UFC Vegas 66: Jared Cannonier beats Sean Strickland by split decision in narrow win

For 25 minutes in the final UFC fight of 2022 between Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland at Apex in Las Vegas, there was this sense of impending doom. It seemed that either Cannonier or Strickland would at any second land a fight-changing punch and score the crucial victory. It never came, as the two battled on almost even terms throughout. According to UFC Stats, Strickland outlanded Cannonier in significant strikes, 152-141. Strickland had a huge edge in strikes to the head, 126-57, but Cannonier had a 60-24 edge in body shots and a 24-2 edge in kicks to the leg. The fight was close enough that either fighter could have won. When the result was announced, it was Cannonier by split decision. Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo each had it 49-46 for Cannonier. However, Sal D’Amato had it 49-46 for Strickland. Yahoo Sports had it 48-47 for Cannonier.

“I thought I had it 3-2 [in rounds] so I was pretty confident that I’d won,” Cannonier said. “I did a little bit more damage. We saw the blood on his face from the first round and the second-to-last round. I thought it was a great fight, back and forth.”

In an inquisitive turn, the main round that D'Amato scored for Cannonier was the fourth, while the main round Cleary scored for Strickland was the fourth. Strickland's corner continued to encourage him to toss a right teep kick at whatever point Cannonier exchanged positions, and he will lament not heeding that guidance. Cannonier battled an extensive piece of the battle in a southpaw position and the right teep kick appeared to be an extraordinary strategy for Strickland. He didn't do it until the last seconds of the battle. The two of them entered the fend falling off misfortunes to the previous and defending champ. Cannonier lost a choice to then-support Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 in July, while Strickland was taken out on that card by Alex Pereira. On Nov. 12 at UFC 281 in New York, Pereira finished Adesanya's rule as champion however scoring a fifth-round KO. That opened things up in the division and the two men realized a success would support their expectations of a huge battle in their next exposing.

They probed for openings and neither seemed willing to open up for the fear of being countered. Stickland stuck with a steady diet of jabs while Cannonier repeatedly chopped at his legs. Cannonier praised Strickland for a smart game plan. “Even as he was stepping in for his jab, he was doing a good job of not just walking forward like a freaking zombie,” Cannonier said. With the win, Cannonier will remain ranked third, so he’s in a good position for a significant fight. That was his goal and in the final fight of the year, he pulled it off by the narrowest of margins.