MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC 270, a five-round UFC heavyweight title unification bout between champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. The event takes place on Saturday, January 22 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Ciryl Gane (-150)
Gane (10-0) is the interim UFC heavyweight champion. The 31-year-old France native is a perfect 7-0 in the UFC with notable wins over the likes of Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Junior dos Santos. A Muay Thai kickboxer by trade, Gane has only been in MMA for four years, and yet he is already at the top of the sport. He is a natural in MMA as he learns quickly and understands every aspect of the sport. When you talk about a well-rounded heavyweight fighter, it doesn’t get much better than Gane, who is able to defeat his opponents on the feet or on the ground. He is incredibly dangerous with his striking and he can also submit his foes on the mat. Unlike most heavyweights, Gane also has the cardio ability to go a full 25 minutes. When you talk about the new breed of MMA heavyweight fighters, Gane is very much in a league of his own.
Francis Ngannou (+130)
Ngannou (16-3) is the UFC heavyweight champion. The 35-year-old Cameroon native is 11-2 overall in the UFC with notable wins over the likes of Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Curtis Blaydes, and Alistair Overeem, with his lone UFC losses coming to Miocic and Derrick Lewis. One of the hardest punches to ever step into the Octagon, Ngannou has that special KO power that allows him to touch any man on Earth and knock them out. It is actually pretty remarkable to witness his power. Of course, outside of his heavy hands, Ngannou is a bit limited as a fighter. We did see some improvements in terms of kicks and defensive grappling in the Miocic rematch, but overall we still haven’t seen enough of Ngannou to say he’s a more complete MMA fighter than Gane is. That being said, we do know he packs a massive punch, and he has a puncher’s chance to beat Gane.
Fight Breakdown: This should be an absolutely incredible fight to decide the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion of the world. Both Ngannou and Gane have looked amazing as of late and this fight has the potential to be something really special. For Ngannou, he likely has about two rounds to land the death blow on Gane, while for Gane, he has multiple paths of victory including winning the fight on points or getting a late stoppage. While Ngannou knocking Gane out won’t surprise me, overall I do think Gane is the better MMA fighter with more paths to victory here. As long as Gane survives the first round-and-a-half, I expect him to win this fight by a late stoppage or on points. It should be an awesome fight while it lasts, but look for Gane to get the job done.
Prediction: Ciryl Gane
