UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- May 17
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 15
Introduction
UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane took place on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. It was the first UFC pay-per-view of 2022, the first heavyweight title unification fight in UFC history involving two reigning champions, and the night Francis Ngannou completed a five-round championship performance while reportedly competing on a torn ACL. The card produced an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys.
Francis Ngannou outpointed Ciryl Gane, the interim champion who had won the strap at UFC 265. Gane controlled the early striking exchanges; Ngannou shocked the MMA world by neutralising the Frenchman with takedowns and top control through the championship rounds. Final scorecards: 49-46, 48-47, 49-46. Ngannou revealed shortly after that he had been competing on a torn ACL throughout the fight.
The co-main saw Deiveson Figueiredo reclaim the flyweight title from Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) in the third meeting of their championship rivalry — evening the series at 1-1-1.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, January 22, 2022
📍 Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, California, USA
👥 Attendance: 17,944 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $5.3 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~700,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Francis Ngannou (c) vs. Ciryl Gane (ic) — UFC Heavyweight Championship Unification (265 lbs)
✅ Result: Ngannou def. Gane via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)
🥇 Co-Main: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Brandon Moreno (c) via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) — Flyweight Title (trilogy)
The Build-Up
Francis Ngannou had won the title at UFC 260 in March 2021, then spent the rest of 2021 in a public contract dispute with the UFC that had prevented his participation in the interim title fight at UFC 265. Ciryl Gane was the interim champion — 10-0, the most refined striker in heavyweight history, and Ngannou's former training partner at Paris MMA Factory. Betting had Gane as a -180 favourite.
Main Event: Ngannou vs. Gane
Rounds one and two were Gane's. He used lateral footwork to circle off the cage, picked at Ngannou's lead leg with calf kicks, and landed clean jab-cross combinations. By the end of round two, Gane had landed 56 significant strikes to Ngannou's 24.
Round three changed the fight. Ngannou shot for a takedown at 2:30, brought Gane to the canvas, and finished the round on top. Rounds four and five followed the same pattern: Ngannou's takedowns nullified Gane's striking. Final scorecards: 49-46, 48-47, 49-46 for Ngannou. The undisputed and interim titles were unified. Ngannou revealed shortly after that he had been competing on a torn ACL throughout.
UFC 270 was Ngannou's final UFC fight. He underwent ACL reconstruction surgery in March 2022, allowed his UFC contract to expire in January 2023, and signed with the PFL in May 2023.
Co-Main Event: Figueiredo vs. Moreno 3
The third fight of the year-long Figueiredo-Moreno series was the most technical of the four. Figueiredo — visibly bigger and stronger after a full training camp — used his leg kicks and clinch knees to control the first three rounds. Moreno pressed forward in rounds four and five but could not find the openings that had worked at UFC 263. Final scorecards: 48-47, 48-47, 47-48 Figueiredo. The series ledger evened to 1-1-1; the fourth fight would come at UFC 283 in January 2023 (Moreno TKO R3, final ledger 2-1-1 Moreno).
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Francis Ngannou (c) def. Ciryl Gane (ic) — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46) — Heavyweight Title Unification
Deiveson Figueiredo def. Brandon Moreno (c) — Unanimous Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) — Flyweight Title (trilogy)
Michel Pereira def. Andre Fialho — KO (punches) — R1, 0:43 — Welterweight
Said Nurmagomedov def. Cody Stamann — Submission (guillotine choke) — R1, 4:54 — Bantamweight
Rodolfo Vieira def. Wellington Turman — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R1, 4:23 — Middleweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Daniel Pineda def. Tony Kelley — TKO (punches) — R2 — Featherweight
Ilia Topuria def. Jai Herbert — KO (punches) — R2, 4:33 — Lightweight
Vanessa Demopoulos def. Silvana Gomez Juarez — Submission (armbar) — R1, 1:36 — Women's Strawweight
Matt Frevola def. Genaro Valdez — TKO (punches) — R1, 1:46 — Lightweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Michel Pereira — $50,000 for the 43-second KO of Andre Fialho.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Said Nurmagomedov — $50,000 for the first-round guillotine choke submission of Cody Stamann.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Ilia Topuria — $50,000 for the second-round KO of Jai Herbert.
Records & Milestones
• First UFC heavyweight title unification fight in promotion history involving two reigning champions (undisputed and interim).
• Francis Ngannou competed on a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — one of the most courageous championship performances in UFC history.
• Ngannou's first successful UFC heavyweight title defense and his final UFC fight.
• Third fight of the Figueiredo-Moreno series in 13 months — the shortest three-fight championship series in UFC history.
• Figueiredo became the first flyweight champion to win the belt back after losing it.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 270 is remembered as the night Francis Ngannou's championship era ended in the same fight where it reached its peak. The ACL revelation, the contract dispute, and Ngannou's eventual departure from the UFC made the night the formal close of one of the most marketable heavyweight reigns in UFC history.
For Ciryl Gane, the loss was a teaching moment. He bounced back to win a top-contender bout against Tai Tuivasa at UFC FN: Paris in September 2022, then lost his second UFC heavyweight title shot to Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023 by first-round submission.
For the Figueiredo-Moreno series, UFC 270 was the third of four bouts. The fourth fight at UFC 283 in January 2023 (Moreno TKO R3) made the final 2-1-1 Moreno. The four-fight series remains the longest championship rivalry in UFC flyweight history.
FAQ
Did Ngannou really fight on a torn ACL?
Yes. Ngannou revealed in a post-fight interview that he had torn his ACL and MCL approximately three weeks before the fight in training camp. Post-fight medical imaging confirmed the injury. The performance — wrestling Gane to the canvas through three championship rounds on a torn ACL — has been widely identified as one of the most courageous championship efforts in UFC history.
Why did Ngannou leave the UFC?
Contract dispute. Ngannou sought guaranteed money, increased PPV shares, and other concessions the UFC was unwilling to provide. After UFC 270, he underwent ACL reconstruction surgery and his contract expired in January 2023. He signed with the PFL in May 2023.
Did Ngannou and Gane ever fight again?
No. UFC 270 was the only meeting between them. Ngannou left the UFC in 2023; Gane has remained in the UFC. Final ledger: 1-0 Ngannou.
How many times did Figueiredo and Moreno fight in total?
Four times across 26 months: the draw at UFC 256 (December 2020), Moreno's title win at UFC 263 (June 2021), Figueiredo's title-reclaim win at UFC 270 (January 2022), and Moreno's final TKO win at UFC 283 (January 2023). Final ledger: 2-1-1 Moreno.
Who is the current UFC heavyweight champion?
After Ngannou's UFC departure, the title was vacated. Jon Jones moved up from light-heavyweight and won the vacant title at UFC 285 in March 2023 by first-round submission of Ciryl Gane. Jones defended successfully against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024 (TKO R3) before vacating the belt and announcing his retirement in mid-2025.
How does UFC 270 compare to UFC 269?
UFC 270 drew approximately 700,000 PPV buys versus UFC 269 (700,000) six weeks earlier — essentially even. Both cards were anchored by championship-defining results: UFC 269 had Pena's upset of Nunes; UFC 270 had Ngannou's torn-ACL unification.
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