Ngannou vs Gane main event preview & best bets – UFC 270

Francis Ngannou will be looking to complete his first UFC Heavyweight Championship defense when he squares off against Ciryl Gane this Saturday night in Anaheim, California. BettingPlanet’s MMA tipster brings you his fight insights and predictions for the main event of UFC 270.

Ngannou vs Gane head-to-head analysis

Francis Ngannou (16-3-0) has been on an absolute tear since losing back-to-back fights to Derrick Lewis and Stipe Miocic back in 2018. Ngannou has won five straight fights via knockout, earning Performance of the Night honors in four of those bouts and the UFC Heavyweight Championship in his UFC 260 win over Miocic. All 16 of Ngannou’s professional wins have come by stoppage and eight of his last nine wins were locked up in the first round.

Ciryl Gane (10-0-0) has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the rankings in the UFC’s heavyweight division, joining the promotion on August 10 of 2019 with a submission win and knocking out Derrick Lewis for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship just two years later. Gane is a perfect 7-0-0 in the UFC with his last four wins coming against some strong competition in Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, and Lewis.

Ngannou vs Gane predictions & best bets

No one can deny Francis Ngannou’s ferocious power. It took Ngannou three years to fight his way back up to another title shot against Stipe Miocic after he lost his first one at UFC 220, and this time around he showed poise and patience before finding the right time to go for the kill. That patience could be a necessity in what could be a very frustrating title fight against Ciryl Gane.

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Gane’s movement and athleticism are unprecedented for a fighter of his size. The interim champion lands 5.37 significant strikes per minute while only absorbing 2.40 per minute. He has never been taken down and has managed to out-strike his opponent in all seven of his UFC fights to date. With high ring IQ and the speed and athleticism to consistently execute his gameplans, Gane has been in comfortable control throughout his career.

And that’s why he’s the favorite here despite Ngannou’s recent dominance. Ngannou is always one punch away from ending a fight in its tracks, and even the most athletic or cerebral opponent can be put to sleep in a moment. But Gane is the more polished fighter with more paths to victory. If he is able to use his defense and athleticism to keep Ngannou’s power at bay for a round or two, he should take over the fight in the middle and late rounds as Ngannou isn’t built for distance. This is how we see the fight playing out, so we’ll be rolling with Gane in what should be a very good main event.