5 bold predictions for UFC 270

UFC 270, the first UFC pay-per-view for 2022, will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. It will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. The fight will be for the unification of the heavyweight title.

The main event has an interesting story behind it. Gane and 'The Predator' used to be training partners at MMA Factory and did sparring together. After Ngannou's loss to Stipe Miocic in their first encounter at UFC 220, the Cameroonian decided to leave the gym that was being headed by coach Fernand Lopez.

The co-main event will feature another title fight as Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will lock horns for the third time for flyweight gold.

Along with these two fights, there are various other interesting matchups scheduled for January 22. One of them is the bantamweight scrap between Cody Stamann and Said Nurmagomedov. Another is the welterweight contest between Andre Fialho and the always entertaining Michel Pereira.

There's a lot of hype around the January 22 event so, on that note, let's take a look at five bold predictions for UFC 270:

#5. Said Nurmagomedov will score a comfortable win over Cody Stamann at UFC 270

Said Nurmagomedov is an interesting prospect in the UFC with a lot of potential. The Dagestani has had four fights in the UFC and has won three of them. In his last fight, Nurmagomedov scored a highly impressive knockout against Mark Striegl less than a minute into the opening round.

Cody Stamann, on the other hand, is going through a rough patch in the UFC. 'Spartan' has managed to win only one of his last four fights.

The momentum seems to be on Nurmagomedov's side as the 29-year-old has won eight out of his last nine fights. So it is likely that the Dagestani will score a comfortable decision victory on January 22.

#4. Rodolfo Vieira will score a submission victory at UFC 270

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At UFC 270, a middleweight scrap between Rodolfo Vieira and Wellington Turman will take place in the prelims.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Vieira has had quite an interesting journey in the UFC. 'The Black Belt Hunter' was victorious in his first two appearances in the multi-billion dollar promotion. His third fight was against Anthony Hernandez, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year by submitting Vieira in the second round at UFC 258.

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However, the Brazilian bounced back to score a submission win against Dustin Stoltzfus, showing that his previous loss was just a hiccup in his UFC journey. Vieira has three wins in the UFC, all of them by submission. So it is likely that he will do the same to his next opponent Wellington Turman on January 22.

The only problem is that Turman has never been submitted in his career. Regardless, the 32-year-old Vieira appears more than capable of achieving this feat.

#3. Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Jourdain will not go the distance at UFC 270

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After Movsar Evloev pulled out of his fight against Ilia Topuria at UFC 270, Charles Jourdain stepped in on short notice to face 'El Matador'. Both are highly exciting fighters slowly making a name for themselves in the UFC's featherweight division.

Both featherweights have entertaining fighting styles with a lot of finishes on their resume. Topuria is undefeated as an MMA fighter and has an overall record of 11-0. In those 11 appearances, the 24-year-old has scored 10 finishes - seven by knockout and three by submission.

Jourdain, on the other hand, does not have a record as impeccable as Topuria's. The Canadian is 12-4-1 as a professional mixed martial artist but definitely brings the entertainment in his fights. Out of Jourdain's 12 wins, eight have come via knockout and three via submission.

So, considering the record of the two featherweights, it is safe to say that one of them is getting finished on January 22.

#2. Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo will be 'Fight of the Night' at UFC 270

The UFC 270 co-main event between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo comes with a compelling backstory.

The two 125-pounders fought for the first time in December 2020. The fight was a barn-burner that went on to be hailed as one of the greatest fights of the year. The two fighters were so equally matched that night that the bout ended in a majority draw.

A title fight ending in a draw demands a rematch and that is exactly what happened at UFC 263. This time, it was all one-way traffic for 'The Assassin Baby' as he submitted Figueiredo in the third round with a rear-naked choke. That night, Moreno made history by becoming the first Mexican-born UFC fighter to win a UFC title.

Those two fights are a solid indication that the third clash will also live up to the hype. The two fighters are familiar with each other and will show up as the best versions of themselves. Keeping all this in mind, the match could easily earn the 'Fight of the Night' honor at UFC 270.

#1. Ciryl Gane will get the better of Francis Ngannou at UFC 270

Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 is one of the most intriguing matchups the UFC's heavyweight division has had for quite a while. On one side stands Gane, who is easily one of the most technically gifted heavyweight fighters to ever grace the UFC. On the other hand, you have 'The Predator' who possesses a power so vicious in his hands that all it takes is one shot to finish the contest.

'Bon Gamin' is aware of Ngannou's capabilities and iterated the same during an interview with French media outlet La Sueur:

'I've never seen anyone as powerful, as athletic, [and] with such knockout power. I've never seen it. In terms of strength, Francis might be the most impressive guy in UFC history,' said Ciryl Gane. [Via translation]

The French fighter has never lost a contest and has never been knocked down in a fight. Gane's agility and evasibility may prove troublesome for Ngannou at UFC 270.

'The Predator' will likely face cardio issues if the fight goes past two rounds. Although there is always the possibility of Ngannou landing that one thunderous knockout shot, the fight will likely end with Gane getting his hand raised as he is technically superior to the Cameroonian in most departments.