Tag: ufc 270

Brandon Moreno: Figueiredo Came For A Decision, Not My Head

UFC flyweight contender Brandon Moreno believes Deiveson Figueiredo’s strategy at UFC 270 was to take the fight to the judges’ scorecards. At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, the two top flyweights stole the show with another entertaining and enthralling chapter to their rivalry. While Moreno, the first Mexican-born titleholder in UFC history, hoped to extend […]

Continue Reading Brandon Moreno: Figueiredo Came For A Decision, Not My Head at MMA News.

UFC flyweight contender Brandon Moreno believes Deiveson Figueiredo’s strategy at UFC 270 was to take the fight to the judges’ scorecards.

At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, the two top flyweights stole the show with another entertaining and enthralling chapter to their rivalry. While Moreno, the first Mexican-born titleholder in UFC history, hoped to extend his reign with a second win against Figueiredo, the Brazilian targeted revenge and a second stint atop the 125-pound mountain.

After five rounds of back-and-forth action, the judges were needed to decide who left Anaheim with the flyweight gold. With 48-47 scores across the board, “Deus Da Guerra” etched his name into the history books as the promotion’s first-ever two-time 125-pound king.

Moreno: ‘He Never Tried To Finish The Fight’

While Moreno performed admirably, even doing enough to win in the eyes of some, and kept the fight extremely close with his volume and speed, it was Figueiredo’s power that proved to be the difference, with knockdowns in the third and fifth frames seemingly edging him the co-main event contest.

Prior to the trilogy clash, Figueiredo, who had his first reign at the top of the weight class ended via submission at UFC 263 last June, promised he was going to take Moreno’s head inside the Honda Center.

But having gone the distance with the Brazilian, “The Assassin Baby” believes Figueiredo’s game plan actually involved doing the opposite to his pre-fight trash talk.

“I was saying in interviews, ‘Man, I’m expecting a better Figueiredo, like, more motivated, hungry for success, trying to cut my head off.’ Everything was true, except he never wanted to (finish) me,” Moreno told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “His game plan was to go the decision and (he) won like that. He never tried to really finish the fight. He connected with me and got some knockdowns, but I feel like that wasn’t the real game plan.”

That theory will no doubt be disputed by the newly crowned champ, who claims he would’ve only needed another 30 seconds to finish the Mexican in the third frame.

While the trilogy contest brought a lot to the cage, one thing it didn’t do was provide closure for the rivalry. With the score now at 1-1-1 and with Moreno calling for a fourth clash later this year, it appears the pair could make history with a tetralogy.

But with contenders like Askar Askarov, Alexandre Pantoja, and Kai Kara-France waiting in the wings, it remains to be seen whether the UFC will favor an immediate fourth fight or if it’ll choose to venture to new matchups first instead.

Would you like to see Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 4?

Continue Reading Brandon Moreno: Figueiredo Came For A Decision, Not My Head at MMA News.

Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong

Although UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou revealed that if he could have chosen his path to victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 it would have been via knockout, proving people wrong worked out well also. With the eyes of practically every fan on him and the talk in all circles surrounding his uncertain future […]

Continue Reading Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong at MMA News.

Although UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou revealed that if he could have chosen his path to victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 it would have been via knockout, proving people wrong worked out well also.

With the eyes of practically every fan on him and the talk in all circles surrounding his uncertain future and ongoing dispute with the UFC, Ngannou didn’t buckle under the pressure.

In fact, much like his knee brace held up his torn MCL and damaged ACL through five rounds of action, Ngannou’s focus, perseverance, and the team around him held up his self-belief, something that would prove to be crucial on his path to victory.

Having pushed through multiple areas of adversity, “The Predator” made it to the Octagon for the first pay-per-view main event of 2022 with a point to prove. After two rounds of comfortable control on the feet for Gane, that point looked to be fading.

But after metaphorically catching that point and slamming it to the ground in the third round, the Cameroon native used his improved wrestling game to add the first blemish to his former teammate’s record.

Having been unable to get close to “Bon Gamin” on the feet, it was undoubtedly the strategic adjustment to takedowns and ground control that turned the tide last Saturday. Having seen Gane’s reaction to it at the end of the third round, Ngannou said he knew it was to be smooth sailing for the remaining 10 minutes.

Ngannou Happy To Prove Doubters Wrong Despite KO Preference

Prior to UFC 270, the prevailing narrative was that the unification showdown was a case of power vs. technique on the feet. Very few even discussed the possibility of either party choosing to initiate a wrestling sequence, and even fewer believed Ngannou would be capable of engineering a victory with it.

While he sees the opportunity to have proven his doubters wrong and show he can go five rounds, even when grappling is involved, as a good thing, Ngannou still admits he’d have chosen a KO if he could have.

“I didn’t know, for sure, that it was gonna be a grappling match. But I have that as an option, that it could be a grappling match,” Ngannou said during his appearance at the post-fight press conference. “Basically, because I wasn’t very comfortable on my stand, I wasn’t very stable, so I was very concerned. I couldn’t move properly, and against a guy who moves as well as Ciryl, It was very tough for me, the standup part. But he kind of gave me the opportunity; came to me at first with those takedowns… My team recommended me to keep doing that, work on the wrestling and grapple because we were pretty confident about our skills.

“Neither do I (expect to see me fight five rounds), I haven’t seen me fight for so long [LAUGHS]. The wrestling has been part of my game from the beginning. I’ve been working on (it), maybe it wasn’t good enough, but I never had a chance to prove it,” added Ngannou. “If I would’ve chose, it would’ve been a knockout man [LAUGHS]. This five rounds, it wasn’t my call. But meanwhile, it was a good thing because I finally had a chance to prove that I can do it. Everybody counts me out when it goes to five rounds, ‘Ah, Ciryl by decision! Only way Francis wins is by knockout,’ but you were wrong.”

With another wrinkle added to his game, Ngannou has displayed his development from knockout artist to all-round mixed martial artist. That’s certainly a scary prospect for the rest of the division should he agree to a new deal with the UFC and continue his reign.

What did you make of Francis Ngannou’s performance at UFC 270?

Continue Reading Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong at MMA News.

Figueiredo: I’d Have Finished Moreno In Round 3 With 30 More Seconds

UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo believes he’d have only needed another 30 seconds to have finished arch-rival Brandon Moreno in round three at UFC 270.

At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, Moreno and Figueiredo met for the third time. Wh…

Deiveson Figueiredo, UFC 270: Moreno vs. Figueiredo 3

UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo believes he’d have only needed another 30 seconds to have finished arch-rival Brandon Moreno in round three at UFC 270.

At the opening pay-per-view of 2022, Moreno and Figueiredo met for the third time. While the Mexican was aiming to cement his status as reigning 125-pound king and turn the page on the Figueiredo chapter of his career, the Brazilian was hoping to become the first two-time flyweight titleholder in UFC history and regain his place on the throne.

After five rounds of entertaining Fight of the Night-worthy action, it was “Deus Da Guerra” who accomplished his goal and had his hand raised. With scores of 48-47 across the board, Figueiredo avenged his submission setback to Moreno last June and set the trilogy score at 1-1-1.

Figueiredo: I Needed 30 More Seconds For The Kill

One of the pivotal rounds in the co-main event was the third. In a close frame, Figueiredo gained the momentum and almost finished the fight in the closing seconds after dropping Moreno with a flush right hand. Despite locking in what appeared to be a tight guillotine choke, “The Assassin Baby” survived thanks to the round-ending horn.

During his appearance at the post-fight press conference, Figueiredo was asked what he felt at that moment and whether he thought he was close to the finish. The newly-crowned champ suggested if there were another 30 seconds in the round, the fight wouldn’t have gone beyond the third stanza.

“You know, if it was 30 seconds more, I feel that I would have gotten him,” said Figueiredo. “I think that he lost his senses a little bit. He looked like he was not feeling too well there. He was kind of saved by the buzzer, and I do feel like his soul left his body. I do feel that with 30 seconds, I would’ve just killed that guy.”

While we certainly had another intriguing clash added to the history books for Figueiredo and Moreno’s rivalry, one thing we didn’t get was closure to it. With the score now at 1-1-1, it stands to reason the pair will meet for a historical fourth contest down the line, maybe even immediately.

However, with top contenders like Askar Askarov, Alexandre Pantoja, and Kai Kara-France all hoping to stake their claim for a title shot, perhaps the UFC will choose to divert from Figueiredo vs. Moreno 4 for the time being.

Would you like to see Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno 4?

Continue Reading Figueiredo: I’d Have Finished Moreno In Round 3 With 30 More Seconds at MMA News.

Ngannou’s Manager Posts Racist Message He Received Prior To UFC 270

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou’s manager received an abusive and racist message prior to the UFC 270 pay-per-view.

Last weekend, Ngannou bet on himself like not many had before him. With a torn MCL and damaged ACL, “The Predator” defied d…

Francis Ngannou & his team

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou’s manager received an abusive and racist message prior to the UFC 270 pay-per-view.

Last weekend, Ngannou bet on himself like not many had before him. With a torn MCL and damaged ACL, “The Predator” defied doctor’s advice to withdraw and put his heavyweight gold on the line against interim champion and former teammate Ciryl Gane.

After two rounds, Ngannou was down, troubled by his injury, and unable to get close to the technical and fast “Bon Gamin.” That all changed with one third-round takedown.

After turning to his wrestling game, a facet of his development not many had considered heading into the unification showdown, the Cameroonian controlled the remainder of the contest and took home a unanimous decision verdict.

Ngannou’s Camp Dealt With A Lot Ahead Of Fight Night

An incredible amount was riding on Ngannou’s first title defense. As well as the possibility of “irreversible damage” to his knee, “The Predator” entered the PPV headliner with a bitter feud with his former coach Fernand Lopez in the limelight and his ongoing uncertain future with the UFC attracting major attention.

Ngannou and his team have long been vocal about their displeasure with the champ’s current contract, which would have expired had he been defeated by Gane; another reason the clash was so crucial for Ngannou’s negotiating position.

While many assumed the struggle to reach an arrangement was down to money, Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin explained the two things the Cameroon native is looking for from the UFC: activity and promotion.

While most will acknowledge Martin’s endeavour to fulfil his client’s wishes in the world’s premier MMA organization as a positive, one individual clearly sees his role in the contractual dispute differently, as they displayed ahead of UFC 270 with an abusive anonymous text.

The rant, which included a racial slur, branded Ngannou a “dumb piece of sh*t” for listening to Martin’s advice. The expletive-ridden text, which came from a number with a Las Vegas area code, showed another side to Ngannou’s difficult lead-up to his Octagon walk.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZCUlZlFRwe/

In the caption, Martin didn’t make any accusations or infer who the text could have come from. Instead, he sent a message to others who have received racism for simply doing their jobs.

“Just a small piece of what has been going on recently. All for trying to do my job to the best of my ability. All supporting my brother Francis. All for trying to do what’s right and fair. All for believing in respect. I don’t share this for pity, I know I’m not perfect, but I share this to help show support and uplift Anyone who is or has experienced ANY type of racism, hatred, self-doubt, etc. I feel it trust me. Especially this week haha. It will be hard, it will be scary but stand strong and keep the faith.

“Also sharing because I am thankful for these experiences (trials). I have grown SO much. So thank you to my enemies, God bless you. I have grown in wisdom, I have grown in patience, I have grown in spirit and I have grown in knowing who I KNOW I am as a man…And I’m proud of myself.”

If the message was intended to play a part on Ngannou and his team’s mindset, it certainly failed. With one of the best performances of his career, through extreme adversity, “The Predator” maintained his spot on the heavyweight throne.

Is Francis Ngannou’s victory even more impressive given the factors he and his team dealt with prior to the fight?

Continue Reading Ngannou’s Manager Posts Racist Message He Received Prior To UFC 270 at MMA News.

Ngannou’s UFC 270 Win Dealt A Knockout Blow To Minimizing Narrative

Heading into UFC 270, the MMA world was on edge to see how one of the most stylistically intriguing and suspenseful heavyweight bouts of all time would play out.

In one corner, we had the undisputed champion, Francis Ngannou, looking to carve his …

Francis Ngannou

Heading into UFC 270, the MMA world was on edge to see how one of the most stylistically intriguing and suspenseful heavyweight bouts of all time would play out.

In one corner, we had the undisputed champion, Francis Ngannou, looking to carve his name in the history books as the UFC’s one and only heavyweight king in 2022. In the blue corner stood Ciryl “Bon Gamin” Gane, a post-modern heavyweight maestro who moved with a tempo and pace like arguably no heavyweight before him.

The narrative surrounding this bout was that it was the ultimate clash of styles between the powerhouse KO artist and the technician who is the embodiment of heavyweight poetry in motion. While this perception was a major part of the story leading into UFC 270, it is far from the only time Francis Ngannou has been typecast and limited to being a glorified one-trick pony.

Like a horror flick barred from being considered for Best Film due to its niche appeal, no matter how well produced it is, Ngannou’s name hasn’t been mentioned much in regards to his candidacy as the best heavyweight of all time.

In this way, Ngannou’s uncanny ability to be a nightmare for slept opponents like Freddy Kreuger has worked against him. In some ways, he’s been cast aside as a freak show circus act, one whose most common adjective attached to him has been “scary.”

But as mentioned in a 2019 editorial, what Ngannou has accomplished is far beyond “scary.” It’s downright legendary. During his UFC run, he has defeated the following names: Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes (2), Andrei Arlovski, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Ciryl Gane, nearly all of those wins coming by way of declarative, non-competitive knockout.

If you look at those list names and especially considering the manner in which he won, you can already put that résumé up against any heavyweight of all time in terms of top-heavy quality and at the very least open up a legitimate conversation about where Ngannou stands among the heavyweight greats.

As is, he may be lacking the title defenses to be the “GOAT,” but 2021/2022 Francis Ngannou may already have the top claim to being the BOAT at heavyweight given his list of elite victims who were treated like jobbers on archived episodes of WWF Primetime Wrestling in glorified squash matches.

But it was these last two wins for Ngannou that may have done the most for The Predator’s legacy.

The scouting report heading into the Miocic rematch was that, as usual, Ngannou had a puncher’s chance and needed to get the early KO to win with that “one big shot.” The thing is, although Ngannou got that one shot in the second round, he also landed several, well-paced shots before then. In fact, Nganno flat-out“outskilled” Miocic for the entirety of the fight, including in the grappling department, which captured the surprise and awe of the viewing audience.

And last weekend, after having wounded the narrative that he is merely a KO artist with his title win at UFC 260, Francis Ngannou landed the picture-perfect knockout blow to it at UFC 270 when he used wrestling to hand Ciryl Gane his first loss as a professional. And not only did Ngannou use his wrestling, but he apparently did so with an MCL tear and being down two rounds, thus showing endurance, heart, championship mettle, and yes, versatility.

Following UFC 270, now, more than ever before, the MMA world has no choice but to free Ngannou from being typecast as a one-trick KO pony and finally acknowledge what he has been all along and what can no longer be overlooked: one of the best winners the heavyweight division has ever seen.

Continue Reading Ngannou’s UFC 270 Win Dealt A Knockout Blow To Minimizing Narrative at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Reveals Why He Didn’t Pull Out Of UFC 270 Title Fight

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has revealed why he chose to fight through a knee injury at UFC 270 rather than withdraw.

Without considering the injury he carried into the fight, Ngannou’s successful defense and ability to overcome advers…

Francis Ngannou

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou has revealed why he chose to fight through a knee injury at UFC 270 rather than withdraw.

Without considering the injury he carried into the fight, Ngannou’s successful defense and ability to overcome adversity this past weekend were impressive enough. In the opening two rounds, “The Predator” slipped behind in the contest and appeared unable to get close to his former teammate Ciryl Gane.

But in the third round, one takedown changed the tide. Once it was clear he could find success and control in the wrestling department, Ngannou put his improved ground game on full display. After winning the last three rounds, the champion left the cage with a unanimous decision triumph.

Ngannou Explains “Dumb Decision”

In the aftermath of his victory, Ngannou confirmed that rumors of a pre-fight injury were indeed true, something his choice to wear kneepads also suggested. During his post-fight interview, the Cameroonian revealed he’d suffered a grade 3 MCL tear and a damaged ACL just 25 days prior to the year’s opening pay-per-view.

Speaking to the media shortly after, Ngannou explained his decision to go through with his unification showdown against Gane rather than withdraw and push for another date, a choice he admitted was perhaps “dumb.”

“Leading up to this fight, I get injured. But you don’t know what will happen. I could have withdrawn from this fight, and then get into another fight, get (injured) even worse, you know?” Ngannou said. “We are doing a sport that is very dangerous and you can hurt yourself all the time. So if you feel like there is a chance that you can do it, I think you have to do it.

“And I believe in myself. I’ve been through a lot of stuff in my life,” added Ngannou. “So I was sure (I could do it). I mean, that must be a dumb decision, but I didn’t wanna withdraw from this fight. I was very confident in my skills in this fight.”

Ngannou’s successful defense, along with Dana White’s decision not to wrap the belt around his waist after and not attend the post-fight press conference, has perhaps left more questions than it answered.

With his contractual dispute clearly not sorted with the promotion, the question begs, will we see “The Predator” continue to defend the title or will he sit out his contract for the rest of 2022 and crossover to boxing next year?

One thing for certain is that with the possibility of knee surgery looming, the UFC will likely have quite a few months to attempt to come to an agreement before the champ would be ready to enter the Octagon again.

How impressed were you with Francis Ngannou’s performance at UFC 270, especially given his knee injury?

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Reveals Why He Didn’t Pull Out Of UFC 270 Title Fight at MMA News.