5 most explosive moments from UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

The first big pay-per-view show of 2022 went down last night in the form of UFC 270. As most fans expected, it was a barnburner.

UFC 270 featured two high-level title bouts, as well as a number of other excellent fights that produced some genuinely explosive action.

With a variety of different finishes, as well as some cool moments across the fights that went the distance, this was a card with something for everyone.

With that in mind, here are the five most explosive moments from UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane.

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#5. Jack Della Maddalena debuts in the UFC in style

Jack Della Maddalena wasted no time in dispatching Pete Rodriguez last night

The welterweight bout between newcomers Jack Della Maddalena and Pete Rodriguez was largely flying under the radar last night, and for good reason given the unknown nature of both fighters. After last night, though, it’s hard to imagine anyone sleeping on Maddalena again.

The Australian already had eight stoppages via KO or TKO on his ledger prior to last night. It was easy to tell why as soon as the two men began to square off.

Within moments of the fight beginning, Maddalena was able to work over ‘Dead Game’ with his punches, particularly a stiff jab that bloodied him up in no time. Rodriguez simply didn’t have an answer for this attack despite firing back. It seemed like only a matter of time before he found himself in trouble.

Sure enough, before even the three-minute mark in the round, Maddalena hit his fellow debutant with a brutal combination, ending in a left hand that dropped Rodriguez hard. Referee Frank Trigg allowed the Aussie to follow up with two more punches but, in reality, the fight was already over.

This was an excellent – and brutal – debut for Maddalena. While there will be question marks over his opposition here, this was still one of the better octagon debuts in recent memory. More to the point, it was definitely one of last night’s most explosive moments.

#4. Michael Morales makes good in his UFC debut to take out Trevin Giles

Michael Morales picked up a big come-from-behind win in his octagon debut

Outside of the two title bouts at the top of the card, it’s arguable that the most exciting fight at UFC 270 was the main card opener between welterweights Michael Morales and Trevin Giles. Not only did this one feature a savage finish, but it also saw quite the comeback from Morales.

Early on, it looked like this would be Giles’ fight to lose. He stunned Morales in the early going with an explosive right hand, staggering him towards the fence, and perhaps could’ve finished him from there.

However, ‘The Problem’ chose to clinch and take the Ecuadorian down. Despite coming relatively close with an arm triangle choke, he couldn’t seal the deal and inadvertently allowed his foe to recover somewhat.

Sure enough, when the two men came back to their feet, it was Morales who looked like the sharper striker. Eventually, he landed a nasty right hand that sent Giles stumbling. From there, a short uppercut followed and essentially ended the fight, as UFC referee Mike Beltran quickly stepped in to stop proceedings.

Post-fight saw Giles attempt to claim that the stoppage came early. The truth is that had Beltran not stepped in, he could’ve been hurt badly. This was an explosive way for Morales to debut in the octagon, and it should be fun to see him in there again next time out.

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#3. UFC bantamweight Said Nurmagomedov wastes no time in dispatching Cody Stamann

Said Nurmagomedov proved that he's for real by tapping out Cody Stamann

There was plenty of hype around UFC bantamweight prospect Said Nurmagomedov coming into last night’s clash with Cody Stamann, and not only because of his famous surname.

Prior to last night, he’d already put together a record of 3-1 in the octagon, and looked like a man to watch. However, Stamann was undoubtedly his toughest test to date. If he could win, then a spot in the top 15 would likely be his.

Incredibly, Nurmagomedov blasted through ‘The Spartan’ in less than a minute, making him look like a rank amateur rather than a genuine contender at 135lbs.

Wasting no time at all, Nurmagomedov came out and hit Stamann with a spinning back kick. He then caught him in a tight guillotine as he attempted a takedown. As soon as the two bantamweights hit the mat, it was clear Stamann was in trouble. It wasn’t long before he tapped out.

Bantamweight is a loaded division so quite how high Nurmagomedov can climb remains a question mark. Regardless, this was definitely an impressive and explosive showing. It was enough to earn him a $50k bonus, too.

#2. Deiveson Figueiredo’s power earns him a win in a classic UFC title bout

Deiveson Figueiredo's third win over Brandon Moreno was another instant classic

The best fight on offer at UFC 270 was undoubtedly the flyweight title clash between champion Brandon Moreno and former champ Deiveson Figueiredo. The fight was the third meeting between the two men. After a pair of barnburners previously, hopes were high for this one.

Thankfully, the two flyweights didn’t let anyone down. They went strike-for-strike on the feet and constantly scrambled on the ground. While Moreno definitely fought well, it was Figueiredo who had his hand raised and reclaimed his UFC flyweight title.

The big difference here – as it was in their first meeting in 2020 – appeared to be the sheer power of ‘The God of War’. Not only did he damage Moreno with some heavy low kicks, but he also dropped him on multiple occasions with his punches.

The most explosive moment was undoubtedly in the third round. Arguably behind on the scorecards at the time, Figueiredo landed a crushing right hand in the dying moments that dropped ‘The Assassin Baby’ to his knees.

Had there been more time on the clock, the Brazilian could well have finished Moreno off. While that didn’t happen, the moment was probably the turning point that led him to victory.

This was one of those fights that didn’t feel like it really had a loser as both men were given a $50k bonus for their efforts. However, Figueiredo’s reputation as the more explosive man proved to be deserved, and was the key to him winning his title back.

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#1. Francis Ngannou channels his inner Matt Hughes to slam his way to victory

Francis Ngannou channelled his inner Matt Hughes to slam his way to a win over Ciryl Gane

Coming into UFC 270, many fans and observers suspected Ciryl Gane could prove to be kryptonite for Francis Ngannou for two reasons. Firstly, they suspected that ‘Bon Gamin’ could pick off the more explosive man on the feet. Secondly, they suspected his ground game was superior too.

In the first two rounds of this heavyweight title bout, it looked like the former feeling would prove to be true. The then-UFC interim heavyweight champion probably edged those stanzas with his cleaner striking. While it wasn’t really fun to watch, it looked effective.

However, in the later rounds, Ngannou switched his gameplan up. He unleashed his inner Matt Hughes and used his brute power to slam Gane to the ground in explosive fashion on multiple occasions. Suddenly, the idea that ‘The Predator’ was a novice on the ground was forgotten. Incredibly, he was able to wrestle his way to a decision win.

Ngannou deciding to wrestle certainly wasn’t as crazy as seeing him knock his opponents out in brutal fashion. However, seeing him hoist a huge fighter like Gane into the air before dumping him down was pretty stunning. If anything, these slams were amongst the more explosive the UFC has seen in recent years.

Whether Ngannou’s contract issues with the UFC mean this is the last time we’ll see him remains unknown for now. After this, there’s no denying that not only is he no longer a one-dimensional fighter, he’s also the best heavyweight on the planet.