Resourceful Francis Ngannou Turns to Takedowns, Unifies Heavyweight Title at UFC 270

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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

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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.

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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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