As 2022 winds down, Sports Illustrated is looking back at the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year.
Before we put a bow on 2022, it is time to crown the winners (and losers) of the End of Year awards.
Breakout Fighter of the Year: Alex Pereira
Runner-up: Usman Nurmagomedov
Alex Pereira won all three of his fights this year, transforming himself from a relatively unknown MMA fighter into the UFC middleweight champion–and the boogeyman for Israel Adesanya.
It feels like Pereira is forever destined to haunt Adesanya.