UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 220: Miocic vs. Ngannou. January 20, 2018. TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts — first UFC event at this venue. Stipe Miocic made his third consecutive UFC Heavyweight Championship defence, defeating Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-44, 50-44). The near-shutout broke the UFC record for consecutive HW title defences. Ngannou landed only 26% of his total strikes and 18% of significant strikes.
Daniel Cormier retained the LHW title in the co-main, stopping Volkan Oezdemir by TKO in round two at exactly 2:00. Cormier dominated from the second half of round one, secured a takedown opening round two, and finished with ground-and-pound. Post-fight, Cormier again invoked Jon Jones’ name, noting the inevitable shadow over his LHW reign.
Calvin Kattar def. Shane Burgos by TKO in round three. Islam Makhachev KO’d Gleison Tibau in 57 seconds. Rob Font TKO’d Thomas Almeida in round two.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: January 20, 2018
Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts (first UFC at this venue; first in Boston in years)
Main Event: Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Francis Ngannou — HW Championship (Ngannou’s HW title shot earned by KO of Overeem at UFC 218)
Result: Miocic def. Ngannou — UD (50-44, 50-44, 50-44) — 3RD CONSECUTIVE HW TITLE DEFENCE = UFC HW RECORD; Ngannou landed 26% total/18% sig strikes; Miocic 6 takedowns
Co-Main: Cormier def. Oezdemir — TKO (Ground-and-Pound) R2, 2:00 — LHW Championship; Cormier 3rd LHW defence
Notable: Kattar def. Burgos TKO R3; Makhachev KO Tibau 57s; Calvin Kattar emerging FW contender
Bonuses: FOTN and POTN awards given; specific bonus winners TBC from official sources
The Build-Up
Ngannou’s single left uppercut KO of Overeem at UFC 218 had made him the most feared HW challenger since Brock Lesnar. He was presented as the potential destroyer of Miocic’s reign — power that no chin could withstand, athleticism and size that no wrestler could handle. The fight was marketed as the potential end of the Miocic era.
Miocic’s game plan was clear: avoid the power shots; use wrestling to tire Ngannou’s massive frame; grind the fight. It required absorbing some shots in the early going. Miocic executed it with a level of composure that was exceptional.
Main Event
Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Francis Ngannou — HW Championship
Round one: Ngannou came out throwing looping power shots. Miocic circled and clinched, taking the shots against the cage where they had less power. Late in the round, Miocic secured a takedown. The crowd in Boston erupted. Ngannou’s energy was visibly expended.
Rounds two through five: Miocic dominated. Ngannou’s takedown defence was non-existent once his energy was gone. Miocic landed six takedowns across the fight, grounding Ngannou and controlling with his weight. Ngannou had a brief moment in round three when he hurt Miocic with a shot before being taken down immediately. The 50-44 score on all three cards was the most dominant possible verdict.
Co-Main Event
Daniel Cormier (c) vs. Volkan Oezdemir — LHW Championship
Oezdemir came out swinging in round one, landing several shots early. Cormier timed him, secured a takedown at the end of the round, and attempted a rear-naked choke as the bell rang. Round two: Cormier secured another single-leg and moved to side control. He landed ground-and-pound until the referee stopped it at exactly 2:00. Third consecutive LHW title defence for Cormier.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Enrique Barzola def. Matt Bessette — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) — FW
Islam Makhachev def. Gleison Tibau — KO (Left Hand) — R1, 0:57 — LW; Makhachev continues rise
Julio Arce def. Dan Ige — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27 x3) — FW
Dustin Ortiz def. Alexandre Pantoja — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28 x3) — FW [125 lbs]
Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Sabah Homasi — KO (Right Uppercut) — R1, 3:47 — WW
Kyle Bochniak def. Brandon Davis — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — FW; Bochniak hometown Boston crowd
Main Card
Rob Font def. Thomas Almeida — TKO (Head Kick + Punches) — R2, 2:24 — BW; Font emerging BW contender
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; both emerging FW contenders
Daniel Cormier def. Volkan Oezdemir — TKO (G&P) — R2, 2:00 — LHW Championship; 3rd LHW defence; Co-Main
HW Championship — Main Event
Stipe Miocic def. Francis Ngannou — Decision (Unanimous) — R5 (50-44 x3) — HW Championship; 3RD CONSECUTIVE UFC HW TITLE DEFENCE = RECORD; 6 takedowns; Ngannou 26% total/18% sig strike accuracy
Bonuses & Awards
Bonuses: Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night awards were distributed; confirmed recipients included key finishers. Full official bonus listing per Nevada Athletic Commission.
Records & Milestones
Stipe Miocic — 3rd consecutive HW title defence broke the UFC HW record. He went on to defend one more time (vs. Daniel Cormier at UFC 226 in July 2018) before losing the title to Cormier by KO in round one.
Francis Ngannou — suffered his only UFC loss to that point (prior record: 6-0 in UFC). He went on a rebuilding run and eventually won the UFC HW Championship at UFC 260 in March 2021 by KO in round two against Miocic.
Islam Makhachev — KO of Tibau in 57 seconds at UFC 220 was another step in his rise toward LW title contention. He became UFC LW Champion at UFC 280 in October 2022.
Legacy & Impact
Miocic’s win over Ngannou at UFC 220 is the most intellectually impressive performance of his title reign. He took Ngannou’s power in the early going, neutralised it with wrestling, exhausted the challenger, and dominated the final four rounds entirely. Against the man whose one-punch KO of Overeem had generated more fear than any HW challenger in years, the answer was a combination of chin, takedowns, and conditioning.
Cormier’s third LHW defence positioned him as a legitimate all-time LHW champion. With Jones suspended and potentially returning at any moment, Cormier’s reign was always provisional. The UFC 226 fight against Miocic was next.
FAQ
How did Miocic beat Ngannou?
Miocic survived Ngannou’s early power by clinching and absorbing shots against the cage where their force was diminished. He secured his first takedown late in round one. From round two onward, Miocic’s wrestling was dominant: six takedowns across the fight exhausted Ngannou’s massive frame. Ngannou landed only 26% of total strikes. The final scorecard was 50-44 on all three judges’ cards.
Was the Miocic vs. Ngannou fight at UFC 220 a record-breaking win?
Yes. Miocic’s win over Ngannou was his third consecutive UFC Heavyweight Championship defence, breaking the previous record for most consecutive HW title defences. He became the first UFC HW to defend the title three times in a row.
How did Cormier beat Oezdemir?
In the first round, Oezdemir landed some early power shots, but Cormier timed him and secured a takedown at the end of the round, nearly finishing with a rear-naked choke before the bell. In round two, Cormier secured another takedown, moved to side control, and landed ground-and-pound until the fight was stopped at exactly 2:00.
Was UFC 220 the first UFC at TD Garden?
Yes. TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts hosted its first UFC event with UFC 220. The arena is normally home to the Boston Celtics (NBA) and Boston Bruins (NHL).
Did Francis Ngannou ever get another UFC HW title shot?
Yes. Ngannou lost UFC 220 but went on a run of dominance in the HW division. He received another HW title shot at UFC 260 in March 2021, where he knocked out Miocic in round two with a left straight to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
References
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