Historically, the UFC has produced some of its best fighting match-ups and entertainment in the final two months of the year. November is known as the time for pay-per-views at Madison Square Garden – one of the holy grails of the fighting sport. In addition, most fighters are always looking to close the year on a high, so they are sure to bring all their effort and energy.
Although some of the big names like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jon Jones have been missing for a while, the UFC still has a lot to offer. In fact, recent surveys show that the UFC is still rising in terms of overall viewership and popularity. In this article, we will take a closer look at some of the best UFC fights happening in November 2022.
But before we jump in, students reading this should also remember to take their academics seriously. Following the best fights and fighters can be a time-consuming process. And during the end of the year, students can easily get distracted by all the extra entertainment floating around.
Those looking to find the right balance can use some professional help with some of their extra academic work. For example, students can hire a quality essay writer from a top platform like Studyfy to get their essays written. Using such services prevents any kind of academic disruptions while also providing a boost in one’s overall grades.
In no particular order, here are the 6 best UFC fights happening in November 2022.
1. Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
Carla is only the second woman to win the strawweight title on more than one occasion. Earlier this year, in May 2022, she beat Rose Namajunas during UFC 274 to claim one of her two currently-held titles. But this time in November, she will put one of the titles on the line against a formidable opponent in Zhang Weili.
Esparaza hasn’t lost a single match since the beginning of 2019. Zhang, on the other hand, didn’t have a good 2021 at all, where she lost two consecutive games to Namajunas. But earlier this year, she came back with a bang by knocking out Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
2. Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
This match-up is a highly anticipated one for various reasons. Reyes’s recent past has been one that is filled with several mixed emotions. And this began during his power-clash match against Jon Jones. Then he had other close calls with Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka. But even today, he is still regarded as one of the current best in the light heavyweight division by many.
Spann has a similar history in recent times, just like his opponent Reyes coming this Saturday. However, among his bad games, he’s also been able to put in top performances to climb up the rankings. On Saturday, both of these powerhouses will get the opportunity to show their salt and prove their worth.
3. Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
Although not as decorated as the other big and popular names in his weight class, Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier has certainly made a name for himself. In fact, his ability and dedication have landed him some of the biggest fights and a lot of praise in the process. In his last ten fights, Dustin has only lost two, and one of them came against the Russian powerhouse Nurmagomedov.
Michael Chandler had a banging impact on the UFC right from his debut. In his first game, he knocked Hooker out in the very first round. Next, he almost went on to claim his first UFC title but unexpectedly succumbed. His next fights against Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson were also pretty impressive. These two have no strong love between them, making this match-up just perfect to witness.
4. Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac (Saturday, November 19th — Las Vegas)
This fight is going to be the final main event battle of November 2022. Spivac has been growing in popularity and effectiveness, especially in recent times. Earlier this year, he won a brilliant fight against Augusto Sakai in Las Vegas to prove he is a serious contender on the roster.
This match is going to be Serghei Spivac’s debut as a main-event headliner in the UFC. But this might just be the perfect opportunity for him to assert his dominance in the heavyweight category. This is because his opponent has a weak record in recent times – losing 3 out of his last 4 fights.
5. Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
Israel has been one of the biggest names in the fighting game for a while now. His strong mentality, sharp skills, and spontaneous improvisation have enabled him to rise quickly in the ranks of UFC. Although he missed out on the light heavyweight title, he was smoothly able to establish a stronghold in the middleweight category.
Everyone has been crazily anticipating this match-up since the UFC announced the signing of Alex Pereira. In his recent games, Pereira has displayed great endurance and brute force to overpower his opponents and win. The best part about this match-up is that Pereira actually beat Adesanya several years ago during their days in kickboxing.
6. Erin Blanchfield vs. Molly McCann (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
Blanchfield is young, fast, strong, and easily one of the biggest prospects in the sport at the moment. In the UFC, she’s got a perfect record of 3 wins out of 3 fights. In her overall professional career, she’s won 9 out of 10 fights. Erin is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and at 23, she is feared by everyone in and around her weight category. Her last fight against JJ Aldrich earlier this year made everyone pay heed to this budding warrior.
Molly McCann burst onto the scene in no time at all. However, all of her recent fame has solely to do with her superhuman fighting abilities. Which, by the way, has also made her break into several worldwide rankings. Her knockout back-flying elbow hit against Luana Carolina is still in contention to win the knockout of the year award.
Here are some more fights to look out for in November 2022:
- Dominick Reyes vs. Ryan Spann (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
- André Fialho vs. Muslim Salikhov (Saturday, November 19th — Las Vegas)
- Frankie Edgar vs. Chris Gutierrez (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
- Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles (Saturday, November 12th — New York City)
- Rodolfo Vieira vs. Cody Brundage (Saturday, November 19th — Las Vegas)
The Bottom Line
The fighting sport has consistently drawn in viewers and fans, no matter the format or scale of the event. To many, the sport is fast, tough, and thrilling at every turn. Blink once, and you could miss a mind-bending knockout. The UFC has certainly produced some of the biggest names and games in the sport during the last few decades. And these final two months in the first year of the post-COVID era shouldn’t be any different.