Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 270
live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device
via the ESPN app. While the outcome was not necessarily a surprise,
the same cannot be said of the path Francis
Ngannou took to get there. “The Predator” leaned on takedowns, topside control and unwavering
determination, as he unified the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a
unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane
in the UFC
270 headliner on Saturday at the Honda Center in Anaheim,
California. Scores were 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46—all for Ngannou
(17-3, 12-2 UFC), who put his sixth consecutive victory to bed by
showing a resourceful side few knew he possessed.
Gane (10-1, 7-1 UFC) appeared to be on cruise control through the
first 10 minutes. Then, quite suddenly, Ngannou changed gears. He
caught a body kick from his former MMA Factory stablemate and
turned it into a high-amplitude takedown in the third round. He
settled in side control and bled time off the clock, the proverbial
light bulb seeming to go off in his head in real time. Ngannou
struck for another takedown before the clock ran out and executed
two more in Round 4, setting the stage for the decisive final
frame. There, Gane responded with a takedown of his own, only to
squander his advantage by going for an ill-advised heel hook.
Ngannou scrambled into top position with a little more than two
minutes to go, kept the challenge bottled up on the canvas and rode
out the decision.
The ground just shook in California 🤯
#UFC270 pic.twitter.com/OueahAip4o— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA)
January 23, 2022
Figueiredo Edges Moreno, Reclaims Flyweight Crown
Jarring leg kicks and two knockdowns spurred Deiveson
Figueiredo to a unanimous decision over Brandon
Moreno in the five-round co-main event, as he reclaimed the
undisputed flyweight championship and drew even in their
head-to-head series at 1-1-1. Figueiredo (21-2-1, 10-2-1 UFC) swept
the scorecards with 48-47 marks from the cageside judges, becoming
the UFC’s first two-time champion at 125 pounds.
All five rounds were competitive. Moreno (19-6-2, 7-3-2 UFC) was
sharpest in the second, where operated behind a probing jab, strung
together combinations and got the challenger’s attention with his
left hook. Figueiredo bounced back in Round 3 and followed the
strategy his coaches laid out for him. He connected with the most
memorable blow of the match when he decked Moreno with a right
cross in the closing seconds, trailed him to the canvas and bit
down on a guillotine choke as the horn sounded. The fourth and
fifth rounds were seesaw affairs. Moreno unleashed two- and
three-punch volleys in the fourth and executed a takedown early in
the fifth. However, Figueiredo answered when he sat down “The
Ultimate Fighter 24” graduate with a well-timed left and shifted
momentum yet again by tripling up on his right hand. They threw
caution to the wind across the final 15 seconds, though Moreno
appeared to get the best of a wild exchange.
The defeat was Moreno’s first since May 19, 2018.
WHAT. A. FIGHT! 🤯
How do you have it scored?
[
#UFC270 | Main Card LIVE on E+ PPV: https://t.co/Nr2IHwgXWX ] pic.twitter.com/PStVGpwKrC— UFC (@ufc)
January 23, 2022
Surging Pereira Downs Fialho
Overcome Academy rep Michel
Pereira spoiled the organizational debut of Andre
Fialho, as he laid claim to a unanimous decision in their
three-round welterweight feature. All three cageside judges scored
it the same: 29-28 for Pereira (27-11, 5-2 UFC), who has suddenly
pieced together four wins in a row.
Fialho (14-4, 0-1 UFC) handled himself well in the first round,
where the Sanford MMA-trained Henri Hooft disciple pressed the
issue, moved forward behind multi-punch bursts and bloodied his
opponent’s nose with a stinging jab. Pereira responded with a
dominant middle stanza. There, he seized the reins with a series of
devastating rear-leg front kicks to the body, hacked open a cut on
Fialho’s left brow with a right hook and brought the crowd to a
boil with some of his patented acrobatics. Pereira kept his foot on
the gas in Round 3, continued to batter the Sanford MMA export’s
midsection with kicks and incorporated occasional attacks to the
lower extremities.
The loss halted Fialho’s four-fight winning streak.
Nurmagomedov Guillotine Buries Stamann
Akhmat Fight Team’s Said
Nurmagomedov submitted Cody
Stamann with a modified guillotine choke in the first round of
their bantamweight attraction. Stamann (19-5-1, 5-4-1 UFC) raised
the white flag 47 seconds into Round 1, suffering his third
straight setback.
Nurmagomedov (15-2, 4-1 UFC) got the ball rolling with a spinning
backfist and a spinning back kick to the body. Stamann closed the
distance and shot for a takedown, leaving his neck exposed in the
process. Nurmagomedov caught the guillotine choke, cut off avenues
of escape and forced the tapout.
The 29-year-old Nurmagomedov has rattled off nine victories in 10
appearances.
Undefeated Morales Vanquishes Giles
Entram Gym prospect Michael
Morales kept his perfect professional record intact and looked
sensational in doing so, as he struck down Trevin
Giles with punches in the first round of their welterweight
showcase. Morales (13-0, 1-0 UFC) drew the curtain 4:06 into Round
1.
Giles (14-4, 5-4 UFC) rattled and nearly felled the 21-year-old
Ecuadorian with a clean right hand during one of their initial
exchanges, moved into clinch range and backed up those efforts with
a takedown. Morales stayed calm under duress, worked back to his
feet and started to string together punches. He sent a precision
left hand crashing into Giles’ face and followed it with a
beautiful right uppercut that marked the beginning of the end.
Morales flurried, disengaged and floored the Texas Southern
University graduate before swooping into top position and bringing
the bout to a close with sustained ground-and-pound.
The first-round finish was the seventh of Morales’ career.
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