ANAHEIM, Calif. — Francis Ngannou retained his UFC heavyweight title with a surprising display of superior grappling in a unanimous-decision victory over previously unbeaten Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 on Saturday night.
Both fighters possess incredible power and uncommonly fluid athleticism for big men, but the champion took control of a cagey fight in the third round with the first of several takedowns. Ngannou turned a matchup between fearsome strikers into a wrestling match that showcased his much-improved game on the ground.
Gane mixed in some spinning kicks with increasing confidence, but Ngannou changed the tone of the fight early in the third when he got an arm under Gane’s leg and lifted the challenger skyward, slamming him down. Gane had never been taken down in his UFC career, but Ngannou did it repeatedly in the third and fourth rounds, showing off his markedly improved wrestling and Gane’s weaknesses in defense.
Figueiredo and Moreno traded big shots throughout the third bout, but the Brazilian winner rode a strong start to his first victory since November 2020.Moreno won plenty of exchanges, and he had the ferocious backing of a Southern California crowd featuring plenty of fans who drove 110 miles from his native Tijuana to watch the UFC’s first Mexican-born champion.“I’m ready for a fourth fight against Brandon in Mexico,” Figueiredo said.
Moreno’s fans repeatedly chanted “Sí se puede!” and roared for anything the champion did in Orange County, an area with deep MMA roots. Moreno was backed both by the Los Angeles area’s huge Mexican-American population and plenty of traveling fans.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: espn - 🏆 731. / 51 Read more »
Source: RollingStone - 🏆 483. / 51 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »
Source: RollingStone - 🏆 483. / 51 Read more »
Source: SInow - 🏆 273. / 63 Read more »