Everything you need to know about UFC 270

UFC 270 features a high-stakes heavyweight title fight and the conclusion of a brutal trilogy at flyweight. We're here to answer all of your most pressing questions about the first major card of 2022.

Where is UFC 270 happening?

UFC 270 is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 10:00 PM EST. The event will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

The main card will air as an ESPN+ pay-per-view, with preliminary bouts available to existing ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass subscribers.

Who is on the main card of UFC 270?

What should fans expect on fight night?

UFC 270 is headlined by the resolution of the heavyweight title mess as reigning champion Francis Ngannou makes his first defense against interim champion Ciryl Gane. Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo face off for the third time, with the flyweight title on the line. Aleksei Oleinik seeks win No. 60 at the expense of Greg Hardy. Cody Stamann and Said Nuragomedov face off in a crossroads bout at bantamweight to round out the card.

Will the heavyweight debacle be resolved?

When Ngannou finally claimed the heavyweight title after downing rival Stipe Miocic at UFC 260, the UFC shockingly moved to announce an interim title bout between Gane and Derrick Lewis, leading to our current predicament.

Gane’s expedited run from prospect to interim champ gave the UFC a chance to protect its title had Ngannou explored options outside the octagon, but it created an unnecessary controversy. Thankfully, Gane and Ngannou were more than willing to fight each other, preventing even more ugly politics to bleed through.

From the looks of it, Ngannou has a hard night ahead of him, but he is far from the one-note opponents Gane has faced to this point. If Gane does have the goods, and the UFC is hoping he does, he’ll throw the paper belt aside and hold up the real hardware by the night’s end.

What can fans expect from Moreno and Figueiredo?

The first two bouts between Moreno and Figueiredo were masterpieces of malice, as both men put on savage performances for the flyweight title. Their first bout was a wild, blood draw, but Moreno choked out Figueiredo six months later to win the title.

These two pair together nicely, and there is a high chance this fight will be the best of the trilogy. Figueiredo cannot use his size to bully Moreno, and Moreno is willing to work inside Figueiredo’s range in hopes of taking him down. Based on their previous bouts, Moreno does seem to have the edge, but this is a toss up in every sense of the word. Expect violence, and don’t forget to ask the host of the fight party to set the DVR to record.

Is the UFC 270 card subject to change?

As of this writing, a handful of cancellations and injuries have put the event in a bit of a bind, with the traditional five-fight line up not even done yet. Though most of the missed bouts were preliminary fights, the main card saw a bout between undefeated featherweights Movsar Evloev and Ilia Topuria get taken off the books. There is a lot of scrambling at this point. Michel Pereira  vs. Andre Fialho just saw their bout advance a week just to fill the bill. Let’s hope whatever pieces come together produce some decent fights.

Oleynik in position for landmark 60th win

Try as the UFC might, it has not been easy for Alexey Oleynik to land his 60th win, but the living legend has his best chance yet versus Greg Hardy. The grappling legend is on a three-fight skid suggesting that he’s fading fast, and at 44, there’s not a lot of time left. If there is any heavyweight out there who could be fed to him at this stage of his career, it’s Hardy. At 7-4 and unable to evolve past the novelty act of being an ex-NFL player, Hardy will at least be some part of history should Oleynik beat him.

UFC must avoid screwjob finish in main event

The deteriorating relationship between the UFC and Ngannou will take center stage at the event. Shortly after Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic to win the belt, Ngannou openly began speaking up against the UFCs treatment of its fighters regarding their paltry pay, a cardinal sin for those in the organization. This led to the UFC sanctioning Gane’s bout with Derrick Lewis for the interim belt just one month later. To complicate matters further, Ngannou, also on the last fight of his contract, has been vocal about pursuing a boxing match with either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, and Fury’s camp has been receptive to his proposal.

A screwy finish by the referee or a blatantly dodgy decision awarding Gane the title will be as obvious as can be. Here’s to hoping the UFC can avoid causing damage to its credibility and the fight is conducted without any controversies.