UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland
United States
Main Card • Final
R5, 5:00
Armenia
R3, 5:00
Kazakhstan
Iraq
Brazil
R1, 3:04
Performance of the Night
R2, 2:45
Fight of the Night
Poland
R1, 3:16
Performance of the Night
Prelims • Final
Wales
R3, 5:00
R3, 5:00
Australia
Russia
R2, 3:50
Uzbekistan
Mexico
R3, 5:00
China
Early Prelims • Final
R3, 5:00
Portugal
R3, 5:00
Czech Republic
R3, 5:00
Official Event Results
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: Drew Dober and Bobby Green were awarded $50,000 each for their blistering lightweight slugfest, which culminated in a dramatic second-round knockout finish by Dober.
Performance of the Night: Alex Caceres collected $50,000 for his highlight-reel first-round head kick and follow-up punch finish over Julian Erosa.
Performance of the Night: Michal Oleksiejczuk earned $50,000 for his ferocious ground-and-pound stoppage over Cody Brundage at 3:16 of Round 1.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | $155,000 | $155,000 | — | $310,000 | |
| LOSS | $200,000 | — | — | $200,000 | |
| WIN | $65,000 | $65,000 | — | $130,000 | |
| LOSS | $50,000 | — | — | $50,000 | |
| WIN | $80,000 | $80,000 | $50,000 | $210,000 | |
| LOSS | $110,000 | — | $50,000 | $160,000 | |
| WIN | $75,000 | $75,000 | $50,000 | $200,000 | |
| LOSS | $50,000 | — | — | $50,000 | |
| WIN | $40,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 | $130,000 | |
| WIN | $48,000 | $48,000 | — | $96,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| WIN | $36,000 | $36,000 | — | $72,000 | |
| WIN | $20,000 | $20,000 | — | $40,000 | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 | |
| WIN | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | $48,000 |
*The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) did not publicly release official fighter purse figures for this event. Purse amounts and contractual win bonuses shown above represent media estimates based on prior state commission filings, veteran contract tiers, and reported industry figures. Estimated totals include official post-fight performance bonuses ($50,000 each) and do not account for discretionary locker-room bonuses or Venum promotional compliance payouts. Rafa Garcia was also entitled to 20% of Maheshate’s purse following a weight-miss fine.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland
Drew Dober tied Dustin Poirier for the most knockout victories in UFC lightweight history (8) by finishing Bobby Green in the second round of their Fight of the Night clash.
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland served as the 42nd and final UFC event of 2022, closing out a full year of global promotional activity inside the Octagon.
Jared Cannonier (141) and Sean Strickland (152) combined to land 293 significant strikes, standing among the highest volume 25-minute non-title middleweight bouts in UFC history.
Drew Dober closed out 2022 with his third straight knockout finish of the calendar year (following stops against Terrance McKinney and Rafael Alves), leading the lightweight division.
Rinat Fakhretdinov logged 14 minutes and 11 seconds of ground control time against Bryan Battle—controlling 94.6% of the 15-minute contest and earning dominant 30-25 scorecards.
Arman Tsarukyan landed 7 takedowns and logged 9:25 of control time to hand Damir Ismagulov his first loss since 2015, snapping Ismagulov’s 19-fight professional winning streak.
Said Nurmagomedov secured his 3rd UFC submission with a modified guillotine/ninja choke at 3:50 of Round 2, reversing momentum after absorbing over 7 minutes of control time.
Matthew Semelsberger registered three separate knockdowns over Jake Matthews, tying the modern promotional mark for most multi-knockdown fights in UFC welterweight history.
Michal Oleksiejczuk scored his second consecutive first-round KO since dropping to 185 pounds (3:16 vs. Cody Brundage), cementing the fastest two-fight knockout pace in the division for 2022.
Amir Albazi secured his first UFC knockout with a devastating 3rd-round uppercut finish against Alessandro Costa, extending his promotional record to a perfect 4-0.
Alex Caceres made his 27th UFC appearance and earned his 7th career post-fight bonus award with a first-round head-kick knockout over Julian Erosa.
Cannonier vs. Strickland became only the third 5-round middleweight main event in UFC Apex history decided by a split decision (49-46, 46-49, 49-46).
When and where did UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland take place?
UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland took place on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Who won the main event between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland?
Jared Cannonier defeated Sean Strickland via split decision (49–46, 46–49, 49–46) in a five-round middleweight headliner.
What were the official judges’ scorecards for Cannonier vs. Strickland?
Judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato scored the bout 49–46 for Jared Cannonier, while judge Chris Lee scored it 49–46 for Sean Strickland, resulting in a split decision victory for Cannonier.
Who won the co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland?
Arman Tsarukyan defeated Damir Ismagulov via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) in their three-round lightweight co-main event battle.
Who won the post-fight bonuses at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland?
Four fighters received $50,000 post-fight bonuses: Drew Dober vs. Bobby Green (Fight of the Night), Alex Caceres (Performance of the Night), and Michal Oleksiejczuk (Performance of the Night).
What record did Drew Dober tie with his knockout victory over Bobby Green?
Drew Dober’s second-round knockout of Bobby Green was his 8th knockout victory in the UFC lightweight division, tying Dustin Poirier for the all-time lightweight promotional knockout record at that time.
How did Alex Caceres defeat Julian Erosa?
Alex Caceres finished Julian Erosa via TKO (head kick and punches) at 3:04 of Round 1, earning a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
How did Michal Oleksiejczuk finish Cody Brundage?
Michal Oleksiejczuk stopped Cody Brundage via KO (punches) on the ground at 3:16 of Round 1 in their middleweight main-card opener.
How did Amir Albazi defeat Alessandro Costa?
Amir Albazi defeated short-notice promotional newcomer Alessandro Costa via KO (uppercut and punches) at 2:13 of Round 3.
How did Said Nurmagomedov defeat Saidyokub Kakhramonov?
After being controlled for much of the first two rounds, Said Nurmagomedov locked in a tight ninja choke to submit Saidyokub Kakhramonov at 3:50 of Round 2.
Why did Rafa Garcia fight Maheshate at a 158.5-pound catchweight?
Maheshate weighed in at 158.5 lbs (2.5 pounds over the non-title lightweight limit), leading to a fine of 20% of his purse that went to Rafa Garcia, who won by unanimous decision.
How dominant was Rinat Fakhretdinov against Bryan Battle?
Rinat Fakhretdinov logged 14 minutes and 11 seconds of control time and landed 7 takedowns, sweeping the judges’ scorecards with two scores of 30–25 and one 30–27.
Who won the fight between Matthew Semelsberger and Jake Matthews?
Matthew Semelsberger dropped Jake Matthews three times across three rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory (30–27, 29–28, 29–28).
Who were the commentators and cage announcer for this event?
The event was called by cage-side commentators Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz, and Paul Felder (who also conducted post-fight interviews), with Joe Martinez serving as the Octagon announcer.
Was UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland the last UFC event of 2022?
Yes. UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland (UFC Vegas 66) was the final UFC event of 2022, concluding a 42-event calendar year for the promotion.
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