UFC Predictions: UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane
This weekend sees a huge pay-per-view event go down from Anaheim, California, in the form of UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane.
UFC 270 features a huge heavyweight title bout in its main event, while the co-featured bout will see a trilogy clash between the promotion’s two best flyweights.
This one is basically a must-watch show for any MMA fan and could well turn out to be one of the best of 2022 when all is said and done.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane.
#1. UFC heavyweight title: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane
To say that this is a huge fight in the UFC heavyweight division would be an understatement. Not only is it the division’s first champion vs. champion bout since 2015’s clash between Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum, there’s also genuine intrigue over who will win.
Add in the fact that Francis Ngannou’s contract is technically up after the fight, bringing into question his future with the UFC, and there’s an insane amount at stake here.
Even ignoring titles and contracts, this would be hugely fascinating bout. Ngannou and Ciryl Gane are former training partners. They sparred on numerous occasions before Ngannou’s departure from Paris’ MMA Factory a few years ago.
However, despite originating from the same camp, it’s safe to say that they have very different ways of approaching their fights inside the octagon.
From a technical perspective, Ngannou isn’t a great striker by any means. He holds his chin too high in the air, swings too widely and doesn’t really tend to set up his big shots. However, he has simply unparalleled power, even in the heavyweight division. If he lands, even with a glancing blow, his opponents tend to be knocked silly.
‘The Predator’ can count some of the greatest big men in UFC history amongst his victims. They include Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic, who he knocked out to claim the title last year.
Prior to that win, his big weakness was always suspected to be his wrestling, which Miocic exposed back in 2018. However, the fact he easily shrugged off Miocic’s takedowns in their rematch suggests he’s worked to close that gap.
This fight, however, probably won’t see him needing to defend too many takedowns. Gane is primarily a striker in his own right despite winning two bouts in the octagon via submission.
Unlike Ngannou, ‘Bon Gamin’ is not just a simple power puncher. The native of France is far more technical than his opponent, preferring to use strikes from the outside to break his foes down.
Sure, he hits tremendously hard in his own right, just ask Lewis or dos Santos, both of whom he knocked out. However, he’s also not afraid to turn a bout into a point-fighting contest, as he did against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, for instance.
GANE WINS BY TKO 
🚨 GANE WINS BY TKO 🚨
CIRYL GANE OVER DERRICK LEWIS FOR THE INTERIM UFC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE 🏆 https://t.co/O54964zERh
Basically, then, this should come down to whether Ngannou can catch Gane with something big early in the fight. If he can’t do that, then Gane may well be able to stay on the outside, dictate the pace of the fight and take him into deep waters to pick him apart.
It’s nearly an impossible fight to pick, but given Ngannou’s potential distractions, there’s a chance that he doesn’t land the haymaker he’ll need to win. So the pick is Gane via decision.
The Pick: Gane via unanimous decision