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Francis Ngannou’s first defense of his heavyweight championship didn’t go the way anyone expected.
The reigning undisputed titleholder had made a habit of making the judges’ scorecards unnecessary, but Ngannou went the full five rounds with interim champion Ciryl Gane and came out on top by unanimous decision to successfully defend his belt at UFC 270 at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday.
Check out the official scorecard here:
#UFC270 Official Scorecard: Francis Ngannou (@Francis_Ngannou) vs Ciryl Gane
— UFC News (@UFCNews) January 23, 2022
All Tonight's Scorecards: https://t.co/bURc5BZbZf pic.twitter.com/VmSLgWtLfX
Ngannou shocked everyone by employing a wrestling-heavy game plan to control the fight in the final three rounds, which was reflected in the scorecards as all three judges scored Rounds 3, 4, and 5 for the defending champion. Judge Sal D’Amato also gave Round 1 to Ngannou.
This was the first-ever decision win for Ngannou in 20 pro bouts. The previous three times that Ngannou went the distance, he came out with a loss.
Ngannou has now won six straight fights, while Gane loses for the first time in his career.
Did the judges get the UFC 270 main event right?
Poll
Who won the UFC 270 main event?
This poll is closed
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81%
Francis Ngannou
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18%
Ciryl Gane
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