.

View this post on Instagram

Instagram Post

Santiago Ponznibbio looked far from his best against Alex Morono. He was down on the judges' scorecards heading into the third and final round, seemingly en route to a decision loss. Halfway through the final frame, Ponzinibbio cracked Morono with a perfect right overhand and finished the bout with ground-and-pound.

At 36 and considering his record of injuries, it's unlikely Ponzinibbio will come close to challenging for the belt. The UFC often uses veterans for either fun matchups or to build up-and-coming prospects, which appears to be what the future holds for the Argentine. A fight against Bryan Barberena would be ideal at this stage of his career.

Barberena is among the most entertaining fighters to watch in the UFC. The American is seemingly at his happiest when he's in back-and-forth barnburners and Ponzinibbio is certainly a willing partner. This is a fun matchup featuring two all-action strikers and would be a welcome addition to any fight card.

Santiago Ponzinibbio (left) and Bryan Barberena (right) [Images via @sponzinibbio & @bryan_barberena on Instagram]

#3. Ilia Topuria vs. Brian Ortega – Potential headliner for inaugural UFC event in Spain

Ilia Topuria was already being touted as a future title contender prior to his bout with Bryce Mitchell at UFC 282. The undefeated phenom extended his professional record to 13-0 at the recently concluded pay-per-view and did so in dominant fashion.

Mitchell was unbeaten heading into their bout and many expected it to be an evenly matched affair. However, Topuria showcased his true potential and made it look easy against 'Thug Nasty', even finishing the submission specialist with a head-and-arm choke in the second round.

STILL UNDEFEATED 🥷🔥🚀

Ilia Topuria

@Topuriailia
@ufc

#iliatopuria #topuria #ufc #ufc282 https://t.co/LaAo9FnwFz

Ilia Topuria will likely break into the top 10 with his win over Bryce Mitchell, who was ranked No.9 heading into the bout. 'El Matador' will now have his sights set on ascending the ranks and working his way towards a title shot. In his post-fight interview, Topuria called for a Fight Night headliner in Spain against former title challenger Brian Ortega.

No.3-ranked Ortega is coming off a loss to Yair Rodriguez wherein he suffered a shoulder injury and hasn't won a fight since 2020. Nevertheless, 'T-City' remains the only fighter to come even remotely close to beating pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski.

UFC president Dana White confirmed at the post-fight presser that the promotion is targeting a Fight Night event in Spain next year and a blockbuster clash between Topuria and Ortega would be an ideal main event.

Ilia Topuria (left) and Brian Ortega (right) [Images via @iliatopuria & @briantcity on Instagram]

#2. Dricus du Plessis vs. Roman Dolidze

Dricus du Plessis picked up the biggest win of his professional career at UFC 282, finishing former welterweight title challenger Darren Till to earn his fourth win in the promotion. The South African is surging up the middleweight ranks and is red-hot at the moment.

'Stillknocks' will now likely claim Till's place in the 185-pound top 10. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him, being just 28 years old. Although he's primarily known as a striker, du Plessis used his wrestling to win the first round and ultimately find a submission finish in the third.

Dricus Du Plessis just cracked the middleweight top 10
#UFC282 https://t.co/7xBUSPoxxl

Darren Till's wrestling defense has always been suspect, which almost certainly played into Dricus du Plessis' gameplan. Moreover, Till is widely regarded as a puffed-up welterweight and looked considerably smaller than his opponent inside the octagon. However, this takes nothing away from du Plessis' performance.

It appears as though du Plessis is just three or four big wins away from a title shot and he will be targeting higher-ranked opponents going forward. No.8-ranked Roman Dolidze could be next in line for the South African, having recently enjoyed a big leap up the rankings himself.

Dolidze finished perennial contender Jack Hermansson earlier this month to go from unranked to the top 10 and is also on a scintillating streak of wins. A fight between the two fast-rising middleweights all but guarantees fireworks.

Dricus du Plessis (left) & Roman Dolidze (right) [Images via @dricusduplessis & @romandolidze on Instagram]

#1. Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Johnson

Paddy Pimblett drew headlines throughout fight week leading up to his co-headlining bout against Jared Gordon at UFC 282. The outspoken Liverpudlian was the star of the show at the pre-fight presser and his spectacular walkout had the entire crowd at the T-Mobile Arena on their feet.

However, his performance left a lot to be desired.

View this post on Instagram

Instagram Post

After three straight bonus-winning outings inside the octagon, expectations were high going into Paddy Pimblett's fourth UFC appearance. While Jared Gordon is an experienced and durable fighter, he's far from elite at 155 pounds.

Pimblett didn't look great against Gordon. His striking offense was all over the place and his defense was poor. While he did threaten a few submissions against the cage, he didn't really come close to finishing the fight. In the end, the Brit was somewhat fortunate to come away with a unanimous decision win.

Given Pimblett's star power and technical deficiencies, the promotion will have to be cautious while matchmaking for Pimblett. Michael Johnson would be a decent step-up in competition for 'The Baddy' and the UFC veteran even called for a fight against the rising star after his narrow win.

Me & @UFCpaddy😏 @ufc London in March Co main event 🤑🤑!

Without a shadow of a doubt, Paddy Pimblett needs to tighten up his game before challenging the lightweight top 15. The fact that he's just 27 gives him time to upgrade his striking arsenal. As such, he will need to be slow-played by the matchmakers, as they did with Sean O'Malley.

Michael Johnson has been around for a long time and has fought some of the best fighters to ever compete at 155 pounds. 'The Menace' is coming off a narrow win over English lightweight Marc Diakese in his last outing, wherein he showed that his hand-speed and boxing is still top-notch.

Pimblett vs. Johnson would be a massive addition to any pay-per-view card, pitting one of the promotion's biggest stars against a well-known veteran.

Paddy Pimblett (left) & Michael Johnson (right) [Images via @theufcbaddy & @menacefight on Instagram]