In mid-November, lightweight champion Jiri Prochazka suffered a significant shoulder injury and was forced to pull out of the UFC 282 headliner against Glover Teixeira. Then, facing a long recovery, Prochazka vacated his belt to avoid holding the division. Teixeira turned down the opportunity to fight someone else for the title, so the UFC moved the fight between former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev into the main event and put the vacant belt on the line. Blachowicz is ranked No. 2 and Ankalaev is ranked No. 3 in the current UFC lightweight rankings. Ankalaev is 18-1 overall and has won nine straight in the UFC since his only career loss, a loss to Paul Craig on March 17, 2018 in London in his UFC debut. Blachowicz is the former UFC champion who lost his belt to Teixeira on October 30, 2021. He came back to win a fight, defeating Aleksandar Rakic via TKO on May 14 in Las Vegas. Rakic suffered a knee injury that forced the end of that fight. The new co-main event at UFC 282 is a lightweight between up-and-coming Paddy Pimblett (19-3) and Jared Gordon (19-5).
UFC 282 live scores, highlights, analysis
UFC 282 Main Card, Odds (Live Now on ESPN+ PPV)
Light Heavyweight: Jan Blahovich (+260) vs Magomed Ankalaev (-350) Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett def. Jared Gordon by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Catchweight (180 lbs): Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Alex Morono by TKO (punches) at 2:29 of R3:
UFC 282 prelim card, odds (Live now on ESPN2/ESPN+)
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Full UFC 282 preliminary card results
Jan Blachowicz of Poland and Magomed Ankalaev of Russia square off during the UFC 282 ceremonial weigh-ins at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 9, 2022 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
