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The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2022 is officially in the books and it sure delivered. Both the prelims and main card were filled with exciting bouts that’ll definitely make for an interesting meeting for the matchmakers.
The event was headlined by the heavyweight championship unification bout between reigning champion Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou and interim-champion Ciryl ‘Bon Gamin’ Gane. Ngannou retained his championship and, at the same time, could be entering free agency.
In the co-main event, Deiveson Figueiredo regained the flyweight championship by defeating Brandon Moreno in their trilogy bout. The event also saw many fighters take advantage of the opportunity and make a name for themselves.
Said Nurmagomedov and Vanessa Demopoulos earned Performance of the Night bonuses for their impressive wins. Nurmagomedov, no relation to Khabib, made quick work of Cody Stamann by submitting him with a guillotine in 40-seconds. Demopoulos on the other hand, capped off a successful debut by submitting Silvana Gomez Juarez with an armbar in the first-round. This list will look at 5 takeaways from UFC 270.
#5. Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo now a successful coach
Since relinquishing the UFC bantamweight championship and seemingly retiring from the sport, Henry Cejudo has kept himself relevant. ‘Triple C’ has since transitioned into a coaching role and has had a positive effect on the fighters he’s working with. Like his friend Khabib Nurmagomedov, he has passed on his knowledge to other fighters.
Some of the names Cejudo has been working closely with include Weili Zhang, Jon Jones, and Deiveson Figueiredo. His work with Figueiredo paid off as he regained the flyweight championship by defeating Moreno by unanimous decision.
Cejudo was able to help Figueiredo make adjustments and correct the mistakes he made against Moreno in the rematch last year. It can be said that ‘Triple C’ being successful in a coaching role could help improve his own fighter IQ. It will also be interesting to see when 'Triple C' will return to the octagon.
#4. Victor Henry has arrived in the UFC
UFC 270 saw the promotional debut of Victor ‘La Mangosta’ Henry. It was a long-awaited debut for the 34-year-old as he’s fought in many promotions including RIZIN and Pancrase. With former heavyweight champion Josh Barnett in his corner, he has brought the catch-wrestling style back again.
He proved he belonged in the octagon as he picked up a unanimous decision win over Raoni Barcelos. It was an entertaining bout that saw ‘La Mangosta’ win all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards. The bout serving as the feature of the prelims was great for Henry as there was more attention to it.
Henry joins a bantamweight division that’s making a strong case for being the promotion’s best. There is so much depth now at 135lbs that unranked fighters are capable of competing with one ranked in the top-10, and Henry could be keen on fighting a ranked star next.
#3. The UFC needs to book Figueiredo vs. Moreno 4
One thing that’s certain after UFC 270 is a fourth fight between flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno. The trilogy has been thrilling and has brought a lot of attention to the flyweight division.
It’s unheard of for two fighters to compete against each other four straight times. But that could change and fans wouldn’t be opposed to the idea. The first fight was ruled a majority draw in a bout where ‘God of War’ was favored. ‘The Assassin Baby’s resilience in that draw led to a rematch, which saw him submit Figueiredo to capture the championship.
After ‘God of War’ regained the title, he put the wheels in motion for a fourth fight. It makes the most sense, especially since they’re still no definitive winner as they are 1-1-1 against one another. The fourth fight could be much more lucrative as both Brazil and Mexico were both suggested for the location.
#2. UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is not a one-dimensional fighter
One of the biggest takeaways from UFC 270 is that Francis Ngannou is more than just a one-dimensional fighter. Ngannou is known for his incredible power and some predicted 'The Predator' would be using that in the main event.
He silenced those critics by displaying his improved grappling and defeated Ciryl Gane with takedowns. What made the performance more impressive was that he dealt with an injury leading up to and during the fight.
‘The Predator’ mentioned during his post-fight press conference that he had an MCL tear and had done damage to his ACL. This altered his gameplan as his movement wasn't going to be the same in the octagon.
After losing the first two rounds, Ngannou began ramping up his takedown attempts. He continued taking ‘Bon Gamin’ down, which caught The Frenchman off guard at times and allowed Ngannou to get a breather. ‘The Predator’ controlled his rival on the ground in the final three rounds to earn the unanimous decision win.
#1. The UFC have a dilemma at heavyweight
Arguably the biggest talking point after UFC 270 is the dilemma the promotion has in their heavyweight division. Ngannou retaining the title makes things interesting as his contract runs out at the end of the year. He could very well sit out the remainder of the year and enter free agency as the reigning heavyweight champion.
‘The Predator’ had expressed his interest in a boxing match and it's no secret Tyson Fury could be his opponent. The two went back-and-forth on social media earlier this month and gaged the fans’ interest in the idea of them fighting. Now that Ngannou has retained his title, he could have his sight sets on ‘The Gypsy King'.
If ‘The Predator’ leaves the promotion, they’ll have to crown a new heavyweight champion. Jon ‘Bones’ Jones is expected to get the next title shot. But regardless of who wins the vacant title, they’ll constantly be reminded that they didn’t beat Ngannou to become champion.
