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UFC 270 was the first big show of 2022. Given that the event featured two title fights at the top of the card, it was always going to see the emergence of some major winners.
In the end, UFC 270 saw some absolutely fantastic fights and a number of stellar performances from some of the top fighters in the world.
With one new champion crowned, another retaining his title, and a number of other fighters seemingly climbing the ladder, this will be a show that fans won’t forget for some time.
With that considered, here are the five biggest winners from UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane.
#5. Michel Pereira – defeated Andre Fialho in a UFC welterweight bout
Michel Pereira came into last night’s bout with Andre Fialho with a reputation as one of the UFC’s most exciting fighters. While he couldn’t finish the newcomer, he certainly lived up to that billing by putting on a barnburner.
Sure, ‘Demolidor’ didn’t look too hot in the first round. Fialho seemed to have his number by forcing him onto the back foot with his striking, not allowing Pereira to get a foothold in the fight. However, that quickly changed.
The second round saw Pereira find his range. From there, he basically hit Fialho with everything in his arsenal, from wild kicks and knees to elbows and flying attacks. While the Portuguese newcomer avoided being finished, the real winner was clear by the end of the fight.
This was something of a statement win for Pereira, as he’d always been known as a frontrunner who would fold in the face of adversity. This time, he largely came from behind to earn the victory.
Whether he’ll ever develop into a title contender at 170 lb is another thing entirely. However, for now at least, ‘Demolidor’ continues to roll and this performance definitely made him one of last night’s big winners.
#4. Vanessa Demopoulos – defeated Silvana Gomez Juarez in a UFC strawweight bout
While she probably won’t move into contention for the UFC strawweight title thanks to last night’s win, it’s probably fair to say that few fighters made as much noise last night as Vanessa Demopoulos.
‘Lil Monster’ picked up an excellent come-from-behind victory in her octagon debut against Silvana Gomez Juarez. Furthermore, she also garnered plenty of attention thanks to the revelations about her background, as well as a fun post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
Essentially, eight weeks ago, Demopoulos was a stripper. She only gave up that profession to focus on her fighting career upon signing to face Juarez at UFC 270.
Evidently, the switch to full-time fighting worked for her. Early on, she was knocked down. However, once the fight hit the mat, ‘Lil Monster’ surprised Juarez with an armbar and quickly coaxed a tap from her opponent with more than half of the first round remaining.
If that wasn’t enough, in a hilarious moment post-fight, Demopoulos allowed Rogan to carry her in his arms, providing the fans with an unforgettable visual that should make her into a semi-star.
Quite how long her star will remain shining is anyone’s guess. However, given that the promotion also rewarded her with a $50k bonus, it’s hard not to see her as one of the show’s big winners.
#3. Said Nurmagomedov – defeated Cody Stamann in a UFC bantamweight bout
Despite not being related to former UFC lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, there seemed to be a lot of pressure on namesake Said last night. Not only was he bringing a lot of hype into his bout with Cody Stamann, he was also faced with an extremely tricky and underrated opponent.
However, by the time the fight ended, it was clear that Nurmagomedov was definitely for real and probably a genuine bantamweight title contender right now.
He caught Stamann with some early strikes. When ‘The Spartan’ shot in for a takedown, it took the Russian seconds to latch onto a slick modified guillotine to force a quick tap from his more experienced foe.
Who should Nurmagomedov fight next? This win should probably earn him a spot in the top 15, so a clash with someone like Marlon Moraes or Ricky Simon would definitely work. Either way, his next outing should be a huge one to watch, and based on his latest performance, he’s capable of beating anyone.
#2. Deiveson Figueiredo – defeated Brandon Moreno for the UFC flyweight title
The best fight on offer at UFC 270 was undoubtedly the third meeting between flyweight stars Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. This time around, Figueiredo came away with his hand raised, reclaiming the UFC title in the process. It’s probably hard not to say he’s the better fighter of the two at this point.
Sure, ‘The God of War’ was submitted by Moreno last year, but he always did claim that he had a bad weight cut going into that fight. Furthermore, in their first meeting, he’d have won comfortably were it not for a point deduction.
Last night’s fight was also incredibly close. Moreno once again showed off his skills, particularly on the ground in scrambling, and a lot of sheer toughness. However, Figueiredo’s brute power largely won him the day thanks to a handful of knockdowns, including a genuinely nasty one in the third round.
Where does the Brazilian go from here? The UFC could easily justify a fourth fight between him and Moreno, based on the quality of their other meetings and the fact that they’re now 1-1-1 across three bouts.
Regardless, the fact that Figueiredo is back at the top of the mountain at 125 lb makes him one of last night’s biggest winners and should set him up for a huge 2022 whoever he faces next.
#1. Francis Ngannou – defeated Ciryl Gane to retain the UFC heavyweight title
While his fight wasn’t as entertaining as some of the performances he’s produced in the past, there can be no doubt that Francis Ngannou was last night’s biggest winner.
Faced with arguably the toughest opponent of his entire UFC career in Ciryl Gane, ‘The Predator’ came from behind to grind out a unanimous decision victory. In the process, he showed off some new wrinkles to his game in the form of some brutal takedowns and excellent top control.
Early on, it looked like the feeling prior to the fight that Gane’s superior striking technique could lead him to a victory would turn out to be true. Ngannou struggled to get anything going, and ‘Bon Gamin’ was almost cruising.
However, once Ngannou slammed him to the ground in the third round, the tide began to turn. While ‘The Predator’ didn’t do much damage from the top, the fact that he was able to ragdoll a huge heavyweight was still eye-opening and impressive.
Given his contract issues with the promotion, this could well turn out to be the last time we see ‘The Predator’ in the octagon. Hopefully that won’t be the case, but stranger things have happened before.
If that was his swansong in the promotion, it was a hell of a fight for Ngannou to go out on. There can be no doubt now that he’s the world’s best heavyweight as well as one of the best big men in UFC history.
