Introduction
UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou. January 20, 2018. TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts — the first UFC event at the newly built venue. Stipe Miocic retained the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44). The win was his third consecutive HW title defence — a new UFC record.
Ngannou entered as the most feared puncher in the HW division. Miocic neutralised the power with relentless wrestling, completing 6 of 14 takedowns and wearing Ngannou down over five rounds. Ngannou landed only 21 of 113 significant strike attempts (18.6%). Miocic finished the fight having outlanded him 70-21 in significant strikes.
Daniel Cormier made his third LHW title defence, stopping Volkan Oezdemir by TKO at 2:00 of round two. Cormier used a mounted crucifix position to finish with ground-and-pound. Miocic post-fight announced that his wife was expecting their first child.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: January 20, 2018
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts (first UFC at this venue; first major UFC event in Boston area in years)
Main Event: Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Francis Ngannou — HW Championship
Result: Miocic def. Ngannou — UD (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) — 3rd consecutive HW title defence; UFC HW record; Ngannou landed only 18.6% of sig strikes
Co-Main: Daniel Cormier def. Volkan Oezdemir — TKO R2, 2:00 — LHW Championship; 3rd Cormier LHW defence; mounted crucifix G&P
Notable: Miocic announced wife’s pregnancy post-fight; Jon Jones looms as both champions’ inevitable challenger
Also: Islam Makhachev KO R1, 0:57; Calvin Kattar TKO R3 Burgos
Bonuses: POTN: Cormier + Calvin Kattar ($50k each)
The Build-Up
Ngannou’s path to the HW title shot was built on one-punch KOs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 218 (1:42); Andrei Arlovski and others before that. His left uppercut was arguably the single most dangerous punch in the division’s history. Miocic was listed as the underdog in several markets before the fight.
The strategic question was whether Miocic’s wrestling could contain Ngannou’s striking long enough to make him carry dead weight and drain his notorious short-duration power. Ngannou had a history of fading if fights extended beyond one or two rounds.
Main Event
Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Francis Ngannou — HW Championship
Round one: Ngannou came out swinging. He landed looping uppercuts and hooks that shook Miocic. In a brief sequence, Ngannou caught Miocic with shots as the champion tried to clinch. But Miocic took every shot, kept moving forward, and secured a clinch that made Ngannou carry his body weight and exhaust his gas tank.
Rounds two through five: Ngannou’s power output diminished with each round as Miocic’s wrestling dominated. By round four, Ngannou was visibly fatigued. Miocic landed ground-and-pound from top position. The final scorecards — 50-44 across the board — were a near-shutout. Miocic had broken the UFC HW record for consecutive title defences with his third.
Co-Main Event
Daniel Cormier (c) vs. Volkan Oezdemir — LHW Championship
Oezdemir came out with power shots in round one that Cormier absorbed. Cormier gradually found his range, landing a two-punch combination late in the round that hurt Oezdemir, and scored a takedown as the bell rang. Round two: Cormier secured another takedown, worked to mounted crucifix, and delivered relentless ground-and-pound until the referee stopped it at 2:00. Cormier’s third consecutive LHW title defence.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Enrique Barzola def. Matt Bessette — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27 x3) — FW
Julio Arce def. Dan Ige — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — FW
Dustin Ortiz def. Alexandre Pantoja — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28 x3) — FW [125 lbs]
Islam Makhachev def. Gleison Tibau — KO — R1, 0:57 — LW; Makhachev dominant; future UFC LW champion
Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Sabah Homasi — KO — R1, 3:47 — WW
Kyle Bochniak def. Brandon Davis — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — FW
Main Card
Rob Font def. Thomas Almeida — TKO (Head Kick + Punches) — R2, 2:24 — BW; Font continues rise
Gian Villante def. Francimar Barroso — Decision (Split) — R3 (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) — LHW
Calvin Kattar def. Shane Burgos — TKO — R3, 0:32 — FW; POTN ($50k); Kattar dominant
Daniel Cormier def. Volkan Oezdemir — TKO (Punches/G&P) — R2, 2:00 — LHW Championship; POTN ($50k); mounted crucifix; 3rd Cormier LHW defence; Co-Main
HW Championship — Main Event
Stipe Miocic def. Francis Ngannou — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) — HW Championship; 3rd title defence (UFC HW record); Ngannou 18.6% sig strike accuracy; Miocic 6/14 TDs
Bonuses & Awards
Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier + Calvin Kattar — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Stipe Miocic — first UFC HW champion to make three consecutive title defences. The previous record was shared by two fighters. His wife’s pregnancy was announced post-fight.
Daniel Cormier — third consecutive LHW title defence. With Jon Jones serving his USADA suspension, Cormier had defended the LHW title three times without facing the only man who had beaten him. Jones’s return and their third fight (UFC 226, July 2018) was the next chapter.
Islam Makhachev — KO win over Gleison Tibau at UFC 220 in 57 seconds. His continued rise eventually brought him the UFC LW Championship at UFC 280 in October 2022.
Legacy & Impact
The UFC 220 main event rewrote Ngannou’s narrative. Coming in as the most feared HW since Mike Tyson, he was neutralised by Miocic’s wrestling and durability across five rounds in which his historically low strike accuracy (18.6%) told the whole story. The question the sport asked entering the fight — ‘what happens to Miocic when Ngannou lands?’ — was answered in round one: nothing decisive. Ngannou went back to the drawing board.
The dominant champion in the room at UFC 220 was Cormier. His third LHW defence, his three HW defences, and the spectre of Jones waiting for him defined the summer of 2018.
FAQ
How did Miocic stop Ngannou’s power at UFC 220?
Miocic absorbed Ngannou’s early shots and clinched, making Ngannou carry his 240 lb body weight. This rapidly drained Ngannou’s cardio, which had always been a documented weakness in longer fights. Miocic completed 6 of 14 takedowns across five rounds, keeping Ngannou on the ground and preventing him from generating knockout power. Ngannou’s significant strike accuracy was 18.6%.
What record did Miocic break at UFC 220?
Miocic became the first UFC Heavyweight Champion to make three consecutive title defences, breaking the previous record. His defences came against Fabricio Werdum (UFC 198), Alistair Overeem (UFC 203), and Francis Ngannou (UFC 220).
How did Cormier finish Oezdemir?
In round two, Cormier secured a takedown and worked to the mounted crucifix position — a dominant hold where Oezdemir’s arms were trapped at his sides. Cormier delivered relentless ground-and-pound punches and elbows until the referee stopped the fight at 2:00 of round two.
What announcement did Miocic make after UFC 220?
After retaining his HW title in the post-fight interview, Miocic announced that his wife Ryan was expecting their first child. The Boston crowd gave him a warm reception for the announcement.
Did Ngannou ever win the UFC HW title?
Yes. After his decisive loss to Miocic at UFC 220, Ngannou went on an absolute finishing run (Anthony Joshua comparisons aside). He rematch with Miocic at UFC 260 in March 2021, knocking Miocic out in round two to win the UFC HW Championship.