UFC 270 results: Francis Ngannou uses grappling to retain heavyweight title with decision over Ciryl Gane

Francis Ngannou retained his UFC heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday night.

Read that sentence again, because Ngannou winning by decision wasn't on anyone's bingo card; it was the first time in his career that he won a fight on the judges' scorecard. Neither was the idea that Ngannou would have to use his grappling to come from behind and earn the victory. 

But that's exactly what happened when Ngannou found himself unable to land with his vaunted power. Gane spent the first two rounds using his fluid movement and technical skill to prevent the French-Cameroonian from detonating a bomb. It was revealed after the fight that Ngannou tore his MCL and injured his ACL in training, which led to his movement being compromised and his explosiveness being limited. 

With Gane chipping away, the champion altered his strategy and shot in for takedowns in Round 3. He secured the first one with a slam and spent the rest of the round in control. Gane was clearly surprised by the change in strategy as he found himself taken down for the first time in his MMA career. Ngannou put Gane on his back again in the fourth round and showcased much-improved grappling as he kept his former training partner from escaping. 

The fifth round was a different story. Gane took Ngannou down and appeared to be in control. But then he made an error in judgment; he went after a leg lock, which allowed Ngannou to sweep and gain top control. Gane would never make it back to his feet.

All three judges saw the fight in Ngannou's favor, with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. The champion has his first title defense secured. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here; his UFC contract is up and he has plans to try his hand at boxing. 

Sporting News provided live updates from Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane and the entire main card of UFC 270. Here's how it all went down (all times Eastern):

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UFC 270 live updates, highlights from Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

Francis Ngannou def. Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision to retain title (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)

Round 5 (1:05 a.m.): Ngannou lands a counter left. Short elbow by Gane. Hard right hand by Gane lands. Gane picks the leg and takes Ngannou down. Ngannou sweeps!!! Gane attacks the leg but Ngannou snuffs that out. Massive mistake by Gane. Wait! Heel hook from Gane! Ngannou escapes and is on top. He’s mounted Gane! Ngannou isn’t doing much and there’s a minute left. It looks like neither fighter knows what to do here. These two are exhausted as this fight comes to a close. 10-9, Gane (48-47, Gane)

Round 4 (12:59 a.m.): Body kick from Gane. Leg kicks. Body punch lands for Ngannou. Jab from Gane. Spinning body kick from Gane lands. Ngannou kind of walks through it but he’s laboring a bit. Body kick from Ngannou and he rushes in for another takedown. He gets it. Gane trying to control the arm. He gets to his feet and Ngannou takes him down again. Ngannou controlling Gane. Ngannou lands a knee to the chest. They are still on the ground. This isn’t what I was expecting at all. 10-9, Ngannou (38-38) 

Round 3 (12:52 a.m.): Ngannou misses a left hand. Gane feinting and Ngannou slips in and slams Gane to the canvas. He’s in side control. That’s the first time Gane has been taken down. Gane gives up his back. He slithers back to his feet. Leg trip from Ngannou and Gane pops back up. Back in the clinch along the cage. Spinning elbow from Gane lands hard. Ngannou swings and misses again. Gane with a body kick. Leg kick by Ngannou. Head kick from Gane and Ngannou takes him down. Gane goes for a kimura but gets nothing. Wow. 10-9, Ngannou (29-28, Gane)

Round 2 (12:46 a.m.): Ngannou looks tired already. Gane with a lot of movement. Body kick from Gane. Jab by Gane. Leg kicks. Ngannou not doing much of anything. Body shot by Gane and then he comes over the top with a right hand. Ngannou swings and misses and the wind moves the crowd. They clinch. Gane pushes him off. More body kicks from Gane. Wheel kicks to the head by Gane lands.Ngannou just can’t get into range yet. He’s flat. Still a threat but can’t get a read on Gane. Short right hand by Gane. Ngannou barely misses an uppercut. 10-9, Gane (20-18, Gane)

Round 1 (12:40 a.m.): Gane circling and goes in to clinch immediately. They are on the cage and break. Ngannou pressuring. Leg kicks by Gane. Ngannou clinches. Short elbow by Gane and a jab. Ngannou is still pressuring and lands a body shot. Gane escapes the pressure and pops the jab. Spinning body kick lands for Gane. Short knee by Gane. Lots of movement. Another jab by Gane. Ngannou searching for his target and coming up short. Ngannou clinches and looking for a takedown. Knees to the body from Gane. They break. Body kick from Gane. He’s making Ngannou work. 10-9, Gane

Deiveson Figueiredo decisions Brandon Moreno for UFC flyweight title in a nailbiter

Result: Surprisingly, all three judges had the same score, 48-47 for Figueiredo. The fight was expected to be close, and it was. But the difference was Figueiredo's leg kicks and the knockdowns. Could we see these two in a fourth fight after seeing just how close this one was?

Round 5 (12:10 a.m.): Takedown by Moreno with a double underhook. Figgy scrambles to his feet. Left hand by Figgy lands but he's very inactive so far. Left hand by Moreno lands on Figgy’s chin. Right hand drops Moreno but Moreno pops back up. They swing and Moreno lands a pair of shots. Figgy is playing with fire by not going for it. Not a lot happening as we enter the final minute. Right hand by Figgy lands and they start swinging wildly. Figgy lands a left hand they are landing bombs and Figgy gets hurt as the fight comes to a close. How do you score this madness? 10-9, Moreno (48-47, Moreno)

Round 4 (12:03 a.m.): Leg kicks from Figgy. Moreno has recovered from being dropped but Figgy has him reacting to everything he does. Combination by Figgy. More leg kicks. Moreno’s movement looks compromised. Figgy switches to southpaw. Moreno sticking the jab. Figgy is losing control of the fight. Moreno sticks him with a jab and a right hand. They are swinging wildly. Moreno gets a couple in and Figgy moves back to the middle of the Octagon. Round ends. Moreno, 10-9 (38-38)

Round 3 (11:58 p.m.): Figueiredo snatches Moreno and takes him down. Moreno gets to his feet and escapes. Left hand drops Moreno but he rolls back to his feet. Right hand by Moreno land. Moreno ROCKS Figgy. He’s hurt. Jab from Figgy and a left-hand response by Moreno. Moreno’s punches are clearly doing more damage. Leg kick from Figgy causes Moreno to go down briefly. Left hand by Moreno lands again. The leg kicks from Figgy are piling up. They swing wildly but miss. They exchange jabs. Moreno mixing up his strikes. Right hand by Figgy puts him down! Guillotine! Saved by the bell. Whew. 10-9, Figueiredo (29-28, Figueiredo)

Round 2 (11:51 p.m.): Figueiredo looking for the takedown but is unsuccessful. Moreno lands a left hand on a break. More leg kicks from Figgy. Right hand by Figgy lands. Moreno catches a kick and goes for a takedown. Wild scramble and they pop back up to their feet. More leg kicks by Figgy. Left hand by Moreno lands. Body shot by Moreno. Moreno brimming with confidence. Body shots by Figgy and Moreno lands a left hand and pops the jab. Figgy lands a pair of hard right hands. Moreno responds with a left and staggers Figgy. They exchange hooks. Close round. 10-9, Moreno (19-19)

Round 1 (11:45 p.m.): Figueiredo leads with leg kicks but Moreno clinches immediately. They hold position along the cage. They finally separate. Hard leg kick by Figgy. Moreno lands a right hand that buzzes him. Figueiredo ducks under a punch and gets Moreno’s back. Moreno rolls out and they are back to their feet. Moreno stuffs a takedown attempt. Spinning calf kick by Moreno. Front kick by Figgy. Close round. 10-9, Figueiredo

11:20 p.m.: After a rough first round, Michel Pereira made the proper adjustments and took the final two rounds to turn back the challenge of Andre Fialho. It appeared in the opening frame that an upset was possible as Fialho stepped forward and landed with power shots that bloodied Pereira's nose. But Pereira's explosiveness arrived in the second round. The Brazilian mixed up his punches and kicks while putting some steam on his shots. The precision and variety proved to be problematic for Fialho as the pendulum swung in Pereira's favor. Pereira was in control as the final approached, but Fialho fought valiantly enough to get himself back in the Octagon soon enough.  

10:52 p.m.: Up next is the always-exciting Michel Pereira, who's looking to pick up his fourth consecutive victory. He'll take on Andre Fialho in a welterweight showdown.

10:45 p.m.: Welp, he may not be Khabib, but Said Nurmagomedov will definitely be someone to watch in the bantamweight division following his 47-second submission of Cody Stamman. A spinning backfist and a spinning body kick by Nurmagomedov slowed Stamann. Stamann didn't want any part of the standup and sought a takedown. That was a terrible idea as Nurmagomedov swiftly sank in a guillotine to get the submission. Nasty. 

Said Nurmagomedov is wasting NO time early ⏰ #UFC270 pic.twitter.com/8Jm6uPmAeD

— UFC (@ufc) January 23, 2022

10:35 p.m.: Up next is Cody Stamman facing Said Nurmagomedov in bantamweight action. Stamman hopes to get back into the win column after dropping decisions to Jimmie Rivera and Merab Dvalishvili. He's facing an opponent with the Nurmagomedov last name, but who isn't related to former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Said is looking for a second win in a row after stopping Mark Striegl in October 2020. 

10:25 p.m.: Michael Morales made good on his UFC debut with a first-round TKO of Trevin Giles. Toward the end of the round, Giles walked into a right hand that destroyed his equilibrium. Giles was in full survival mode, but Morales wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away. He pounced on his wounded opponent with a barrage of strikes to get the finish. The 22-year-old from Ecuador is now 13-0 in his MMA career, with 10 of those wins coming by knockout. He could be a problem for the 170-pound division.

MORALES IS UNLOADING BIG SHOTS 💥

[ @MichaelMMA21 | #UFC270 ] pic.twitter.com/q7RDDKsa4D

— UFC (@ufc) January 23, 2022

10:14 p.m.: We're live for the main card of UFC 270. Before we get to the two title fights, we have three other bouts on the main card, beginning with Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales in welterweight action.

9:59 p.m.: In an exciting standup affair, Victor Henry made his UFC debut a thrilling one with a unanimous decision victory over Raoni Barcelos. Henry took the fight on short notice and showcased exceptional striking as he diced up Barcelos with a varied assault.  

9:15 p.m.: Welcome Jack Della Maddalena to the UFC, everyone. The Aussie put on a boxing clinic, using a blistering left hand and follow-up strikes to score a first-round TKO of Pete Rodriguez. Della Maddalena used a stiff jab to bust up Rodriguez's face in a matter of minutes. The jab eventually led to a left cross, and Rodriguez had no chance after that. He collapsed to the canvas and ate a barrage of strikes. Della Maddalena will be one to watch in the welterweight division. 

OH MY, OH MY 😳

🇦🇺 Jack Della Maddalena came with a PURPOSE! #UFC270 pic.twitter.com/ghZwK85WF1

— UFC (@ufc) January 23, 2022

9 p.m.: Tony Gravely put together a takedown clinic to beat Saimon Oliveira by unanimous decision. Maybe Oliveira would have had a chance if he didn't go for a guillotine every single time he was taken down, because Gravely always escaped the sub attempt and controlled his opponent on the mat. The 11 takedowns were the reason Gravely saw 30-27 scorecards across the board. He is back in the win column after a TKO loss to Nate Maness last September. 

8:37 p.m: After an absolute barnburner in which Matt Frevola dropped Genaro Valdez five times in the first round before finishing the job, we're moving on to bantamweights Tony Gravely and Saimon Oliveira. They will try to keep up the momentum in the prelims. 

When is UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane?

• Date: Saturday, Jan. 22
• Start time: 6:15 p.m. ET | 3:15 p.m. PT
• Main card (PPV): 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT
• Main event: Midnight ET | 9 p.m. PT (approx.)

UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane will take place Saturday, Jan. 22. The event will kick off at 6:15 p.m. ET with the prelims. The pay-per-view main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET. Ngannou and Gane should enter the Octagon around midnight ET, depending on the length of the undercard bouts.

How to watch UFC 270: Ngannou v. Gane

• TV channels: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
• Live stream: ESPN+

The main card for UFC 270 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at 10 p.m.

Earlier fights, however, are viewable live on ESPN, the WatchESPN app and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.

In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform .

Gane vs. Ngannou price: How much does UFC 270 cost?

• $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
• $99.98 (new subscribers)

In the U.S., the UFC 270 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 270 is $74.99 for current subscribers, an increase from $69.99. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 (an increase from $89.98) for the UFC 270 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers a savings of over 30 percent.

UFC 270 fight card

Main card

• Francis Ngannou def. Ciryl Gane via unanimous decision to retain UFC heavyweight championship (49-46, 48-47, 48-47).
• Deiveson Figueiredo def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision for the UFC flyweight championship (48-47, 48-47, 48-47).
• Michel Pereira def. Andre Fialho via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
• Said Nurmagomedov def. Cody Stamann via 1st-round submission (guillotine choke) (:47).
• Michael Morales def. Trevin Giles via 1st-round TKO (strikes) (4:06).

Preliminary card

• Victor Henry def. Raoni Barcelos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
• Jack Della Maddalena def. Pete Rodriguez via 1st-round TKO (strikes) (2:59).
• Tony Gravely def. Saimon Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
• Matt Frevola def. Genaro Valdez via 1st-round TKO (strikes) (3:15).

Early prelims

• Vanessa Demopoulos def. Silvana Gomez Juarez via 1st-round submission (armbar) (2:25).  
• Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Kay Hansen via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

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