The UFC is back with its first pay-per-view event of the year at UFC 270. The event will deliver a stellar fight card and take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on January 22, 2022.
Headlining the event will be a heavyweight unification title bout between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.
The co-main event will see Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo collide for the third consecutive time for the flyweight crown.
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Moreno will enter the bout against Figueiredo looking to record his first successful title defense. 'The Assassin Baby' won the strap with a dominant victory in his second outing against the Brazilian in June 2021. Moreno's impressive win over Figueiredo came just six months after the pair battled to a majority draw in December 2020.
The Mexican will go into the event with a seven-fight unbeaten streak on the line. With a win over Figueiredo, 'The Assassin Baby' can perhaps move on from 'Daico' and focus on fresh challenges in the division.
A welterweight bout between Michael Morales and Trevin Giles opens the card. The fight is followed by a bantamweight clash of styles between the high-level wrestling of Cody Stamann and the unorthodox striking of Said Nurmagomedov. The third bout on the main card sees the eccentric Michel Pereira take on Andre Fialho in another welterweight contest.
Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will battle to determine undisputed baddest man on the planet at UFC 270
Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will face interim titleholder Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 to determine who is the baddest man on the planet.
Ngannou won the heavyweight title following a stunning knockout victory over Stipe Miocic in their rematch in March 2021. 'The Predator' was originally expected to face the then No.1 contender Derrick Lewis in his first title defense. However, after a conflict of interest between the champion and the promotion, Lewis was booked to take on Ciryl Gane with the interim title up for grabs.
Gane went on to claim the interim belt with an emphatic stoppage win over the fan-favorite fighter in August last year. The win set up one of the most interesting heavyweight title matchups in the history of the sport.
Ciryl Gane (10-0) will hope to land the undisputed gold when he goes up against his former teammate Francis Ngannou (16-3) this weekend.
Here's the latest UFC Fight Card