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CBS Sports Illustration

A truly great fight can turn a non-fan into a casual viewer and a casual viewer into a hardcore. Mixed martial arts fans were treated to many great fights in 2022 and Bellator provided plenty of them.

A great fight is compromised of many components: drama, heart, stakes, technique and toughness. It is the unwavering desire to succeed and an ill-advised compulsion to endure that creates something memorable. A number of Bellator fights this year tested the limits of the human spirit. Only one could be deemed Fight of the Year.

The experts at CBS Sports have highlighted the three best Bellator fights of 2022, plus an honorable mention. Take a look below.

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Winner: Adam Borics vs. Mads Burnell, Bellator 276

Borics vs. Burnell was a near-unanimous pick for Fight of the Year by the CBS Sports panel. Borics and Burnell traded leather for five hard rounds with a shot at the Bellator featherweight championship at stake. Borics generally appeared to get the better of the exchanges, but Burnell was dogged in his approach. The fight was closer than the final tally, a unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46) for Borics, suggests. Burnell pressed forward almost constantly, absorbing a significant number of strikes and hurling accurate boxing combinations to Borics' head and body. It was Borics' diverse Muay Thai striking and nearly endless cardio that was the difference maker. Burnell certainly landed on Borics, but he absorbed far too many shots in the process.

There was no give to either fighter. Borics was sublime in his commitment to the gameplan and Burnell was defiant in a losing effort. You cannot ask much more of two fighters auditioning for a chance at championship glory.

Honorable Mentions

AJ McKee vs. Spike Carlyle, Bellator 286

McKee's lightweight debut was a thriller. Coming off a featherweight title loss to Pitbull, McKee had a point to prove. He was technically superior to Carlyle over the course of three rounds but obliged Carlyle's wild brawling style. Carlyle shot out of a cannon once the fight started. He sprinted across the cage and launched at McKee with a flying kick. McKee answered back moments later with a jump knee. McKee hunted omoplatas, toe holds and rear-naked chokes, often while swimming in a pool of Carlyle's blood. It made for an exciting fight in McKee's hometown of Long Beach, California, much to the frustration of his corner.

McKee was awarded the unanimous decision by three varying scores: 29-27, 30-26 and 30-27. McKee's offensive skills carried up a division, but Carlyle's strength advantage posed interesting questions about problems McKee may face at the highest levels of lightweight.

Alex Polizzi vs. Jose Augusto Azevedo Barros, Bellator 276

Bellator 276 hosted not one, but two Fight of the Year candidates. Polizzi vs. Augusto had a little bit of everything: big slams, slicing elbows, staggering punches and a stoppage victory. Polizzi thrashed Augusto in the opening round of their prelims headliner, blasting him with ground-and-pound from the mount and back mount. It was arguably a 10-8 round that spelled doom for Augusto. Remarkably, Augusto bounced back in Round 2, rocking Polizzi with a flying knee early into the middle frame. Polizzi hung on for dear life and eventually settled into top position with momentum back in his favor despite the blood gushing from his head.

Both fighters were exhausted by Round 3. Polizzi shot for an early takedown that Augusto sprawled, but Polizzi snuck around to Augusto's back and locked in a rear-naked choke. The fight was over just 49 seconds after the conclusion of a dramatic second round.