Can Sean Strickland bounce back from his loss to Alex Pereira? Will Damir Ismagulov remain undefeated in the UFC? The predictions from the MMA Empire team, along with our guest picker, can be found below for the six-fight main card.
Our guest picker for this event is Canadian welterweight prospect Bobby Poulter (4-1). After suffering his first defeat of his career, Poulter bounced back in dominant fashion with a first round TKO finish of Nelly Thompson at BTC 16. Poulter will be a name to keep an eye on as we head into 2023.
The UFC's final card of 2022 closed the year from the Apex with a middleweight main event carrying contender implications and a lightweight co-main between two of the division's most credentialed grapplers. End-of-year Apex cards traditionally double as a showcase for the next season's risers, and this one mixed ranked veterans with several names the promotion was still building.
2022 standings thru UFC 282
1. Kylan Knowler (137-76) 128-93-3 in 2021
2. Joel Griffith (134-79) 135-86-3 in 2021
3. Jason Hagholm (133-80) N/A in 2021
4. Cole Shelton (132-81) 138-83-3 in 2021 *Champion
5. Cody Rempel (130-83) 134-87-3 in 2021
T6. Cooper Riehl (128-85) 136-85-3 in 2021
T6. Joe McDonagh (128-85) 122-99-3 in 2021
8. Dylan Bowker (122-91) 113-108-3 in 2021
9. Guest picker (112-101) 115-106-3 in 2021
Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland was a middleweight bout between two ranked fighters needing a win to stay in the title conversation at a moment when the division's top was being reshuffled around the new champion. Cannonier was coming off the title-fight loss to Israel Adesanya, Strickland off a knockout defeat to Alex Pereira — and a convincing performance here put either man within reach of contention again.
Jared Cannonier vs. Sean Strickland
Kylan Knowler: Jared Cannonier via TKO.
Joel Griffith: Sean Strickland via decision.
Jason Hagholm: Jared Cannonier via TKO.
Cole Shelton: Sean Strickland via decision.
Cody Rempel: Jared Cannonier via knockout.
Cooper Riehl: Jared Cannonier via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Jared Cannonier via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Sean Strickland via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Jared Cannonier via TKO.
Picks – Jared Cannonier: 6, Sean Strickland: 3
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Damir Ismagulov
Kylan Knowler: Arman Tsarukyan via submission.
Joel Griffith: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Jason Hagholm: Damir Ismagulov via decision.
Cole Shelton: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Cody Rempel: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Damir Ismagulov via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Arman Tsarukyan via decision.
Picks – Arman Tsarukyan: 7, Damir Ismagulov: 2
Amir Albazi vs. Alessandro Costa
Kylan Knowler: Amir Albazi via submission.
Joel Griffith: Alessandro Costa via submission.
Jason Hagholm: Alessandro Costa via TKO.
Cole Shelton: Amir Albazi via submission.
Cody Rempel: Amir Albazi via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Amir Albazi via TKO.
Joe McDonagh: Amir Albazi via submission.
Dylan Bowker: Amir Albazi via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Amir Albazi via submission.
Picks – Amir Albazi: 7, Alessandro Costa: 2
Alex Caceres vs. Julian Erosa
Kylan Knowler: Julian Erosa via submission.
Joel Griffith: Julian Erosa via decision.
Jason Hagholm: Julian Erosa via decision.
Cole Shelton: Julian Erosa via submission.
Cody Rempel: Julian Erosa via submission.
Cooper Riehl: Julian Erosa via TKO.
Joe McDonagh: Julian Erosa via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Julian Erosa via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Julian Erosa via decision.
Picks – Alex Caceres: 0, Julian Erosa: 9
Drew Dober vs. Bobby Green
Kylan Knowler: Bobby Green via decision.
Joel Griffith: Drew Dober via decision.
Jason Hagholm: Bobby Green via decision.
Cole Shelton: Drew Dober via decision.
Cody Rempel: Bobby Green via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Bobby Green via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Drew Dober via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Bobby Green via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Drew Dober via decision.
Picks – Drew Dober: 4, Bobby Green: 5
The lightweight co-main between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov pitted the division's fastest-rising grappler against its longest active win streak. Ismagulov had not lost in the UFC and carried one of the promotion's longest active streaks overall, but Tsarukyan's wrestling-first pressure had already produced wins over ranked opposition — the kind of fight that quietly decides who gets the next ranked matchup.
Cody Brundage vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Kylan Knowler: Michal Oleksiejczuk via TKO.
Joel Griffith: Michal Oleksiejczuk via TKO.
Jason Hagholm: Cody Brundage via TKO.
Cole Shelton: Cody Brundage via submission.
Cody Rempel: Michal Oleksiejczuk via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Cody Brundage via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Cody Brundage via knockout.
Dylan Bowker: Cody Brundage via decision.
Bobby Poulter: Michal Oleksiejczuk via TKO.
