UFC 270 ‘Ngannou vs. Gane’ Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Kay Hansen (125) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (125)

Round 1

We may have had a few stumbles along the way, but we made it to UFC 270 by hook or by crook. This event, one cut down to 11 fights, including X newcomers, will begin in the women’s flyweight division. Hansen (7-4, 1-1 UFC) will be making her way up a weight class after 15 months away, and she will be meeting Canadian debutant Jasudavicius (6-1, 0-0 UFC). Drawing the charge of the first fight of the evening is referee Jason Herzog, who watches on as the two ladies do not touch gloves to check in the night. Instead, Hansen comes out jabbing, pushing her opponent back right out of the gate before crashing in for a takedown. Hansen locks her arms around Jasudavicius’ body in an effort to hit a body lock with a trip, but Jasudavicius manages to stay upright on the first serious attempt. Hansen remains glued to her to go for the takedown, only for Jasudavicius to turn her around and start working the body and upper thigh with knees. Hansen sells out for a takedown as they come off the cage, but there is nothing doing and Jasudavicius makes her pay with a quick left hand. When they get back to striking range, Jasudavicius aims to get jabs going, snapping it out and utilizing her reach advantage to the fullest to keep Hansen at bay. Her strikes find their mark while Hansen comes up short, and she forces Hansen to charge ahead only to knee Hansen square on the jaw. Hansen eats it like a steak and backs out to boxing range, where Jasudavicius starts up again peppering her with jabs. Hansen closes in and strings together a three-punch without the soda, but she decides to order a takedown right after. Jasudavicius denies this to push her to the wall, and she uses Hansen’s momentum against her to plant Hansen on her back. Hansen twists in an effort to scramble her way back up, but any attempt to set something up off her back comes up short. Hansen lifts her legs up to go for a triangle or armbar, and Jasudavicius sees them coming and starts pounding on her with elbows to the face and body. Hansen struggles to find any offensive submission maneuvers, but she does lock Jasudavicius down for the most part to avoid the most dangerous of the attacks from above. Jasudavicius gets pushed off, but she climbs back into the guard to deliver a few elbows to Hansen’s face as the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius

Round 2

The two flyweights wade out to engage to start off the second round, and Hansen manages to hop forward to tag Jasudavicius right off the bat. Jasudavicius backs off, measures her jab, and finds herself defending a quick takedown attempt when she leaves a body kick out too long. Hansen lands the takedown she had been seeking for the good part of the last round, and within seconds, Jasudavicius reverses her right when Hansen was aiming to claim mount. Hansen protects herself with her offensive guard, threatening with an armbar setup on Jasudavicius’ longer limbs. The Canadian starts to land some serious ground-and-pound as she jams Hansen in the corner between the cage and the floor, and Hansen is stuck without a way to utilize any rubber guard of merit. Jasudavicius comfortably remains in Hansen’s guard, where she batters Hansen with strikes that are forcing some swelling on Hansen’s face. A mouse grows on the corner of Hansen’s eye, and as Jasudavicius is landing strikes, Herzog stands them up unexpectedly. Hansen celebrates this by landing a single punch, and Jasudavicius backs off to stick out a jab. Hansen closes in with a spinning back elbow, nailing Jasudavicius on the jaw and knocking her back into the wall. From there, Hansen turns her forward momentum into a takedown try, only to get rebuffed and shoved against the wire. Jasudavicius stays busy, giving Hansen problems with elbows and body shots as Hansen’s face has turned from one of calm to one of discomfort. With 15 seconds left in the round, Jasudavicius trips Hansen down to the mat, and she pushes Hansen’s leg aside to elbow her in the face right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius

Round 3

The ladies meet in the middle to kick off the last round, with Hansen’s first strike a high kick that is blocked with relative ease. Jasudavicius goes over the top with a solid right hand, and Hansen fires back with a similar strike. Hansen darts in and out with power strikes, landing cleanly and getting away before Jasudavicius can pay her back. Jasudavicius ignores a kick or two from Hansen to flick her jab out, successfully stifling Hansen’s offense. Jasudavicius fakes low to grab Hansen’s lead leg, before coming up top with a left hand. Hansen gathers herself and throws fire with a big left hook, and it glances off her opponent’s chin. Seeing the success of the blow, she doubles up on it, and Jasudavicius is flustered that her jab is not having the full effect as before. Hansen walks through another jab to pop the Canadian in the chops, but Jasudavicius does not appear concerned or take a backward step. Jasudavicius gets back to her jab, following one with a looping right hand to break things up. Hansen circles out on the outside to escape the length of her foe, and she skips forward to connect cleanly with a left hook. Hansen’s hands are having a more appreciable effect this round, and she fires off a left hand followed by two body kicks. Jasudavicius comes forward with a knee, and backs away before Hansen can set any takedown up. Hansen measures her range with a left hand, and Jasudavicius gets her back with a jab and a right hand of her own. Hansen keeps scoring her left hook to solid effect, and she ducks out of the way and just avoids a head kick that slaps her in the nose. The strikes from Jasudavicius appear to be doing enough damage to cause some blood to start flowing from Hansen’s nose, and the crowd gets loud in favor of their hometown fighter. Hansen appears fired up, throwing wildly and landing cleanly while Jasudavicius shakes it off and throws back. Jasudavicius tries to break things up with a takedown, but when it fails, she pushes forward to knee Hansen in the chest a few times. Jasudavicius pushes Hansen into the wall, knees her a few more times, and the 15-minute mark is reached.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius (30-27 Jasudavicius)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius (30-27 Jasudavicius)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jasudavicius (30-27 Jasudavicius)

The Official Result

Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Kay Hansen via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Vanessa Demopoulos (115.5) vs. Silvana Gomez Juarez (115.5)

Round 1

Up next is a 115-pound clash between two women in search of their first win inside the Octagon as Entram Gym rep Juarez (10-3, 0-1 UFC) – the first of four tonight – faces former LFA champ Demopoulos (6-4, 0-1 UFC). The overseer of the cage for this Fight Pass prelim headliner is referee Frank Trigg, and he stands back as the ladies decide not to touch gloves. Juarez takes the center of the cage, but it is Demopoulos who strikes first with a low kick. Demopoulos chains together another kick into a one-two, and she tries to keep coming forward only to get countered with a clean right hand. Demopoulos tries to make her pay with a similar looping right hook, but it gets swatted away in time. Demopoulos slips a punch, counters and ducks away before Juarez can fire back at her. Juarez winds up on her huge bomb of a right hand again, and Demopoulos aims a body kick back and gets knocked clean off her feet. Juarez jumps on top to try to finish the job, and she smashes Demopoulos in the face a few times before Demopoulos ties the Argentinian up with a high guard. Juarez leaves her arms in as she tries to turn away or get off a few more strikes, and Demopoulos sets up an armbar and has Juarez in big trouble very quickly. Juarez looks to stack her opponent up, and she gets rolled over to her back where the armbar is very much locked in. “La Malvada” helplessly tries to fight out of it, but surrenders before her elbow hyperextends. An elated Demopoulos jumps over to celebrate her comeback with her corner, and then runs to the center of the cage to do a split as the crowd goes wild. In her post-fight interview, she is thrilled to be interviewed by commentator Joe Rogan, and she jumps into his arms when it concludes.

The Official Result

Vanessa Demopoulos def. Silvana Gomez Juarez R1 2:25 via Submission (Armbar)

Matt Frevola (154.5) vs. Genaro Valdez (155.5)

Round 1

It’s a battle of Contender Series signees to start off the ESPN prelim portion of the event, as Season 1’s Frevola (8-3-1, 2-3-1 UFC) welcomes Season 5 victor and flawless Entram Gym prospect Valdez (10-0, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC cage. While Frevola sports a 50% finish rate, his opponent has never gone the distance as a pro. Referee Mike Beltran is ready for wherever this fight takes them all, and the touch of gloves from the lightweights seals the cage around them. They come out swinging for the fences immediately, with Frevola winding up on power punches while Valdez welcomes the brawl. Frevola backs off to score a heavy low kick, and Valdez walks forward and starts throwing hammers. Frevola backs away, absorbs a front kick to the body and a right hand. As they continue to swing for the fences, Frevola drops Valdez, and he tries to finish the job by smashing him in the face. Valdez stands up, backs off and gets nailed again to get dropped once more. Frevola again tries to get the job done as he charges down to take him out, and Valdez gathers himself, stands up and rocks Frevola! This is absolutely wild! Frevola backs away, his nose leaking plasma, and Valdez wades forward to take him down. Frevola drills him in the chest with a knee, and then a few right hands send Valdez crashing to the mat for a third time. The toughness of Valdez is immeasurable, as he stands back up and fights back with a fury. Frevola winds up with a flurry and drops Valdez for a fourth, fifth or sixth time – it is difficult to tell which will count as official knockdowns – and Valdez scrambles to get back up, only to go back down once more. Beltran is paying close attention but freely letting them get after it, and Frevola dives on his downed man to put him away. “The Steamrolla” hunts for a rear-naked choke when he takes Valdez’ back, and he flattens his foe out and lets it go. With Valdez on his face and chest, Frevola slams him in the side of the head with his fists until Beltran finally has seen enough and stops the fight. What an unbelievably ridiculous melee for as long as it lasted, and there is no way that they could have kept up this furious pace for much longer. The official UFC knockdown record for one fighter in a bout is five, and Frevola may have matched or eclipsed that total after a maddening three-plus minutes of action.

The Official Result

Matt Frevola def. Genaro Valdez R1 3:15 via TKO (Punches)

Tony Gravely (135.5) vs. Saimon Oliveira (136)

Round 1

A pair of 30-year-old bantamweights is set to hit the cage next, when American Top Team’s Gravely (21-7, 2-2 UFC) aims to make Astra Fight Team product Oliveira (18-3, 0-0 UFC) feel unwelcome in the Octagon. The third man in the cage is referee Herb Dean, who will watch over the fighters as they touch gloves and come out swinging. Gravely lands first in the form of a leg kick, and Oliveira returns fire with a similar strike. They suddenly explode into action, with Oliveira leaping forward with a flying knee that sends them both careening to the mat. As Gravely tries to get back up, the newcomer jumps guard with a guillotine choke, and it is tight in an instant. Oliveira grips the neck with all his might, but the American seems calm and composed for someone in such danger. As he relaxes himself, he slides his neck out, and instantly snaps to action. Gravely, with his left arm free, starts hammering Oliveira with huge punches. Oliveira covers his face as these strikes are starting to do some damage, and he turns himself to this knees to stand back up. Gravely keeps popping him with punches as Oliveira tries as he might to get up. Oliveira does manage to get back to his feet, and Gravely is on him like a cheap suit, looking to immediately hit a mat return. Gravely pounds on Oliveira’s thigh with several knees until he turns and hip tosses Oliveira to the canvas again. Oliveira looks to set up a guillotine again off his back, but Gravely is wise to it, pulls his head out and starts landing ground-and-pound. The Brazilian inches his way up the wall before standing again, and Gravely is glommed on to him as tight as can be. Oliveira defends an aggressive takedown attempt against him, and he slides his elbow up to try to tee off on Gravely’s face. Gravely starts working on his foe’s midsection, and when he does, Oliveira slips his arm around to hunt for another guillotine choke. Gravely pushes him to the wall, where there is no leverage for the submission, and the two stand back up again while tied up. When the 10-second clapper sounds, Oliveira hunts for one final guillotine, but there is nothing to it before the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gravely
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gravely
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gravely

Round 2

The bantamweights meet in the middle and start throwing, with Oliveira kicking and Gravely throwing looping punches. They both land cleanly, and back off to reset. Gravely winds up on a pair of wild hooks, and he uses the forward movement to hit a double-leg takedown and set Oliveira down to the ground. Oliveira has no guillotine setup from this approach, and he instead turns to his knees to crawl to the wall and back up. Gravely lands a few punches from above until Oliveira is on his feet and against the wire, and they push off and start slugging. Gravely lands, Oliveira responds, and then Oliveira attacks with a knee to the body. Gravely catches the knee to take the Brazilian down, and Oliveira instinctively pursues a guillotine choke. This time, Gravely has a possible Von Preux setup, but he does not pursue it and instead stays tightly pressed to his opponent as Oliveira scrambles. Oliveira wall-walks to get upright again, and Gravely drops down for a double to ground him. Oliveira stays on his feet after the try, and he begins to knee his foe in the midsection. Gravely breaks off, and he ducks a few strikes as he dives in for a takedown. The American drives through the hips to send Oliveira down flat to the mat, and he lands in half guard ready to strike from above. Oliveira sneaks his way back to the wall, but he turns to his side and Gravely starts to reintroduce his fists into Oliveira’s face. Oliveira wears the strikes well so he walk his way back up the fence, and he starts drilling his elbow into Gravely’s chin. They back off and Oliveira coughs his mouthpiece out, leading to Dean pausing the fight and replacing it. When they resume, Gravely attacks a takedown, and he puts Oliveira on the floor once more. Several ground-and-pound strikes appear to hurt Oliveira, but Oliveira powers through to get back up. When he goes, Gravely nails him in the face with a trio of winging hooks, and the round ends as the Brazilian might be rocked.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gravely
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gravely
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gravely

Round 3

Oliveira leads off in the round with a flying knee that turns into a jumping kick to the body, and Gravely grabs hold of him and takes him down quickly. Oliveira defends with a guillotine choke, and there is nothing there as Gravely pulls his head out and starts to work Oliveira over. The Brazilian deftly returns himself upright, only for Gravely to trip him back down and land in half guard – all while Oliveira attacks his signature guillotine. An opening for a Von Preux presents itself in the position they sit, but Gravely does not see it and simply elects to free himself so that he can drop down hammers. Oliveira turns over when Gravely’s punches start finding their way through the guard, and he turns over to his back and doggedly crawls over to the fence to stand up again. They separate, and Gravely gets off a quick one-two and a leg kick before Oliveira can find him. The two trade leg kicks, and Oliveira goes up high with a head kick. As Oliveira throws another strike, Gravely charges down low to hit a takedown, and Oliveira turns through it to not completely go down. He pushes his way up, and he snags hold of Gravely’s neck for the umpteenth guillotine attempt and pulls guard. Gravely shakes it off so that he can slug Oliveira in the face with several more punches, all while Oliveira slowly works his way up the fence to stand and gain some space. Oliveira connects with a strike, and Gravely fires back with a heavier salvo. Oliveira is light on his feet, hopping around and landing punches, and he steps in with a crisp knee. Gravely steels himself and fires back with a right hand that shakes Oliveira up. Oliveira spins with an elbow, and the elbow rings off the top of Gravely’s head. Gravely may be hurt, so he ducks down and hits a takedown to gather his thoughts. Oliveira stands up with relative ease, and when he does, Gravely blasts him in the face with a clean left hand. A few more strikes from each man land, and the bell sounds to call an end to the fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gravely (30-27 Gravely)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gravely (30-27 Gravely)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gravely (30-27 Gravely)

The Official Result

Tony Gravely def. Saimon Oliveira via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Jack Della Maddalena (170.5) vs. Pete Rodriguez (170.5)

Round 1

Knockout is almost certainly on the menu for this next welterweight clash, as newcomers Maddalena (10-2, 0-0 UFC) and Rodriguez (4-0, 0-0 UFC) combine for 12 knockouts in their 14 career victories. Referee Frank Trigg might not need to be on call for long when these two go at it, and the fighters do not touch ‘em up before the fun begins. They both trade jabs immediately, and Maddalena paws his left hand out several times to find his range as he backs Rodriguez up. Rodriguez comes back at him with a four-piece combination, and they proceed to trade back and forth. Rodriguez gets off a right hand, and Maddalena tags him in the nose to redden it in a hurry. Maddalena sticks out several more jabs, and he retreats when “Dead Game” bears down on him with several punches including a few body shots. Maddalena goes up high with a kick, and they both throw caution to the wind for a momentary fun exchange. Rodriguez wears the strikes well, and then there is a quick trade of leg kicks. Rodriguez lifts up a speedy front kick to the chin, and his nose is starting to bleed from the repeated jabs from his opponent. They nail one another with big looping punches, and Maddalena mixes in his jab to great effect. Jabs get chained into follow-up punches, and Rodriguez is busted up and changing his stance to try to find a comfortable way in. Maddalena sits down on a left hand, and a right, and Rodriguez loads up with heavy counters that get the Aussie’s attention. Maddalena kicks the body, but he does not pull his leg back quick enough and gets countered. Maddalena strings together a few laser-accurate punches that split the guard and rock Rodriguez, and a blazing hot left hand counter cooks Rodriguez and sends him down to the ground in a smoldering heap. Rodriguez may already be out, and Trigg lets him eat two more punches before calling the fight off. Australia’s Maddalena could not have asked for a better debut, scoring a solid knockout and going through some fire to get his hand raised for the first time inside the Octagon.

The Official Result

Jack Della Maddalena def. Pete Rodriguez R1 2:59 via TKO (Punches)

Raoni Barcelos (135) vs. Victor Henry (135.5)

Round 1

For the first time on the card – and in the preliminary headliner, no less – a fighter will come in with a winning UFC record. Brazilian bantamweight Barcelos (16-2, 5-1 UFC) is responsible for that record above .500, and he will be taking on the debuting Henry (21-5, 0-0 UFC) in what has been a theme for the evening thus far. Lacing up his running shoes is referee Jason Herzog, who may be needed for 15 seconds or 15 minutes, as these two gentlemen move fast. They do not bother touching hands, and get things going in a hurry as Henry throws out a front kick. Barcelos comes back with a few punches and an inside leg kick, but he gets clipped with an overhand right from the newcomer. Henry chops at the lead leg of the Brazilian, and he follows it with one to the outside. Barcelos delivers the ball of his foot to Henry’s chest, and they proceed to slip and trade blistering uppercuts without budging. Both men wear it well, and Barcelos gets the better of the exchange as he walks through and staggers Henry with a follow-up combo. Henry comes forward to slow the momentum down of his foe, and he walks forward with a knee to the chest. Barcelos backs off and sits down on a right hand, and it snaps Henry’s head back but does not appear to hurt him. Henry is loading up on responsive strikes, but Barcelos is quicker, slipping strikes and countering effectively. Barcelos lands flush with another right hand, and Henry comes back at him with one of his own that appears to rock the Brazilian. Barcelos comes forward with a possible chin-saving takedown, and Henry pushes him away and the both reset. They come together in a flurry, and Henry takes a hard right hand and stumbles. Barcelos comes after him with a few more strikes, but he does not get overaggressive and proceeds to technically work Henry off from a distance. Henry is still game, as he throws back hard and gets Barcelos’ attention. They both land flush on the other, and Henry goes up high with a kick that grazes off the head. Henry does not allow Barcelos to breathe, constantly sticking strikes in his opponent’s face, but Barcelos is able to use head movement to evade the shots. Henry throws a body kick, and Barcelos catches it and throws Henry to the mat. Barcelos lets him back up and suddenly finds Henry coming at him like a bat out of hell. “La Mangosta” throws everything he has at Barcelos, stinging him and doing enough damage to hurt Barcelos and back him up. Henry does not let him off the hook, laying into him with powerful uppercuts until the bell sounds to end the thrilling round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Barcelos
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Henry
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Henry

Round 2

The second round starts about as furious as the first ended, only Barcelos appears recovered and wiling to throw back even with his nose busted up. They throw down, and Barcelos sits down on an uppercut that tags Henry about as cleanly as it could, but the Josh Barnett disciple is not fazed. Henry continues to pressure Barcelos, and he slips a few punches as Barcelos’ movement and evasiveness is not what it was in the last round. Henry gains a little space to score a front kick up the middle, and chains it into several punches. Henry turns the power down and his volume up, landing flush but not swinging with everything he has. Barcelos winds up with power, and Henry partially deflects it but it still had a major impact. Barcelos lands an inside leg kick or two, and Henry appears to be struggling with it as he anticipatorily picks it up when Barcelos is going to kick. Henry bites down on his gumshield and starts throwing with bad intentions, and Barcelos backs away to gather his bearings as a few of them hurt. Barcelos’ nose is a mess as he continues to get peppered with punches, and Henry sneaks strikes around and through the guard. Barcelos uncorks several bombs that detonate on the chin of his opponent, and Henry takes them all cleanly and fires right back. Barcelos wings a left hand and a right, and several more as Henry tries to counter. Henry clips him with a short elbow, and Barcelos rushes in and secures a quick takedown. Henry pops right back up and the two begin to trade recklessly again, with little concern for defense as they keep connecting on one another. Henry sticks him with a punch, ducks back and narrowly evades a spinning wheel kick, and he comes back in to land as Barcelos sets his foot down. The close round ends with a tense exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Henry
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Henry
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Henry

Round 3

The bantamweights meet in the middle and are not afraid to engage, with them reintroducing themselves to one another with front kicks up the middle. Barcelos leans forward with punches, and Henry ducks back and lands a popping kick to the body. Barcelos clubs him back with a few punches, and Henry will not back down and give ground. Barcelos scores a leg kick that makes Henry turn around, and Barcelos cracks him with an overhand right that stuns him momentarily. Henry comes right back, ready to brawl it out in very close proximity. They both land flush, and Barcelos gets off a front kick and fakes for a takedown. He succeeds to get Henry off-balance to crack him with a right hand, and Henry laughs it off and proceeds to brawl it out. The pace is astounding, as are the strike totals at this point, and they are evenly matched and giving it all they have. Henry catches Barcelos with a left, a right and an uppercut, and Barcelos is hurt and staggering back. Barcelos chomps down on his mouthpiece and wings a right hand that nails Henry on the side of the head, only for Henry to completely disregard it and continue his assault. Henry bullies Barcelos back to the wall, and he starts working Barcelos’ thighs with powerful knees. Henry is able to make Barcelos lean face-first into the wall so he can grip his hands around him from behind, and he lands a few more strikes until Barcelos spins out. When the Brazilian turns, Henry greets him with a knee right down Broadway. Barcelos eats it like a bowl of Acai so that he can try to return fire, and Henry ducks down face-first into a head kick. Henry appears in danger, and Barcelos senses this and winds up with a barrage of power shots that knock Henry around but do not rock him. Henry is able to keep his wits about him to avoid dangerous blows and ducks away, and Barcelos follows him with a frenzied attack. Henry surprises him with preemptive counters, and they back off to gather themselves with seconds to go, and they throw a few more punches at one another right to the final bell. What a battle, and what an impressive debut from Henry on short notice against an established name like Barcelos.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Henry (29-28 Henry)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Henry (30-27 Henry)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Henry (30-27 Henry)

The Official Result

Victor Henry def. Raoni Barcelos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Trevin Giles (170) vs. Michael Morales (170)

Round 1

Unexpectedly kicking off the main card is a welterweight matchup between Entram Gym-repping Morales (12-0, 0-0 UFC) against ex-light heavyweight Giles (14-3, 5-3 UFC). Both men celebrate finish rates at 75% or above, so referee Mike Beltran might have his work cut out for him. The two competitors touch gloves before letting their hands go, and Giles connects first with a clubbing leg kick. He goes for the same kick, and Morales flinches and takes a third on the same spot. Morales returns fire with one of his own, and Giles attacks the same spot. Out of nowhere, “The Problem” leaps forward and cracks Morales with a right hand, sending the newcomer staggering back to the wall. Giles charges in, not entirely sure what to do, so he clinches up instead of throwing more blows. Giles keeps his foe tightly pressed to the wire, and Morales shrugs as he appears to have cleared the cobwebs. When Morales is looking irritated and looking to the referee for inaction, Giles throws him down to the mat and jumps on to half guard. Giles locks down an arm-triangle choke, but he is not attacking it from the right angle so Morales is not concerned. The youngster reverses Giles and puts him on his back, where Giles still holds on to an arm-triangle from his back. Morales pulls his neck out, and Giles kicks him off to stand back up. Morales pushes Giles into the fence, and Giles does not stick around long before separating to get back to striking range. Morales jumps forward with a superman punch and a leg kick, but only the kick connects. Morales aims his foot on the lower calf of his foe, and Giles aims an overhand right counter that grazes the chin. Morales throws everything he has into a telegraphed right hand, and Giles dances back as it breezes by him. Giles circles out, goes up high and throws a wild high kick. Giles walks face-first into a quick right hand, and he is hurt badly and falling forward. Morales keeps wailing on him until Giles throws back at him, and then slides forward to clip Giles with a shovel uppercut that separates the Houston native from his senses. Giles collapses to the ground, and when on his knees, the Ecuadorian starts pounding on him. The unbeaten fighter seals the deal with a final barrage of ground punches to either side of Giles’ head, and Beltran calls it a day for Giles. “The Problem” has a problem with the stoppage, but Beltran is not having any complaints as the fight is over. With the win, Morales gets Entram Gym on the board tonight, and only one fighter is left tonight that fights out of that growing Mexican camp: champ Brandon Moreno.

The Official Result

Michael Morales def. Trevin Giles R1 4:06 via TKO (Punches)

Said Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Cody Stamann (135.5)

Round 1

Two rough-and-tumble wrestling-heavy bantamweights take the stage next, as Stamann (19-4-1, 5-3-1 UFC) looks to put an end to a two-fight skid at the expense of Dagestan’s Nurmagomedov (14-2, 3-1 UFC) – the latter of which has no relation to the ex-champion. With stoppage rates at 50% or lower between the two, referee Frank Trigg is ready for the long haul. There is a touch of gloves between them, and Stamann races out to engage. Nurmagomedov is immediately ready and he launches a right hand, then a left. The Dagestan native suddenly spins into a back fist, and uses his momentum to turn through to connect with a powerful spinning back kick to the body. Like a Lionel Richie album, Stamann can’t slow down, and he rushes forward to attempt to take the fight down. As “The Spartan” ducks down, Nurmagomedov latches on defensively to a high guillotine choke, and in the blink of an eye it is set and locked in a modified way that looks like a rear-naked choke from the front. As soon as they hit the ground, Stamann is already concerned that he get put to sleep, and he taps out seconds later. What an impressive statement for Nurmagomedov, who records his first win since 2020 and does it in lightning-quick fashion!

The Official Result

Said Nurmagomedov def. Cody Stamann R1 0:47 via Submission (Guillotine Choke)

Andre Fialho (169.5) vs. Michel Pereira (170)

Round 1

All bets are off for what should be an absolutely wild welterweight rumble as “Demolidor” Pereira (26-11, 2 NC; 4-2 UFC) greets the UFC newcomer Fialho (14-3, 1 NC; 0-0 UFC) with a giant smile on his face. Before he even arrives to the cage, Pereira gets the Anaheim crowd going by dancing in to his walkout music, sporting American and Brazilian flags over his shoulder. The wild man does a cartwheel into a back flip once he makes it past the Octagon door, but he holds off on the breakdancing as referee Mike Beltran watches on. They gladly touch gloves before engaging, and Fialho decides to hit the ground running with a short surge of punches and even a spinning wheel kick that misses as Pereira backs off. The Brazilian stabs a front kick to the midsection, and he has a subsequent head kick blocked. Fialho does not keep his foot off the gas as he pressures Pereira back, until Pereira partially connects with a superman punch off the cage in a Pettis-esque maneuver. Fialho continues to march Pereira down, and he absorbs another front kick to the lower body as he plods ahead. Pereira swats at him with punches and gets off another front kick, but Fialho’s expression and forward movement does not wane one bit. A sharp jab from the newcomer stumbles Pereira for a moment, but the “Demolidor” gathers his thoughts and circles away. Fialho connects with another clean jab that disrupts Pereira’s movement, but Pereira fires back with a body shot and a right hand over the top. Pereira rips the body with another kick to the same spot as the others, and he chops at his foe’s thigh with a kick. Fialho keeps flicking out his jab, leading Pereira to wind up with a right hand that just brushes off Fialho’s chin. Fialho fakes his way in, using the disruptive movement to get Pereira to bite on a feint and drops his guard enough to get cracked right on the jaw. Pereira is hurt and his nose begins to bleed from the damage, and he lands a few more strikes to Pereira’s chagrin. “Demolidor” jumps in the air with a knee, and Fialho does not bite or allow himself to get struck with it. Fialho stays composed, blocking the wild strikes but still absorbing kicks to the midsection. Pereira ducks into a big punch, and he shoots in low for a takedown that is easily sprawled. Fialho continues to batter Pereira with a jab, and Pereira returns fire with a kick that glances off the cup. Beltran does not pause the action, and lets them continue. Fialho keeps pressing in with jabs, and he steps out of the way from a flying knee to bowl Pereira over and push him down to the ground. From on top, Fialho hammers down with long punches until the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Fialho
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Fialho
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Fialho

Round 2

The welterweights resume fighting once Beltran clocks them in, and Fialho continues his consistent pressure early. Pereira finds his home with a right hand, and a left opens a cut on Fialho. Pereira finds his range and rocks the newcomer with a huge right hook, and Fialho wobbles back to the cage as Pereira soars at him with a flying knee. Pereira tries to empty his gas tank with a few more wild strikes, pummeling a shelled up Fialho. Fialho manages to survive the assault and back away, and when he retreats, Pereira gives chase and scores with a rolling thunder kick to the dome. Fialho acknowledges the blow and blocks as Pereira continues to try to lay into him with powerful strikes. Pereira rips the body and head, bullying Fialho into the fence on the other side of the cage. From up close, Pereira smashes Fialho in the torso with a few flush knees, and Fialho gives them back to stop Pereira from delivering them to him. The pace slows as both men likely need to take a breath after throwing wildly, and Pereira backs away before swinging a capoeira kick that goes just a little too high. Fialho has a cut above his left eye that is bleeding down into it, and as he advances, Pereira targets the breadbasket with a front kick. Fialho closes the distance to shut the kicks down, and Pereira greets him with several knees to the body. Fialho grits his teeth and pushes off, and the two swing wildly in single-strike attacks. “Demolidor” chains together a front kick into a right hook, a left hook and a left high kick that follows. Fialho starts to take deep breaths from the body work that Pereira is doing, and he takes a right hand to the face and a left to the body. As Fialho attempts to reply, Pereira shoots in with a double that scoops Fialho off the ground and on to the mat. As the fighter out of Portugal climbs back to his knees, the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 3

The two gunslingers hug it out to start off the final round, and when they break up, Pereira kicks the body with gravitas. Fialho gives chase, and he gets clipped with a crisp one-two. Pereira stays out of range with a low kick, and he backs into the wall to unleash another rebounding superman punch, but Fialho sees it coming and is out of range in time. Pereira lets go with a kick to the body, and Fialho avoids it enough to land a pair of punches up top. Pereira escapes as he circles away, and he chips at Fialho’s midsection with several more kicks. Fialho is content to absorb the blows one after the other, with Pereira mixing them up to the leg as he continues to hurl them. Fialho gets stunned by a body kick, which allows Pereira to tag him with a three-punch salvo. Pereira hits a trip takedown as he pushes forward, but Fialho is able to get his bearings and get upright before anything comes of it. Fialho presses forward, throwing out his jab a few times before tying the Brazilian up in the clinch. Pereira pushes off so that he can prod and poke with kicks, and he ducks a left hand from Fialho to go over the top with a left hook. They land punches at the same time, and Fialho gets Pereira’s attention with a left. Pereira throws right back, and the two brawl it out, seemingly taking turns clubbing one another in the face. Pereira ducks right into a punch, and he shrugs it off to fire back. Fialho carries on moving forward, and Pereira leaps off the fence and then kicks Fialho in the chest. They swipe at one another, and Pereira hops around, still light on his feet while Fialho consistently moves towards him. Fialho snaps out a jab, and Pereira winds up on a couple punches that Fialho is largely able to slip. As Pereira lines up a kick to the body, his foot hits the cup as his toes stab into the midsection, and Fialho doubles over in pain from the groin strike. Beltran recognizes this instantly and pauses the fight, allowing Fialho to recover. The newcomer from Portugal takes less than a minute to get his breath, and then pushes forward while Pereira escapes laterally. Fialho catches Pereira in the air with a jumping strike, but Pereira is no worse for wear as he hits the ground. With seconds left on the clock, they both decide that it is time to throw down like Max Holloway and Ricardo Lamas. The ensuing melee is wild and ferocious, with both 170ers connecting cleanly and not wilting. They swing for the fences right to the final bell, and then celebrate their hard-fought battle as Pereira lifts Fialho’s arm in the air.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (29-28 Pereira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (29-28 Pereira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Pereira (29-28 Pereira)

The Official Result

Michel Pereira def. Andre Fialho via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC Flyweight Title Fight:
Brandon Moreno (124) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (124)

Round 1

We’ve reached the first of two championship affairs tonight, with this one taking place in the flyweight division. The automatic trilogy – the first in UFC history where two fighters face one another three times in a row – is for all the marbles. Entram Gym staple Moreno (19-5-2, 7-2-2 UFC) will try to make it two and two for his team tonight, but he will have to go through uber dangerous ex-champ Figueiredo (20-2-1, 7-0 UFC) one more time to get there. Referee Jason Herzog is on the call for this potential thriller, and if the first two fights are any indication, this should be a treat. It should be noted that should “Daico” win, it would make them 1-1-1, and in line for a future quadrilogy, which would also be a UFC first. The intensity and forced animosity is there, but not enough to stave off a glove touch. The crowd is louder than ever tonight, and the excitement is palpable. The two flyweights keep their distance for the first 15 seconds, and Figueiredo engages first with a leg kick and ducks out of the way when Moreno tries to catch him with a right hand. Moreno charges forward when Figueiredo goes after another leg kick, and they bump heads as he plows ahead. Moreno pushes Figueiredo into the wall, where he gets off a short knee until Figueiredo turns him around. The former champ gets off a knee to the chest, and there is a bit of a stalemate in this position as Herzog asks them to engage. They trade a few short knees, but are largely stuck together as Moreno tells Herzog to separate them. Moreno manages to push off, and they get back to striking range, where they proceed to stare one another down. A quick jab and a low kick from Figueiredo take Moreno’s legs out beneath him, but he is not hurt from it. When he pops back up, they trade leg kicks, and Moreno falls again from the kick. On his way down, Moreno wings a right hand, and it stings Figueiredo as Moreno points at him and grins. Figueiredo is no worse for wear, and he ducks three punches for a takedown attempt. Moreno tries to scramble, but in midair, Figueiredo takes him down to the ground and puts him face-first to the mat. Figueiredo knees him in the posterior, and the champ scrambles wildly to flip over and get up. Moreno swings with a fury in his right hand, and Figueiredo ducks it and chops down Moreno’s lead leg again. Moreno sneaks in with an Andy Hug-style spinning kick to the calf, and Figueiredo laughs it off and kicks Moreno down low again. Figueiredo catches Moreno coming in with a left hand, and he scores a right hand and a body kick. Moreno lets loose with a body kick after absorbing a body shot, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Moreno

Round 2

Figueiredo comes out aggressively from his corner to start the second round, throwing a big right hand and following it with a left hook. He chains the punches into a body kick, and he avoids the blow that comes back at him. Figueiredo hacks at the lead leg again, and he just misses absorbing a flush right hand. Moreno swings with a few wild punches, and one sends Figueiredo off-balance, but Figueiredo is able to get his bearings without issue. Moreno paws out a jab, and he eats a clean right hand as Figueiredo pushes forward. Moreno shoves him off and scores a thudding leg kick. Moreno pushes in to strike, and when he does, Figueiredo spins with a wheel kick. The champ catches the kick and throws Figueiredo down to the ground. “Daico” does not stay down for more than a split-second before scrambling and getting back up after a wild maneuver. Moreno cracks him with a pair of punches, and he targets the body after Figueiredo kicks his lead calf. Moreno shrugs off a front kick that gets through his guard, and a right hand from Moreno appears to have opened a cut on Figueiredo’s nose. Figueiredo lands a right hand, and Moreno is quicker and connects with three shots. Moreno misses when checking a kick, and when he attempts to kick Figueiredo in the body, Figueiredo catches the kick in pursuit of a takedown. There is nothing to it, and Moreno gets back to his boxing range where he flashes out a few jabs. Figueiredo decides to reach out with a few of his own, and he collides with Moreno when Moreno goes after another spinning low kick. Figueiredo digs his hooks to the body, and the two flyweights start trading ferociously. Figueiredo hurts the champ, but Moreno is able to get him back in an exchange when they are throwing with wide angles. Figueiredo shakes it off and Moreno appears comfortable and confident with his chin up high, and he ducks in low for a takedown that does not succeed. Moreno jabs at him, and they both swing high kicks that come up short. The second round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Moreno

Round 3

The flyweights meet in the middle of the cage, and Figueiredo swings a thudding leg kick to start the round off in style. Moreno ducks in when his foe kicks, so that he can unleash a looping left hand that pops Figueiredo in the jaw. Moreno jumps ahead with a knee, and Figueiredo catches him in the air and grapples him down to the mat. Moreno climbs to the wall, only give up his back for a moment. When Moreno turns around, Figueiredo knees him in the face, but the champ does not seem to mind as he backs away. Figueiredo connects hard with another calf kick, and Moreno slings one right back to keep Figueiredo honest. They both swing with everything they have, and Figueiredo knocks Moreno off his feet. Moreno somersaults his way back to the fence, and Figueiredo runs after him and tags him hard. Figueiredo laughs at him, and they start throwing bombs. Moreno pays Figueiredo back with a huge right hand, and they are both connecting accurately and powerfully without concern. Moreno absorbs a body shot so that he can sneak a left hand over the top, and he takes yet another calf kick. A huge kick from the Brazilian sweeps the leg, and Moreno looks surprised as he absorbs it cleanly and pops back up. Moreno takes a funny step after absorbing it, but to show a good poker face, he jumps in the air with a knee and follows it with several swiping punches. The two start grinning as they land hard on one another, and they are having the time of their lives in the cage tonight. They trade straight shots, and Moreno tries to get his jab going again as he mixes in a low kick. Figueiredo whips a high kick that partially lands, and he backs away when Moreno gives chase. Moreno’s fakes make Figueiredo bite, but Figueiredo manages to ignore them and club Moreno with a left hand. Moreno takes a right hand on the button, but he takes it like a champ and fires back with a vengeance. Moreno gets off a low kick, and Figueiredo punches him square in the face. Moreno throws back, and a kick to the body gives Moreno pause. Figueiredo winds up with a massive right hand, and he cracks Moreno hard and sets the champ down to his knees. Before he can finish the job with a standing choke attempt, the round ends. Figueiredo goes over and shoves Moreno down, and Herzog runs over to keep them separated and conclude the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo

Round 4

Figueiredo runs out to take the center of the cage, and he slings a low leg kick that makes Moreno’s leg buckle. Moreno shakes it off and sprawls when Figueiredo comes forward in search of a takedown. Figueiredo bails on it so that he can chop down Moreno’s leg again, and Moreno reacts and lifts it up ahead of time. Moreno lets loose with a couple punches, and Figueiredo ducks them all but cannot evade the leg kick. Moreno starts scoring with leg kicks of his own, and as he does, Figueiredo’s smile grows wider and wider. The former champ sees that Moreno’s offense has slowed down, and he walks through a Moreno punch and shrugs at him to say that there is nothing there anymore. Figueiredo gets off a trio of punches that send Moreno back, with a left hand that ends the combo. Figueiredo slams his shin into Moreno’s calf, and it is swelling up badly as Moreno keeps a stiff upper lip from the damaging shot. Moreno swings and misses with a right hand, but when he gets back in position, he nails his foe with a body kick. Figueiredo is feeling himself as the strikes coming at him are not appearing as powerful as before, but Moreno is still connecting on him. Moreno gets off a few jabs, but he picks his leg up as Figueiredo fakes the kick. Figueiredo swipes out with a left hand that brushes off the jaw, and a right skims the target but allows him to get countered. Figueiredo bullies his way in, where he shoves Moreno into the fence face-first. From behind, Figueiredo kicks at Moreno’s leg and knees a few times to the thigh, and he pins Moreno to the wall tightly. Moreno gains a little space and starts throwing haymakers, doing enough to get Figueiredo to back off. Moreno scores a kick to Figueiredo’s lead arm, and Figueiredo shakes it off when he blocks another punch. Figueiredo lands a calf kick, and he jumps in with a knee that is mostly blocked. Figueiredo shrugs at Moreno, and they tie up to the bell. At the end of the fourth frame, it is Moreno that shoves Figueiredo over, and Figueiredo laughs it off.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Moreno
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo

Round 5

In the fifth round, it could be anyone’s fight, and Figueiredo seems amped up to make sure that he wins it all. He nails Moreno in the calf and then lets loose with a few punches, but Moreno fires right back at him with a short but effective salvo. Moreno closes the distance, and he hits a body lock takedown to totally shock the former champion and put him flat on the mat. Figueiredo does not accept this position, kicking off after a few seconds to get himself back up to his feet without concern. Figueiredo lands a leg kick that Moreno picks up, and Moreno counters with a left hand that catches Figueiredo off-guard. Moreno digs a left hand to the body, and he charges in for a takedown that is stuffed. Figueiredo hops forward, gets off a left hand, and sneaks away before the counter finds him. Moreno sits down on a couple punches, and the final left marks up Figueiredo’s nose. The pace has waned significantly in this round, and they trade jabs and miss with the follow-up hooks. Moreno jumps forward and hits nothing but air with a punch, but when he gets up close, he does score an uppercut. A right hand from Figueiredo sends Moreno down to the canvas, but the champ springs back up and is ready to trade leather. Moreno starts trading in a phone booth, and even throwing a high kick that is blocked in time. Figueiredo ducks back, and he gets clipped at the end of a right hand but is no worse for wear. Figueiredo rushes to attack with a right hook, and he ducks and weaves as three inaccurate blows come from the champion. With a minute left in the fight, Figueiredo starts kicking, with a front kick that partially lands and a head kick that does not. Figueiredo succeeds in scoring a leg kick, and he has a right hand over the top that hurts Moreno. They both start slipping around the cage as they slug it out, and Figueiredo staggers Moreno but is not out of the woods. Moreno comes back with a series of punches, hurting Figueiredo as well. This one is going to go right down to the wire, with both men hurt and expending every bit of their energy to put an end to the thrilling battle. Scorecards could be all over the map, as well as the scores for each individual round, but it unquestionably lived up to the hype. It would not at all be surprising if these two flyweight gladiators face one another a fourth time somewhere down the line.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (49-46 Figueiredo)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (48-47 Figueiredo)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Figueiredo (48-47 Figueiredo)

The Official Result

Deiveson Figueiredo def. Brandon Moreno via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

UFC Heavyweight Title Fight:
Francis Ngannou (257) vs. Ciryl Gane (247)

Round 1

Former teammates collide in the UFC 270 main event, which comes in the form of a heavyweight championship unification battle. Ngannou (16-3, 11-2 UFC) will come in on a five-fight knockout streak that includes victories over three of the last five champions to hold the heavyweight strap before him, while Gane (10-0, 7-0 UFC) is a spotless 10 up and none down as he continues his quest for the undisputed belt. A bit of bad blood infiltrated the matchup due to a dispute about old sparring footage, but they still do elect to touch gloves as a prepared referee Herb Dean stands firm as the Octagon sentinel. Ngannou takes the center of the cage and starts to pressure Gane, only for Gane to rush in and pursue a takedown that gets stopped. The close range of Gane allows him to avoid the power shots, but when Ngannou gets backed up across the cage to the wall, he gets off a high knee. Gane pushes off and retreats, keeping a safe distance and kicking and Ngannou’s lead knee – both of the champ’s knees have braces on them. Ngannou closes in with a big punch, and he blocks a rising knee from Gane as they are tied up in the center of the cage. Gane gets some space with a short elbow, but Ngannou walks him down and delivers a painful uppercut up the middle that stuns Gane for a moment. Gane regains his composure and backs off, but he gets clipped with an uppercut, Gane escapes out the edge and evades most of the power punches that come his way, and he spins with a kick to the body. Ngannou walks him down, but Gane is light on his feet and staying away. Gane steps in suddenly with a knee before breaking away to get into a safe range, and he does so just when Ngannou loads up on a right hand. “The Predator” stalks his prey, only to come up short with a looping right hand. Ngannou kicks the knee and comes up high, and Gane pushes it off and ends in grappling range with the champ. Ngannou flirts with a takedown effort, but he abandons the try to knee Gane in the chest. “Bon Gamin” turns him about on the wall, staying tightly pressed to Ngannou so as to not absorb any short but powerful shots. Gane clings to his opponent, stifling Ngannou for a moment, but Ngannou still manages to land a knee and an uppercut as Gane pushes off. Ngannou marches ahead, and they stare down one another as the round comes to an end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou

Round 2

The heavyweights touch gloves to start off the second frame, and Gane leads off with a front kick that splits the guard. Ngannou mimics the blow with one of his own, and it gets swatted away. Ngannou is continually advancing as Gane is light on his feet with his hands low, so Ngannou kicks him in the thigh a few times with the ball of his foot. Gane then turns to side kick Ngannou in the knee, and darts away before Ngannou can get in on him. This does not stop Ngannou from trying, and when he misses, Gane chips away at his lead leg from a distance. Ngannou lifts up a high kick, and he then goes low with a stomping kick to the knee. Gane sticks out a jab, and his mobility keeps him away from the swinging shots that come at him. Ngannou eats a clean right hand that glances off the side of his ear, and he appears no worse for wear as he plods forward. Ngannou swings with a huge right hand, and the power is there but the accuracy is not, so Gane ducks it without concern. The punch leads Ngannou to tie him up, and he breaks off and misses by an inch with an overhand right. Gane picks and pokes Ngannou with low kicks before spinning with a wheel kick that clocks Ngannou in the top of the head. “The Predator” barely registers that the strike landed, and he continues to march ahead to line up a missile of a right hand. Ngannou kicks at the leg, and he absorbs one that comes back at him and makes him lift his leg up. Gane is loose and has his hands very low given the opponent staring across from him, and he relies on his movement to not let Ngannou get a hold of him. Ngannou sits down on a body kick, one that sneaks under Gane’s blocking elbow. Gane bounces around as Ngannou slowly aims for a big strike, and he walks face-first into a powerful uppercut that knocks Gane back but does not hurt him. The Frenchman gathers himself and delivers a kick on the outside of Ngannou’s leg, and then goes with the other leg to the midsection. Ngannou checks one more kick as the round comes to an end, and the crowd is not overly thrilled with the pace of these two big men.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Gane
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Gane

Round 3

The big gentlemen meet in the middle, only for Gane to give ground immediately and back off. Gane keeps his hand up and his fingers outstretched in hopes that he can anticipate a power strike from Ngannou and block it. Ngannou secures a short uppercut on the chin, but whiffs badly on the power left hand. Gane sees another powerful left hand come at him, and he darts away and kicks Ngannou in the side. “The Predator” is enraged by this kick, and he lifts a 250-pound Gane up in the air like a sack of potatoes and slams him down to the mat with emphasis. Ngannou lands in side control, and he is heavily positioned on top and does not let Gane twist and turn. Gane ends up surrendering mount as he tries to scramble, and he turns over to give up his back in the process. Ngannou starts dropping down a few sledgehammers in the form of his ground-and-pound, and when Gane walks his way to his knees, Ngannou trips him back down. Gane is able to defend his face from punishment, standing up safely and getting up against the wall. Ngannou deftly throws Gane down to the mat, face-first, in what appears to be a painful slam. “Bon Gamin” does not seem concerned, calmly working his way up to his feet. As Gane is composed in the clinch, he smoothly breaks the grip and spins around to elbow Ngannou in the face. Ngannou eats the Frenchman’s spinning elbow like a baguette, and he continues to lumber forward and narrowly evades a spinning wheel kick that grazes his hair. Ngannou pursues his man and loads up on a punch to the body, only to change levels and hit a double-leg takedown and ground the interim titleholder. Gane tries to defend off his back with a kimura, but there is nothing there. The champ rides out the round on top without landing strikes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou

Round 4

Ngannou stands right in the center of the cage to begin the fourth round, and he lifts his leg up to check a kick that comes at him. “Bon Gamin” gets off a jab and scampers away from the power strikes that are telegraphed and not coming at him as frequently. The pitter-patter leg kicks and jabs from Gane frustrate Ngannou but do not appear to have an appreciable effect, and the crowd lets the two have it. Ngannou continues to ignore leg kicks, and he absorbs a clean side kick to the body while missing on the right hand counter. Gane gets interrupted on the way in with a low kick, so he replies with a slapping kick to Ngannou’s face. Ngannou does not appear thrilled by the kick, leading him to blitz forward and set up a body lock. “The Predator” succeeds on a toss to plant Gane on the mat again, and Gane is effective at protecting his mug from damage although he does give up control time. Gane works his way up to his knee and stand, but Ngannou trips him back down in a sneaky mat return. The Frenchman maneuvers his way up, and he pursues a standing kimura when Ngannou wrenches his legs out beneath him and puts Gane down again. Ngannou steps over to mount, and he loses it when Gane nearly sits up and out of it. Gane finds himself on his back, with a 260-ish pound Ngannou on top of him relying more on pressure than ground strikes. Gane sits up against the fence, and Ngannou knees him square in the chest in a very risky maneuver. Gane is struggling to stand as Ngannou is tightly pinned to him, and the champion holds him down to end the fourth frame.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou

Round 5

The champ and interim champ meet in the middle for one final touch of gloves. Gane backs away, and he steps in with a cheeky elbow that catches Ngannou clean. Gane lands a punch that makes Ngannou backpedal for a moment, and Gane stands right in front of him and kicks him in the leg and punches him in the body. Gane rushes ahead with a short combination, and Ngannou chows down on it like a steak. When Ngannou swings with a big punch, Gane ducks down and hits a takedown to plant the champion flat on his back. Ngannou looks to sit up, but he miraculously hits a sweep and turns Gane over to put him on his back. Gane defends effectively by dropping down with a heel hook, and Ngannou grimaces but grits it out to not allow Gane to sit up and get on top. Ngannou pops his leg out, and Gane goes for another that is not under the knee, so it is not as dangerous as the first. Like a snake, “The Predator” slithers over to re-take top control, sliding up to half guard and nearly claiming mount. Ngannou begins to set up an arm-triangle choke, but he does not present any other offense as Dean tells them to keep working. Gane sits up, allowing Ngannou to defend with a potential guillotine choke to sit him back down. The Frenchman keeps moving off his back, scooting his way towards the wall, and Ngannou pushes him back over as precious seconds tick off the clock. Gane is furious that he is being held down, and Ngannou finally lets a few punches go to end the fight on top. Some may be surprised that this fight went the distance, but many would be surprised that it was Ngannou that leaned on wrestling and effectively controlled Gane for long stretches of the fight. The bout in the books after 25 grueling minutes, the two men embrace and appear to have squashed the potentially manufactured beef. When Buffer announces the winner, it is not UFC President Dana White but matchmaker Mick Maynard that is in the cage to place the belt around the winner’s waist.

In his post-fight interview, Ngannou tells the crowd that he went through a great deal in this training camp, and three weeks ago, he completely tore his MCL tendon and hurt his ACL as well. Ngannou expresses his love for his home country and the fans, and tells the crowd that boxing is always in his back pocket but not an immediate goal for him. With that, UFC 270 is in the books, and the organization is taking a week off. When it comes back with UFC Fight Night 200 in February, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou (49-46 Ngannou)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou (48-47 Ngannou)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ngannou (49-46 Ngannou)

The Official Result

Francis Ngannou def. Ciryl Gane via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)