Francis Ngannou unified the heavyweight titles by capturing a unanimous decision victory over Ciryl Gane in the UFC 270 pay-per-view (PPV) main event, which took place last Sat. night (Jan. 22, 2022) inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., an outcome that was so unlikely bookies were offering +1200 odds on “The Predator” by scorecards.
The fight started off in favor of Gane, who controlled the contest by way of technical standup, but Ngannou switched gears to open the third frame. The Cameroonian slugger — known for his devastating knockout power — instead used his wrestling to control the tiring “Bon Gamin,” who also made a tactical error on a failed submission late in the fight.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was unimpressed.
“I love how everyone gets so impressed with the new guy lol,” Jones wrote on Twitter. “If this is the apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it. Got some more records to break. At the end of the day, I’m fucking them both up.”
Jones is expected to make his heavyweight debut later this year.
Since Ngannou is bound by a championship clause in his current contract, we’re likely to see “The Predator” find his way back to the Octagon. Unfortunately for the rest of the division, a torn MCL — as well as a damaged ACL — are expected to keep Ngannou on the bench until further notice, though it doesn’t sound like Jones is rushing to come back.
“Lol … shit I may just enjoy retirement,” Jones said.
The heavyweight division is in a bit of a weird place. Ngannou does not have a good relationship with UFC President Dana White, who sent Mick Maynard to put the strap around the champion at the end of his Gane fight. But White is also at odds with Jones over the same thing that caused the Ngannou rift — the almighty dollar.
I think Suzanne said it best:
I can’t wait until the UFC makes Lewis-Tuivasa an interim heavyweight championship fight.
— Suzanne (In Sexy Shoes) (@SoozieCuzie) January 23, 2022
For more UFC 270 results including play-by-play fight coverage click here.