Fight Coverage
The Scorecard | UFC 270: Ngannou vs Gane
See Which Fighters We Think Made The Most Out Of Their Opportunity At UFC 270: Ngannou vs Gane
Saturday’s UFC 270 event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in Anaheim, it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at Honda Center.
1 – Francis Ngannou
As if the heavyweight division didn’t have enough to deal with when it comes to Francis Ngannou’s power, now they have to look out for his wrestling, too. That was the main takeaway from Ngannou’s main event win over Ciryl Gane, that the heavyweight champ is evolving to the point where he can handle himself wherever the fight goes and make the adjustments necessary if things are going south.
In other words, “The Predator” is more dangerous than ever. And while getting his injured knee healed up will put him on the shelf for a bit, when he returns, a rubber match with Stipe Miocic is a natural next step.
WHAT’S NEXT? Stipe Miocic
2 – Deiveson Figueiredo
In over two decades of covering combat sports, I’ve seen plenty of immediate rematches, and even the rare back-to-back-to-back series of fights, but never have I seen two individuals go four straight against each other. But that’s where we’re at after the third fight between Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno saw “Deus da Guerra” regain his flyweight crown with a close decision victory that put the pair at 1-1-1. And while they’re both probably tired of seeing each other at this point, with no obvious number one contender screaming out for a shot at the belt, I don’t think anyone would argue against the two best 125-pounders in the world doing it one more time.
WHAT’S NEXT? Brandon Moreno
3 – Victor Henry
Last year’s feel-good story in the UFC was the emergence of Chris Curtis in the big show after a long road to the Octagon on the regional scene. And while we’re only two cards into 2022, Victor Henry may have already called dibs on that unofficial award with his impressive and exciting win over Raoni Barcelos.
And though it may have taken the 34-year-old Californian 26 fights to get the call to the UFC, he made the most of his shot and it looks like he’s going to be sticking around for a while.
WHAT’S NEXT? Pedro Munhoz
4 – Jack Della Maddalena
Eight fighters made the walk to the Octagon for the first time last Saturday night, and winners Jasmine Jasudavicius, Victor Henry, Jack Della Maddalena and Michael Morales were all impressive.
UFC 270 REWIND: Full Fight Card | Results, Highlights & More | Official Scorecards
But there was something about Della Maddalena that made me think we’re going to be talking about the Aussie welterweight for a long time. His first-round TKO of Pete Rodriguez was flawless, and he’ll get plenty of tests at 170 pounds in the future, which means he’ll have the opportunity to make big moves up the ladder in the coming years.
WHAT’S NEXT? Jake Matthews
5 – Matt Frevola
Yes, I’m biased toward the New York MMA crew, but even when you take that bias away, how could you not love Matt Frevola’s performance against Genaro Valdez? Fresh from a seven-second loss to Terrance McKinney, Frevola could have been gun-shy, but he was the complete opposite of timid against his unbeaten foe. It was a wild and crazy three minutes and 15 seconds, and when it was over, the “SteamRolla” was back in business at 155 pounds.
WHAT’S NEXT? Viacheslav Borshchev
UFC 270: Ngannou vs Gane took place on Saturday, January 22, 2022, live from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses — and relive all of the action on UFC Fight Pass.
