Scheduled for 2022, the title unification bout between Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane will go down alongside the middleweight rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
News of both match-ups being on the first PPV of 2022 was first reported by the French outlet La Seur. Ngannou/Gane and Adesanya/Whittaker will fight on the UFC 270 pay-per-view on January 22. As of this writing, the location and venue have yet to be determined. Currently, the card has two title fights attached to it, while the report is not confirmed, these bouts are actively being targeted.
After seizing the interim heavyweight title against Derrick Lewis in Aug., fans will finally get to see these two massive heavyweights collide. Before the UFC moved on with an interim title in the absence of Ngannou, “The Predator” made his mark on the UFC’s heaviest division. After avenging his loss to the two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Ngannou captured gold emphatically. While he has yet to have his first title defense, all signs point to that happening soon.
Gane is unbeaten as a mixed martial artist with a 10-0 record. The Frenchman has finished seven of those contests by way of finish. In what will perhaps be Ngannou’s biggest test to date, Gane will look to employ his evasive footwork to earn the victory this winter season.
Ngannou will enter the championship bout on a 5-fight winning streak. Of his last five victories, all five have been stopped within the distance due to the power of Ngannou’s strikes. Gane, on the other hand, presents a more perplexing puzzle for Ngannou to solve. With his ability to move around and pot-shot opponents, if Gane can manage to stay on his bike for three rounds then the fight could be far less appetizing than advertised. Although, either way on Jan. 22, the heavyweight division will have clarity.
With Robert Whittaker and Adesanya handling their rematch, the card is already stacked and will continue to develop over the holiday season. If successful at UFC 270, this would be Adesanya’s fourth title defense at middleweight.
Who do you have winning the heavyweight title unification bout?
