Four Reasons to Watch Ngannou vs. Gan at UFC 270

Ngannou and Gan are the best fighters in the division

Unlike boxing, where there are too many undercurrents and politics, UFC champions, most often, fight with the most worthy contenders occupying the top lines of the rating. However, in the case of Francis Ngannou and Cyril Gahn, the status of “best” has a deeper connotation.

Francis Ngannou is the toughest puncher in modern UFC and possibly even in the history of the promotion. His track record includes four ex-UFC champions – Andrey Arlovsky, Cain Velasquez, Junior do Santos and Stipe Miocic. On the first three, he spent a total of just over three minutes, and he spent the longest time in a rematch with Miocic, knocking him out at the start of the second round. On strong Curtis Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, it took him only 65 seconds …

It is worth noting not only the fact that Francis defeats opponents ahead of schedule, but how brutal his finishes are. This is exactly the case when the phrase “one hit is enough to win” is not an exaggeration.

The Frenchman Cyril Gan has anthropometry comparable to his opponent, but his style is completely different. Gun is the best in the division in terms of skill, versatility, speed, timing. In addition, Cyril is an incredibly pragmatic fighter who defends well and, like a boa constrictor, does not climb on the rampage, adhering to the battle plan,

The fight won’t go all the way

It doesn’t take much to win another early victory for the Cameroonian champion. Enough to get through one of his killer punches. No matter how good Gan’s grip is, it’s unlikely that his jaw will not shatter from a solid hit from the Predator.

Francis’s greatest chance of success will be at the start of the fight, when he is as fresh and energetic as possible. If he fails to shock the “temporary” champion, then with each subsequent minute it will become easier for him. Despite the fact that in the rematch with Miocic, Ngannou worked more calmly than himself in the first match, there are still big questions about the ability to distribute forces over the entire distance and the functionality that allows this to be done.

If the battle crosses the equator, then you will not envy Francis. Athletic, hardy and speedy opponent will be the boss in the cage and with a high probability will be able to delay the opponent.

Unpredictable ending

This point becomes a logical continuation of the previous one. The fight of the best UFC heavyweights can end with any result and the chances here are really in the region of 50/50.

Despite the fact that Gan still has a slight advantage among the bookmakers, the champion’s victory will not surprise anyone. The only result that really looks fantastic now is the victory of the Predator on points. Stylistically, and given the 5-round distance, this will be a huge surprise.

Between fighters personal history

Previously, the fighters trained in France with one coach, Fernand Lopez, but over time, relations with the coach at the Predator went wrong. The coach in one of the interviews said about the exorbitantly increased ego of the puncher, after which the conflict turned into enmity.

The situation before UFC 268 added fuel to the fire, where Francis defiantly walked past the coach and former teammates, including Cyril Gan, without saying hello. The expression on the face of the French fighter spoke for itself and became a meme.

Ngannou himself says that there are no conflicts between him and Cyril, and the whole story of “enmity” is a marketing ploy by UFC President Dana White, who wants to promote the fight under this very sauce. But in order for the personal to take place, it’s enough that there is a person in the opponent’s corner with whom you broke the pots and now you don’t even shake hands. Additional emotionality will certainly be present here.

Ngannou vs. Dana White

UFC management has a strained relationship with the reigning heavyweight champion. Francis Ngannou directly accuses the company of not giving him a championship fight for a long time, not letting him fight as often as he wanted, and the amount of fees is clearly far from what, according to the Predator, he deserves. Dana White, as always, has his own vision of the situation and the fighter is to blame for all mortal sins.

If you do not delve into the moral aspect of the issue and do not take sides, then the bottom line in the upcoming fight will be another round of the battle between Ngannou and Dana White. In case of victory, the Predator will strengthen its negotiating position and receive additional arguments in order to still bend the UFC president to improve the contract. Well, the victory of Cyril Gan will be a great gift for Dana, which will not only amuse his great pride, but will also be more profitable in terms of business.