Author: Dan Hiergesell

Heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are no longer sparring partners and no longer seeing eye-to-eye. Luckily, the two fighters will finally settle their differences inside of the Octagon tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 22, 2022) at UFC 270 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

There’s been growing animosity between the two heavyweights ever since their title unification bout was booked for this weekend. Ngannou holds the undisputed UFC heavyweight title while Gane possesses the interim strap. As two former training partners who are now colliding on the biggest stage in combat sports it’s only natural for Ngannou and Gane to differ in opinion.

The biggest issue outside of their impending fight has to be their infamous sparring sessions under the watchful eye of MMA Factory in Paris. Footage was leaked in late December that showed Gane getting the best out of Ngannou in a past training session. However, Ngannou is adamant that the footage was packaged the right way to highlight Gane as the better striker. “Predator” is also claiming that he accidently knocked out Gane with a head kick during sparring.

“He was knocked out, probably, because he doesn’t remember,” Ngannou said during Thursday’s pre-fight press conference (replay HERE).

“This is not the truth,” Gane said in response. “We did some sparring – and it was really great sparring from Francis. It was a beautiful left kick. The problem with Francis is he doesn’t like technical sparring – (he likes) to make power. … You gave me the left kick. You hurt me. You see? I’m honest – you hurt me. You hurt me. But you didn’t knock me down.”

At this rate nobody really knows what happened between the two top heavyweights, but fight fans will find out what’s what this weekend at UFC 270. The better fighter will be revealed and an undisputed UFC heavyweight champion crowned.

“This whole story is a great story,” said UFC president Dana White. “But the most important thing is no matter who hit who, who did what, who doesn’t like who, on Saturday night, the two biggest, baddest heavyweights in the world are going to fight, and all the questions will be answered. That’s all that matters.”

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 270 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. You can bet on the card at DraftKings Sportsbook.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 270: “Ngannou vs. Gane” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For a look at the revised UFC 270 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

We are just 24 hours away from the first official UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event of the year as UFC 270 unfolds tomorrow night (Sat., Jan. 22, 2022) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane serving as the main event.

This is arguably the biggest heavyweight fight in years. Ngannou, who holds the undisputed UFC heavyweight title, is widely considered the best knockout artist in the sport today. “Predator” has ran through just about every top heavyweight on the UFC roster since his inception back in 2015 and is one win away from solidifying himself as the baddest man on the planet.

Gane, on the other hand, is an undefeated technical kickboxer who currently holds the interim UFC heavyweight title. “Bon Gamin” has looked unbeatable since his Octagon debut in 2019 and would see his UFC stock explode if he were to knock off Ngannou this Saturday.

Ahead of their title fight clash Ngannou and Gane stepped on stage for one final staredown. Check it out below:

Also on the card is a co-main event trilogy bout pitting current UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno against rival and former division titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo. The two flyweights have met twice in the past 13 months resulting in a draw and a submission win for Moreno in the rematch. Their third fight at UFC 270 will decide the future of the growing flyweight division and solidify one of them as king.

Check out their staredown below:

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 270 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV. You can bet on the card at DraftKings Sportsbook.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 270: “Ngannou vs. Gane” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For a look at the revised UFC 270 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

We’ve seen Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attend Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events and even wrap the “BMF” belt around Jorge Masvidal’s waist a few years ago, but now the megastar is partnering up with UFC to become the promotion’s official footwear provider.

According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Johnson has inked a multiyear deal with UFC to bring his Project Rock footwear, an athletic-wear label with Under Armour Inc., to the Octagon. No financials details have been released at this time, but the deal will officially begin this weekend at UFC 270 in Anaheim, California.

The agreement is specific to UFC fight-week events. It would put Project Rock footwear on UFC athletes and cornermen during special events, workouts, weigh-ins, and in the locker room. In addition, UFC fighters will wear the shoes to the Octagon for their walkouts before removing them cageside.

“UFC athletes are amongst the greatest, toughest, focused, most disciplined and hardest training athletes on the planet,” Johnson said in an email (via Bloomberg). “ I am proud, grateful and humbled that my innovative Project Rock training shoe is now the official global footwear partner of the UFC.”

This isn’t the only change UFC athletes have experienced over the past year. Back in April of 2021, UFC finally parted ways with Reebok as its official outfitting and apparel partner in favor of well-known MMA brand, Venum (details HERE). The feedback was mixed, but the fight kits do seem to pack a little more punch nowadays so this new deal with Project Rock should create some excitement.

“Being ‘the hardest worker in the room’ isn’t just a catchy slogan,” said Johnson. “It’s my life. But it’s not just my life. It’s the life and soul of every man and woman that competes in the UFC. They are the hardest workers in the room.”

That said, we’re not sure what this does for the fighters themselves if anything at all. UFC wouldn’t make a deal with Johnson’s Project Rock if it didn’t benefit the promotion financially, but how does this impact male and female fighters alike?

We’ll have to wait and see.

Calvin Kattar returned in style last night (Sat., Jan. 15, 2022) at UFC Vegas 46 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the featherweight contender silenced Giga Chikadze with a five-round shellacking (highlights HERE).

In addition to the featherweight headliner, a collection of main card and “Prelims” fights produced memorable action throughout. Check them out below and let us know your favorite:

• Lightweight prospect Viacheslav Borshchev made good on his Octagon debut with a first-round TKO finish over Dakota Bush (highlights HERE)
• Heavyweight veteran Jake Collier overwhelmed Chase Sherman to score a first-round submission finish
• Joanderson Brito made a fun Octagon debut in his matchup with featherweight Bill Algeo, but “Señor Perfecto” proved too tough for Brito and handed the newcomer his first UFC loss

In order to sift through the action and see which fighters took home an extra $50,000, we take a closer look at the official UFC Vegas 46 bonus winners below:

• Fight of the Night: Calvin Kattar vs. Giga Chikadze
• Performance of the Night: Viacheslav Borshchev
• Performance of the Night: Jake Collier

For complete UFC Vegas 46 results and coverage click here.

Calvin Kattar made a triumphant return to the Octagon last night (Sat., Jan. 15, 2022) at UFC Vegas 46 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the featherweight veteran stopped surging contender Giga Chikadze in a lopsided main event beatdown.

Chikadze was landing a ton of kicks on the feet before an exchange left him slipping to the canvas. Kattar took advantage and dived in to secure a takedown. From there, Kattar worked hard in top control to land some good punches, tire Chikadze, and gain some valuable control time.

Both featherweights exploded for offense in the second round as Kattar pressured Chikadze around the cage and forced dirty boxing inside. Kattar’s persistence seemed to be weighing on Chikadze, but “Ninja” responded with hard punches. Kattar came back with some spinning elbows and another takedown to end the round.

Kattar kept things rolling into the third with more pressure. Chikadze had to fight backing up and really started to get tagged. Bloody and tired, Chikadze fired back to keep Kattar in line, but the fight was slowly slipping away. Chikadze’s face got worse in the fourth as Kattar landed more inside elbows than any other strike. He had Chikadze on his heels with moments left in the round, but “Ninja” survived.

The fifth and final round was all Kattar as he tracked Chikadze down and blasted him with more elbows inside. Kattar scored a spinning elbow later in the round as well and a barrage of strikes in the final moments to put the finishing touches on his impressive unanimous decision win.

Check out the full fight video highlights below:

For complete UFC Vegas 46 results and coverage click here.

As soon as UFC Vegas 46 wraps up tonight (Sat., Jan. 15, 2022) live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, fight fans can check out the live post-fight press conference video above for all the best reaction and official bonus winners.

On a night that features a main event clash between featherweight contenders Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze, a women’s flyweight affair featuring former UFC title challengers Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia, and the return of flyweight finisher Brandon Royval as he takes on Brazilian veteran Rogerio Bontorin, there will be a lot to discuss when the action winds down.

The post-fight presser is scheduled to go live at 10:15 p.m. ET. It will feature the biggest winners and losers from the card.

For complete UFC Vegas 46 results and coverage click here.