Dan Hardy breaks down Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 270

Dan Hardy has put forth his breakdown of the heavyweight title unifier between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane.

In an edition of BT Sport’s Dan Hardy Breakdown Show, the former UFC welterweight contender alluded to Ngannou being one of the most dangerous first round finishers in MMA.

‘The Outlaw’ highlighted that given the danger Ngannou poses, especially early on, Gane will be extremely cautious and may even let ‘The Predator’ win round one.

Hardy suggested that Gane would initially be wary of Ngannou’s power, try to slowly chip away at him, and then look to eventually secure a stoppage late in the fight. He lauded ‘Bon Gamin’s’ feints and insinuated that they could trouble Ngannou at UFC 270.

Additionally, he noted that Ngannou’s grappling is based on his power, whereas Gane’s grappling is more technical.

Hardy stated:

“There’s a lot of finesse in Ciryl Gane’s game. But finesse can be completely wiped off the table if one of those shots from Francis Ngannou lands clean.”

Furthermore, Hardy explained that Ngannou could be more patient compared to other fights and surprise Gane by refraining from his standard approach. He noted that ‘The Predator’ might even utilize a more grappling-heavy game plan to try to take Gane down.

Hardy said:

“I think it would be a poor waste of energy for Francis to try and grapple with Ciryl. I think the smart thing for him to do is to walk himself into range, and carry that threat of those left and right nuclear warheads, and try and keep Ciryl Gane on the back foot a little bit with that awareness of the danger. For Ciryl Gane, he’s just got to just pepper him [Ngannou], and pick at him, and not allow him to settle into a fight where when it comes to the fourth round, he’s still got half a gas tank to take your head off.”

Watch Dan Hardy break down the Ngannou-Gane matchup below:

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Francis Ngannou believes he can finish Ciryl Gane in less than two rounds

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Ngannou praised his longtime rival Stipe Miocic and opined that Gane isn’t as tough as the former UFC heavyweight champion.

‘The Predator’ said:

"I will not be searching for the knockout but I don't see how we will end this fight without me knocking him [Gane] out, maybe under two rounds. Because he's not as tough as Stipe."

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will face interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 on January 22nd. The winner of the bout will emerge as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and likely defend the title against Jon Jones next.