Tag: ufc 270

Post-UFC 270, Jon Jones More Confident Than Ever About His 2022 Goal

Jon Jones is teeming with confidence after taking in the UFC 270 main event between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

For months, Jon Jones has not wavered about his decision to finally make the move up to heavyweight and vie for the division’s world…

Jon Jones

Jon Jones is teeming with confidence after taking in the UFC 270 main event between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

For months, Jon Jones has not wavered about his decision to finally make the move up to heavyweight and vie for the division’s world title. After an inactive 2021 with another arrest controversy, Jones’ future in the sport was once again subject to speculation.

Heading into 2022, however, Jones let it be known that his professional focus remained steady despite his ever-turbulent personal life.

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“I said I’ll be the champion in 2022, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I feel like I’m jumping up three weight classes, going from competing at 205 pounds to 265 pounds is no easy task. Nothing great happened overnight, I’m patient and I’m working my ass off every day towards my goals,” Jones posted last month.

Of course, heading into this past weekend, the entire world was waiting with bated breath to see what would happen when the Ford Escort power of Francis Ngannou crossed paths with the new-wave heavyweight that is Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.

Jones was expectedly chief among those interested. In fact, Jones himself took to social media to express just how closely he’d be watching the highly anticipated heavyweight clash.

“Really have no clue who’s going to win, I’m just excited to watch the fight. Going to learn so much about the both of them no matter how it goes down,” Jones responded when asked to give his official prediction for the UFC 270 main event.

Jon Jones Shares Post-Fight Reaction To UFC 270 Main Event

The main event went down at UFC 270, and as Ngannou hinted, it was indeed a surprising one for many fans. The outcome was so surprising that the oddsmakers had it listed as +1200, meaning that those who bet $100 on a Ngannou decision victory took home $1,200.

As for Jon Jones, he derived something even more valuable from the main event than cash: a new level of confidence ahead of his anticipated heavyweight debut later this year.

“If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, I’m excited about it. Got some more records to break,” Jones posted.

“I love how everyone gets so impressed with the new guy lol,” Jones’ main event commentary began in an apparent reference to Ciryl Gane.

“Lol Shit I may just enjoy retirement,” Jones posted in a cryptic tweet before letting his confidence be known in his follow-up tweets:

“Lol stay humble? Sure I’ll stay humble, sleeping like a baby tonight. People talk so much shit, have no clue what it takes.”

“At the end of the day, I’m fucking them both up,” Jones concluded in a since-deleted tweet.

As of now, it is still unconfirmed if Jones will be next in line for Francis Ngannou or even if he will compete at all this year. Not unlike Ngannou, Jones has been in sterile contract negotiations with the UFC, thus his future in the promotion remains uncertain.

In fact, White himself stated as recently as last week that he was uncomfortable to say with certainty that Jones is next in line for a title shot due to him not being sure of what Jones will decide to do. All things considered, 2022 may be the one year where the heavyweight drama outside of the cage is more impactful than the heavy blows dealt on the inside.

MMA News will keep you posted on the latest developments of what is next for the biggest players of the division and the landscape of the world title picture.

After watching UFC 270, who do you think would win between Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones?

Continue Reading Post-UFC 270, Jon Jones More Confident Than Ever About His 2022 Goal at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Following UFC 270: “I Don’t Feel Like A Free Man”

Francis Ngannou feels like he deserves better treatment from the UFC.

The UFC Heavyweight Champion voiced his displeasure with the promotion on Saturday night after defeating Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270.

Amid chatter of Ngannou possi…

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou feels like he deserves better treatment from the UFC.

The UFC Heavyweight Champion voiced his displeasure with the promotion on Saturday night after defeating Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270.

Amid chatter of Ngannou possibly leaving the UFC following his recent win, the champ was asked what his main problems with the promotion are. While not going through the nitty-gritty details of things, he mentioned that his qualms certainly go further than just being paid more.

“It’s not simply money. Obviously, money is a part of it. But also the terms of the contract, I don’t agree with it,” said Ngannou during his UFC 270 post-fight press conference. “I don’t feel like it’s fair. I don’t feel like a free man. I don’t feel like I have [been] treated good. It’s unfortunate that I have to be in this position to be able to say that, but I think […] that everybody should have the right to claim what’s best for them. Because at the end of the day, we put a lot of work in this job. We take a lot in our body to make it happen, so at least we can have a fair and square deal.”

Ngannou Has Been Outspoken In The Past

Francis Ngannou
Francis Ngannou (Image Credit: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

Ngannou has been outspoken for a long time about how he wants better treatment from the UFC.

The champion recently said he would only continue fighting for the UFC if they can pay him more. The California State Athletic Commission reported that Ngannou was paid a flat fee of $600,000 for his fight on Saturday night at UFC 270.

Ngannou has entertained doing things outside of the promotion before as well. In recent months, he started to discuss a hypothetical fight against boxing prizefighter Tyson Fury. The boxing champ responded to the call out, mentioning that he would take the challenge.

Do you agree with Francis Ngannou’s opinion on how he is treated?

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Following UFC 270: “I Don’t Feel Like A Free Man” at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Reveals Knee Injury Leading Up To UFC 270

Francis NgannouUFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou came into his UFC 270 matchup with Ciryl Gane suffering from multiple knee injuries. Ngannou earned a unanimous decision victory over Gane in a fight that arguably didn’t live up to the hype. But, Ngannou was able to show off his vastly improved grappling and won the fight mostly due […]

Francis Ngannou

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou came into his UFC 270 matchup with Ciryl Gane suffering from multiple knee injuries.

Ngannou earned a unanimous decision victory over Gane in a fight that arguably didn’t live up to the hype. But, Ngannou was able to show off his vastly improved grappling and won the fight mostly due to his wrestling and ground control.

As mentioned by the commentary team as Ngannou made his walk to the octagon, the heavyweight champion was seen with multiple knee guards on both of his knees entering the cage. This was an unusual site and many believe he could’ve suffered a leg injury during his camp.

During his UFC 270 octagon interview, Ngannou revealed the challenges he went through during his preparation for the fight.

Francis Ngannou Hurt His MCL, ACL Weeks Before UFC 270

“It’s been a really tough training camp,” Ngannou said. “A lot of s**t. Three weeks ago, I tore my MCL completely and hurt my ACL and other stuff. I wanted to pull out of this fight, but I couldn’t see myself retreating from this fight. It was an opportunity for me to make a statement.”

It’s unclear how Ngannou suffered the knee injury, but rumors have swirled over the past few days that he might’ve hurt himself in camp. He hadn’t alluded to any injuries during fight week and seemed fully prepared and motivated for the bout physically and mentally.

Ngannou earned the title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 last year. He was originally expected to face Jon Jones for his first title defense, but negotiations never materialized.

Ngannou and the UFC haven’t seen eye-to-eye in recent months, and the heavyweight champion may be sidelined for a while with his knee issues. For now, it remains to be seen what could be next for him in his UFC tenure.

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

7 Takeaways from UFC 270: Ngannou vs Gane

UFC 270 was the first pay-per-view event of the new year and came in with two title fights for UFC fans. A fight for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title and a third flyweight title fight to settle who the “King of the flies” is once and for all.&nbsp…

UFC 270 was the first pay-per-view event of the new year and came in with two title fights for UFC fans. A fight for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title and a third flyweight title fight to settle who the “King of the flies” is once and for all. 

There was a lot to take away from UFC 270, here are some things that stood out.

COVID Protocols 

The UFC has new protocols in place for 2022. MMA Junkie obtained a copy of the memo sent to fighters on the UFC roster to let them know how they have to roll if they want to rock on fight week. In short, fighters and their corners have to take three pre-fight tests for the fight week of their scheduled events. One at-home test before showing up, one upon arrival, and one after weighing in. That’s three chances to lose fights for future events so, fans should keep their fingers crossed for fighters on cards being announced this year.

Lost Some

Speaking of losing fights, the UFC had to scratch quite a few bouts from UFC 270. Whittled down to 11 bouts the first pay per view of the year, as well as the previous weekend’s event lost fights for various reasons, including the above protocols. When thinking about that, the pay-per-view price increase for this year is really hard to swallow. 

Night of Something Strange

UFC press conferences in the past have usually been about the fighters, their antics, and trash talk to get fans riled up for a fight. Lately, not just this last one for UFC 270 it seems to be becoming a platform for members of the media to try and get their 15 minutes of fame. Questions obviously aimed at antagonizing fighters seem to keep happening more and more but it seems any attention is good attention for the UFC but is it good for MMA?

Victor Henry

What are the ingredients to make a “fight of the night” candidate? An underdog and a favorite, a high pace, and the fight going the distance. This fight featured all three and with Henry a +375 underdog, him winning and pushing the pace made this fight one that put Victor Henry’s name on the radar for UFC fans. Raoni Barcelos fought well and was a -510 favorite, but after watching this fight, you’d wonder who’s making odds over at Draftkings? 

Four Times The Charm?

Usually, a trilogy settles a rivalry in combat sports. However, when one is a draw, Brandon Moreno wins the second match, and Deiveson Figueiredo wins the third. These great flyweights are 1-1 against each other. Another one has to happen to truly close the book on who the true flyweight king is. For now, it is Figueiredo but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone against seeing them fight for the title again. This was the official “Fight of the Night.”

And Still

Francis Ngannou cemented his position as the most dangerous man in MMA by defeating the Interim Champion Cyril Gane. So, where does he go from here? He is still the champion but when asked in his post-fight interview by Joe Rogan, he clearly seems to want to try boxing. However, he also said he hurt his ACL and MCL in training which is likely why he wrapped both knees for this match with compression wraps. 

You Put it On Him

For winners of title fights, it is usually Dana White that wraps the belt around the champion when the announcement is made in the cage. However, when Ngannou won the decision in the main event, it was UFC Matchmaker, Mick Maynard who put the belt on him. 

There’s obviously more to take away from this event than what is listed here. Especially when it comes to the heavyweight division. Ngannou’s injuries obviously need time and the business between him and the UFC needs to be discussed. Dana White did not attend the post-fight press conference, which is usually something he does come to. Could be telling of the future.

What did you take away from UFC 270?

Continue Reading 7 Takeaways from UFC 270: Ngannou vs Gane at MMA News.

Fighters React To Francis Ngannou Outlasting Ciryl Gane To Keep Heavyweight Title At UFC 270

Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane was everything that was advertised as Gane stepped up to challenge for the heavyweight title. 

The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (January 22, 2022) at the UFC 270 pay-per-view event from Anaheim, C…

Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane was everything that was advertised as Gane stepped up to challenge for the heavyweight title. 

The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday night (January 22, 2022) at the UFC 270 pay-per-view event from Anaheim, California at the Honda Center. Francis was wearing knee pads. Not a ton happened in the first frame aside from clinch work. 

Gane started letting his hands go in the second round and was landing some kicks. Another lackluster round as Francis is swinging, but not connecting. In the third round, Francis caught a kick and slammed him down hard right into side control. 

This happened another time with Gane continuously getting back up. Ngannou was tired at this point. Ngannou got a few more takedowns in the fourth round, but Gane did a nice job of defending transitions and wrist control. 

Ngannou got a takedown to open the fifth round, but Gane went for a leg submission only for Ngannou to get out and got on top in half guard. Francis was awarded the decision win. Ngannou revealed he tore his MCL in training and injured his ACL in training for this fight. 

Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:

Ngannou entered this fight on a five-bout winning streak. He scored three straight first-round KO wins over the likes of Curtis Blaydes in November 2018, Cain Velasquez in February 2019, and Junior Dos Santos in June 2019. He previously knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 before knocking out Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 260. 

Gane picked up a few wins under the TKO banner where he finished all of his fights before going to the UFC. He beat Raphael Pessoa by submission in his promotional debut with the UFC. He got decision, submission and KO victories. He beat Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Vegas 20 by decision and then over Alexander Volkov at UFC Vegas 30th by decision. He won the interim title with a TKO win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. 

Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight: 

UFC 270 Results & Highlights: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane 

MMA News is providing ongoing coverage of UFC 270. We’ve got you covered with live results, video highlights, and post-fight tidbits.

Continue Reading Fighters React To Francis Ngannou Outlasting Ciryl Gane To Keep Heavyweight Title At UFC 270 at MMA News.

Francis Ngannou Unifies Titles With Decision Victory Against Ciryl Gane – UFC 270 Highlights

Francis NgannouFrancis Ngannou has successfully unified the UFC heavyweight championships — handing interim champion, Ciryl Gane his first professional defeat courtesy of a wrestling and grappling-heavy unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46). Some real notable clinch work in the opening round from Ngannou, who has managed to mitigate the forward motion from Gane who himself has elected […]

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou has successfully unified the UFC heavyweight championships — handing interim champion, Ciryl Gane his first professional defeat courtesy of a wrestling and grappling-heavy unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46).

Some real notable clinch work in the opening round from Ngannou, who has managed to mitigate the forward motion from Gane who himself has elected to stick on the outside. Ngannou managed to find a home for some shots to the body during the break from a particular clinch exchange.

A good second round from the interim champion, Gane, who is now really starting to find his way into this fight. Showing his range and fluidity with some patented leg kicks, Gane spun notably upstairs with a wheel kick — clipping Ngannou without much more than a headshake from the Batie native.

Catching a wayward kick from Gane, Ngannou rushed forward and actually took the interim champion down, becoming the first to do so in the UFC.

Late in the third round, Ngannou would land a second takedown on Gane, beating his own previous record of one successful takedown in his Octagon tenure. Likely a third round for the Batie native.

Round four would see a stunning third and fourth successful takedown for Francis Ngannou, who managed to also establish some key control on top of Gane.

Once more winding up on top in the fifth round via a scramble, Ngannou almost found himself in dire straits courtesy of a heel hook attempt from Gane, who then inadvertently gave up full mount, and then half guard.

Successfully unifying the heavyweight championships, Francis Ngannou secures a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) over Ciryl Gane.

Below, catch the highlights as Francis Ngannou successfully unifies the heavyweight championships