ufc-270-ngannou-gane-preview-heavyweight

Following UFC Fight Night Kattar vs Chikadze – the next headline event is UFC 270 – which sees Ciryl Gane take on Francis Ngannou for the heavyweight belt. On the same night, flyweight champion Brandon Moreno will defend his title for the first time against Deiveson Figueiredo. Get insights and odds for all main card fights this Saturday.

UFC 270: Ngannous vs. Gane

  • Date: Saturday, January 22
  • Main card: 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m. BST
  • Main event (approx): 9:00 p.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET/5:00 a.m. BST

Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

The more or less even odds for the main event show how close this clash of juggernauts should be. Yet because Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are skilled strikers, many expect this heavyweight title fight to be over in the first few rounds.

Francis Ngannou -105

The current UFC heavyweight champion looks to build on his legacy by successfully defending his title
against former training MMA Factory partner Ciryl Gane. Many have tried to market this matchup as a bad-blood feud between the two. But Ngannou’s beef is with Gane’s head coach Fernand Lopez, who used to train the current champion, not Gane. After his last loss in the UFC, the French Cameroonian fell out with Lopez and is now training at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas.

Since joining the UFC in 2015, many saw Ngannou as the future of the division. He went toe to toe with big hitters to get a shot at the belt, such as Cain Velasquez, Alister Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, and Stipe Miocic. At 6’4, the heavyweight is an imposing knockout specialist – the majority of his wins in the UFC have come via TKO/KO. For this reason, oddsmakers believe Francis Ngannou is likely to win by KO or TKO.

 

Ciryl Gane – 115

As Ciryl Gane has never lost a professional fight, he’s a slight favorite to get the victory. Before competing in MMA bouts, the Frenchman built up an impressive Muay Thai record of 14-0. Since transitioning, he has racked up 10 wins with no losses against the cream of the division, including Derrick Lewis to win the interim heavyweight belt. Although Gane may not be as naturally powerful as Ngannou, his striking skills frustrate opponents. Therefore, expect him to keep Ngannou at bay and pick him apart piece by piece to force a TKO.


Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Reigning flyweight champion Brandon Moreno faces former champion Deiveson Figueiredo for the third time in two years on Saturday.

Brandon Moreno -185

After beating Moreno via submission in his last appearance, he is the sportsbooks‘ favorite to win the co-main event. Moreno’s fairytale UFC story has seen him become a popular MMA star. Although he lost the Ultimate Fighter TV series in 2014, he was still signed and competed five times in the UFC before having his contract terminated. He made a return in 2019 and went on to beat the division’s best in the octagon, earning him a title fight against Deiveson Figueiredo. Moreno didn’t pass up the opportunity and submitted Figueiredo to become the first Mexican-born UFC champion.

The 28-year-old is tall for a flyweight (5ft7) and has solid Brazilian Ju-Jitsu skills that have helped him to 11 submission wins. Because he submitted Figueiredo in their last meeting, expect him to go for a repeat at UFC 270.

Deiveson Figueiredo +147

Because Deiveson Figueiredo was on the losing end last time around, he is the underdog for this title fight. Like Moreno, Brazilian is unusually big for the flyweight division, maybe too big – he has had problems making weight in the past. After losing to Moreno, the 34-year-old looked likely to move to bantamweight. Yet, a shot at championship gold has made him stick around. He’s now teamed up with Henry Cejudo, Moreno’s old training partner, to learn how he can expose any chinks in the Mexican’s armor. With nine wins by way of KO/TKO and eight wins by submission, Figueiredo rarely goes the distance. Expect him to try and keep Moreno on the back foot and finish the bout by KO/TKO or submission.


Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho

Welterweights Michel Pereira Andre Fialho face each other on short notice. Pereira was lined up to fight Muslim Salikhov in the last UFC Fight Night, but the Russian had to pull out due to injury.

Michel Pereira -300

Although Pereira is a big favorite, the little time he’s had to prepare could affect his performance. Nevertheless, Pereira’s unorthodox yet effective fighting style should overwhelm Fialho. He has been criticized for being overly flashy and using too much energy in the early stage of fights. Yet, the fighter seems to have matured by being more efficient in his last two contests. For this reason, many believe Pereira will do the same and try to win this matchup by decision.

Andre Fialho Fight +230

This is Andre Fialho’s first fight in the UFC – and he has had only one week to prepare. But because he’s competed in Bellator and PFL events before, stepping into the octagon shouldn’t faze him. The Portuguese fighter has won his last four fights by TKO/KO. Therefore, Pereira could upset the odds by beating Pereira by TKO/KO.


Sergey Spivak vs. Greg Hardy

A lot is on the line in this heavyweight battle: Sergey Spivak and Greg Hardy both need a win to stop them from being dropped by the UFC.

Sergey Spivak +133

Spivak 2022 campaign needs to beat a big name after stepping in for the injured Aleksei Oleinik. Although the Moldovan is young, he has plenty of fight experience. Spivak has won 6 fights by submission. Considering Hardy is new to the sport, Spivak is likely to test his opponent’s wrestling skills by taking him down. This approach would be the best plan of action for the 26-year-old.

Greg Hardy -164

Ex-football player Greg Hardy desperately needs a win to keep his UFC from falling apart. Hardy is currently on a two-fight losing streak and has hardly set the division alight. The former Carolina Panthers player has honed his skills quickly, but it shows that he’s not a natural wrestler. His opponent has changed in this bout, but his game plan shouldn’t: he needs to defend well against takedowns and push Spivak back with his striking power to win by KO/TKO.

*Greg Hardy is no longer fighting on this card, and the UFC is seeking a replacement.


Cody Stamann vs. Said Nurmagomedov Betting

Wrestling fans will relish this matchup of American Cody Stamann and Russian Said Nurmagomedov.

Cody Stamann +170

Top online UFC betting sites have Stamann as a +170 underdog going into this bout. However, to stay in Dana White’s organization, he needs to cause an upset against the odds. The 32-year-old lost his last two fights against Merab Dvalishvili and Jimmie Rivera – but they are leaders in the division. Stamann is a fantastic wrestler with frantic pace that can frustrate anyone in the division. Ideally, he needs to capitalize on these strengths to breathe new life into his UFC career.

Said Nurmagomedov -210

Nurmagomedov is looking to build momentum by beating Stamann after winning his last fight. As a relation of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, his stellar wrestling skills are somewhat unsurprising. However, the 28-year-old is also a deft striker. Therefore, it’s likely that Nurmagomedov will aim to avoid takedown scrambles and keep Stamann on the outside with kicks and punches before pouncing on his opponent for a TKO finish.


Ben Perks
Writer

Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.