With the conclusion of its fight schedule for 2022, the UFC has been looking back on the most memorable moments from the past year, including with microphone in hand.
While the main appeal for mixed martial arts enthusiasts is the action inside the cage, most are partial to an entertaining and impassioned rant, speech, or address on the mic post-fight.
And although events rarely, if ever, fail to deliver some form of talking point from fighters’ interactions with the likes of Joe Rogan, Paul Felder, and Daniel Cormier, 2022 has perhaps seen more memorable instances than most years.
Fortunately, the UFC has complied the best mic moments from 2022 into one video for our viewing pleasure.
Before getting into the major inclusions, a number of lower-profile moments got some air time.
That includes Nate Landwehr’s memorable proclamation that, “My momma ain’t raised no bitch, baby!” The comment came in front of a sold-out crowd at UFC San Diego after “The Train” narrowly outpointed David Onama in a memorable Fight of the Night.
Of course, no entertainment list can be complete without the addition of “Beastboy” Chris Barnett. The fan-favorite heavyweight had his moment of glory in 2022 at UFC 279, where he stopped Jake Collier before performing his customary front flip and a smile-inducing monologue with the mic.
In a late addition to the group, newcomer Raul Rosas Jr. made a solid first impression at UFC 282 earlier this month. As well as recording a first-round finish, the 18-year-old told Rogan and the T-Mobile Arena crowd, “I need the 50Gs so I can buy my mom a minivan and she can give me a ride to the PI.”
Elsewhere, Vanessa Demopoulos’ joy at meeting Rogan was evident as she jumped into his arms post-fight at UFC 270 — a practice that Michael Bisping became the recipient of in two subsequent 2022 appearances.
And who could forget Rafael Fiziev’s more unusual callout following his triumph against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 58, which saw tennis legend Rafael Nadal enter his crosshairs.
But there were, of course, some more memorable than others…
Michael Chandler At UFC 274 – “I Got One Dude On My Mind… Conor McGregor!”
Michael Chandler hasn’t failed to make an impact since making the switch from Bellator to the UFC in 2020. In defeat, he’s most definitely entertained, and in victory, he’s mirrored that both with his finishing sequences and post-fight interviews.
That was on display in 2022 when the lightweight contender collided with former interim champion Tony Ferguson. In a moment many are branding this year’s best knockout, Chandler shut his fellow veteran’s lights out with a brutal front kick.
And in the aftermath, there was just one man on Chandler’s lips…
“I got one dude on my mind… Conor McGregor! You gotta come back and fight somebody!” Chandler roared inside Arizona’s Footprint Center. “I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. But I want to up the stakes Conor. I want you at your biggest, I want you at your baddest, and I want you at your best. You and me at 170! … God bless, I’ll see you at the top!”
Paddy Pimblett At UFC London – “I’d Rather Be Fat & Happy Than Ripped”
One individual who had a standout year when it came to a rise in notoriety was Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett. While his latest victory over Jared Gordon caused controversy and drew criticism, his pair of appearances inside London’s O2 arena achieved the opposite.
And following both, Pimblett ensured that the attention on him didn’t dwindle following the fight’s conclusion. At UFC London in March, when he defeated Kazula Vargas via first-round submission, that saw “The Baddy” dine on some pizza during his media scrum whilst defending his widely scrutinized weight gain.
“I’d rather be fat and happy than ripped,” Pimblett insisted. “These people who are ripped all year round aren’t happy, I’m not arsed. I don’t care what they say.”
His second home appearance of the year was memorable for an entirely different reason, with Pimblett taking the time to shine a light on the stigma surrounding men’s mental health following the tragic passing of his friend pre-fight.
Renato Moicano At UFC 281 – “Moicano Wants Money!”
Was there a more surprisingly great post-fight interview than Renato Moicano’s at UFC 281?
While the Brazilian had largely been a reserved figure during his UFC tenure, an improved understanding of the English language (apparently we have Call of Duty online lobbies to thank for that) saw Moicano unleash his personality following his first-round submission victory over Brad Riddell.
In summary? Moicano wants money.
“Joe Rogan, I don’t know if you know me,” Moicano yelled. “I was ranked No. 4 in featherweight. I was the best featherweight on the planet and I lost to my idol, José Aldo. I lost to him. It was really bad for my career, but I moved up. I learned from my mistakes. Now, I’m f*cking here to take over! All these motherf*ckers, I’m here to take over! Make no mistake. I lost only to the best, but today, I’m the f*cking best.
“Let’s go, New York. Make some f*cking noise. I have to be on the f*cking rankings, man. This is disrespect. I took a fight, a five-round fight on five days’ notice. Five days’ notice. I was f*cking drinking beer and eating steaks in Brazil,” Moicano continued. “They called me and I came here. I traveled 24 hours and motherf*ckers disrespected me. I want the f*cking bonus. Moicano wants money!”
Leon Edwards At UFC 278 – “P4P, Headshot, Dead!”
Not many interviews were as heartwarming and lauded as Leon Edwards’ at UFC 278.
Having fought through immense adversity to not only forge a career in mixed martial arts, but to reach the pinnacle of the sport, “Rocky” let his emotions out on the mic after dethroning the previously dominant welterweight king Kamaru Usman with a late head-kick knockout at UFC 278.
And as well as his passionate words, the Englishman didn’t fail to provide the soundbite of all soundbites… “Pound-for-pound, headshot, dead!”
“I can’t put it into words, Joe. It’s been a long, long four years,” a tearful Edwards said. “You all doubted me, said I couldn’t do it. They all said I couldn’t do it. Look at me now!”
What do you think was the most memorable post-fight UFC interview of 2022?