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

#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.