UFC Stats 2022 Review: Lightweight division

Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira to become UFC lightweight champion at UFC 280 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

A look at the stats, facts, figures and numbers from the UFC’s featherweight division in 2022 …


Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira to become UFC lightweight champion at UFC 280
Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira to become UFC lightweight champion at UFC 280 | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

A look at the stats, facts, figures and numbers from the UFC’s featherweight division in 2022

The UFC closed out its run of 2022 events on December 17. The promotion’s final card of the year, UFC Vegas 66, took place in the same venue where it put on its first fight card of the year, UFC Vegas 46. That facility was the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Between January 15 and December 17, there were 511 fights on 42 UFC cards. The first fight of the year was the lightweight bout between T.J. Brown and Charles Rosa. The final contest was the Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland welterweight scrap.

When 2022 began, Charles Oliveira held the UFC lightweight title. However, the 155-pound weight division was left without a champion after Oliveira failed to make weight for his scheduled UFC 274 title fight opposite Justin Gaethje. Oliveira won that bout, but due to his failure to hit the 155-pound championship weight, the title was vacant until Islam Makhachev claimed the belt with a second-round submission win over Oliveira at UFC 280.

With no UFC cards scheduled until UFC Vegas 67 takes place on January 14, 2023, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Bloody Elbow looks back at the stats, facts and figures from each UFC weight division in 2022.

Today, we look at the UFC’s lightweight division.

Number of UFC fights in 2022: 511

Number of UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 66

Number of UFC lightweight title fights in 2022: 1

Number of decisions in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 27

Number of KO / TKO finishes in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 22

Number of submission finishes in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 17

Number of majority decisions in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 1

Number of split decisions in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 5

Number of unanimous decisions in UFC lightweight fights in 2022: 21

Quickest submission in a UFC lightweight fight in 2022: Jalin Turner submits Brad Ridell at 0:45 of Round 1 at UFC 276

Latest submission in a UFC lightweight fight in 2022: Grant Dawson submits Jared Gordon at 4:11 of Round 3 at UFC Vegas 53.

Quickest KO / TKO in a UFC lightweight in 2022: Hayisaer Maheshate KOs Steve Garcia at 1:14 of Round 1 at UFC 275

Latest KO / TKO in a three-round UFC lightweight fight in 2022: Drew Dober KOs Rafael Alves at 1:30 of Round 3 at UFC 277

Latest KO / TKO in a five-round UFC lightweight fight in 2022: Rafael Fiziev KOs Rafael dos Anjos at 0:18 of Round 5 at UFC Vegas 58

Stats via UFCStats.