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

#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.