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Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will headline the opening UFC pay-per-view event of 2022 in a heavyweight title unification bout. UFC 270 is set to go down this Saturday in Anaheim, California.
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The heavyweight clash between the teammates-turned-foes is one of the most intriguing storylines on an otherwise loaded card. Ciryl Gane, fighting out of the MMA Factory gym in Paris, is currently being coached by Ngannou's former coach Fernand Lopez.
Ngannou and Lopez parted ways after falling out in 2018. Their relationship is currently so volatile that Lopez has declared he would never consider working with 'The Predator' again.
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Comparing the height, weight and reach of Francis Ngannou against Ciryl Gane
Aged 35, Francis Ngannou is 6'4" with a reach of 83". The Cameroonian tipped the scales at 263 pounds in his last appearance.
At the age of 31, Ciryl Gane stands at 6'4". However, Ngannou pips his former teammate when it comes to weight and reach, as Gane weighed in at 247 pounds last time out and boasts a reach of 81".
However, 'Bon Gamin' is being rated the favorite as we inch closer to the highly anticipated heavyweight clash. Bookkeepers rate Gane as the -150 favorite to overcome Ngannou, who is the +130 underdog. [via DraftKings]
UFC 270 could be Francis Ngannou's swansong in the promotion
This weekend will represent the last fight of Ngannou's active eight-fight contract. While in conversation with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, the Xtreme Couture product offered some insight into his future in the UFC.
Ngannou has explicitly admitted that he will not be signing a new contract unless he is granted greater remuneration, along with the freedom to participate in professional boxing bouts.
"I will not fight for $500,000 [or] $600,000 anymore. It's over. I took this fight for personal reasons, because I want to make sure that regardless of [whether] it's fair, I can make my case that I have completed the fights."
Ngannou also revealed that a win against Ciryl Gane would trigger a 'champion's clause' that will bind him to the promotion for three fights or for the duration of a year.
A loss, however, would offer him the opportunity to test the waters of free agency.
Watch Francis Ngannou breakdown his contract situation below:
