UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- May 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 15
Introduction
UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier took place on Saturday, July 2, 2022 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was the UFC's annual International Fight Week card, the closing chapter of the three-fight Volkanovski-Holloway featherweight rivalry, and the night Alex Pereira completed his arrival as a top-three middleweight contender. The card produced an estimated 600,000 pay-per-view buys.
Israel Adesanya's fifth UFC middleweight title defense was a clean five-round technical performance against Jared Cannonier. Final scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 50-45.
The co-main was the most lopsided of the three Volkanovski-Holloway fights. Alexander Volkanovski controlled all five rounds, won 50-45 across all three scorecards. The featured main-card bout saw Alex Pereira stop Sean Strickland by first-round TKO at 2:36, positioning him for the title shot at UFC 281.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, July 2, 2022
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 20,059 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $8.2 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~600,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Jared Cannonier — UFC Middleweight Championship (185 lbs)
✅ Result: Adesanya def. Cannonier via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
🥇 Co-Main: Alexander Volkanovski (c) def. Max Holloway via Unanimous Decision (50-45 ×3) — Featherweight Title (trilogy)
The Build-Up
Israel Adesanya entered UFC 276 on a four-fight middleweight title-defense streak after his UFC 271 win over Robert Whittaker. Cannonier had earned the shot through a 5-1 UFC middleweight run. The co-main was the third Volkanovski-Holloway fight; the featured bout was Alex Pereira, who had defeated Adesanya twice in Glory kickboxing, vs. Sean Strickland.
Main Event: Adesanya vs. Cannonier
Adesanya used his range and leg kicks to control distance, picked at Cannonier's lead leg, and avoided the wild exchanges the challenger needed. Cannonier's lead leg was visibly damaged by round three. Final scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 50-45. Adesanya landed 116 significant strikes to Cannonier's 53. His fifth successful UFC middleweight title defense.
Co-Main Event: Volkanovski vs. Holloway 3
The trilogy was the most lopsided of the three Volkanovski-Holloway meetings. Volkanovski controlled all five rounds with volume striking and leg kicks. Final scorecards: 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 — a clean shutout. Volkanovski landed 174 significant strikes to Holloway's 105. Final series ledger: 3-0 Volkanovski.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Israel Adesanya (c) def. Jared Cannonier — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45) — Middleweight Title
Alexander Volkanovski (c) def. Max Holloway — Unanimous Decision (50-45 ×3) — Featherweight Title
Alex Pereira def. Sean Strickland — TKO (punches) — R1, 2:36 — Middleweight
Sean O'Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz — No Contest (eye poke) — R2, 4:34 — Bantamweight
Robbie Lawler def. Bryan Barberena — TKO (punches) — R1, 2:08 — Welterweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Jim Miller def. Donald Cerrone — Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 2:24 — Lightweight
Jalin Turner def. Brad Riddell — Submission — R2 — Lightweight
Maycee Barber def. Jessica Eye — KO (punches) — R3, 2:51 — Women's Flyweight
Ian Garry def. Gabriel Green — Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) — Welterweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Alex Pereira — $50,000 for the first-round TKO of Sean Strickland.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Jim Miller — $50,000 for the first-round guillotine choke submission of Donald Cerrone.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Maycee Barber — $50,000 for the third-round KO of Jessica Eye.
Records & Milestones
• Adesanya's fifth consecutive UFC Middleweight Championship defense.
• Volkanovski-Holloway final series ledger: 3-0 Volkanovski across three consecutive featherweight title fights.
• Alex Pereira's TKO of Sean Strickland positioned him for the title shot at UFC 281.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 276 is remembered as the night the Volkanovski-Holloway featherweight rivalry was settled definitively and the night Alex Pereira completed his arrival as a top-three middleweight contender. The Pereira TKO over Strickland — with the champion watching ringside — was the formal start of the Pereira-Adesanya MMA rivalry.
For Adesanya, UFC 276 was his fifth and final successful UFC middleweight title defense. He lost the title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022 by fifth-round TKO. He reclaimed it from Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023 by second-round KO, then lost it to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
FAQ
Why was Pereira such a dangerous matchup for Adesanya?
Pereira had defeated Adesanya twice in Glory kickboxing — a 2016 decision win and a 2017 KO. He had the size, the power, and the documented stylistic edge. The TKO of Strickland confirmed Pereira's MMA striking translated to the UFC level.
How did the Volkanovski-Holloway trilogy end?
Decisively. The first fight (UFC 245) was a UD for Volkanovski; the rematch (UFC 251) was a controversial split decision; the trilogy at UFC 276 was a 50-45 ×3 shutout. Final ledger: 3-0 Volkanovski.
What happened in the O'Malley-Munhoz No Contest?
O'Malley landed an accidental eye poke that left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue at 4:34 of round two. The bout was ruled a No Contest. O'Malley would fight Petr Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022 and eventually win the bantamweight title from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023.
Did Cannonier get another title shot?
No. UFC 276 was Cannonier's lone UFC middleweight title shot. He went 1-2 in subsequent UFC bouts and has remained a top-five middleweight contender without another title shot.
Did Adesanya defend the title again after UFC 276?
No. UFC 276 was his fifth and final successful defense. He lost the title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022 by fifth-round TKO. He reclaimed it from Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023 by second-round KO, then lost it to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023 by unanimous decision.
How does UFC 276 compare to UFC 275?
UFC 276 drew approximately 600,000 PPV buys versus UFC 275 (450,000) three weeks earlier. The 150,000-buy jump reflected the International Fight Week framing and the Volkanovski-Holloway trilogy. UFC 276's gate of $8.2 million was the highest non-McGregor UFC PPV gate of 2022 to that point.
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