While UFC Vegas 46 is the next event on the UFC’s schedule, coming up on Jan. 15, that hasn’t stopped fans from looking a bit further ahead to UFC 270. The pay-per-view will take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday, January 22.
The card is stacked from top to bottom so far, with most fans looking forward to the main event. The fight will be a unification bout as Francis Ngannou defends his UFC Heavyweight Championship against the interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.
Anything could happen when the two titans collide, which is why BetOnline’s UFC 270 odds give us a better idea as to who’s more likely to walk out as the unified heavyweight champion. Continue reading to find out just who the favorite is.
UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane Odds
Odds via BetOnline as of Tuesday, December 28
- Record: Francis Ngannou (16-3-0) vs Ciryl Gane (10-0-0)
- Moneyline: Ngannou (-110) vs Gane (-110)
- Total: 2.5 Rounds — Over (+100), Under (-130)
- Method of Victory: N/A
Will Ngannou See His First Successful Defense?
According to BetOnline, the UFC 270 main event is expected to be evenly matched, with both competitors currently sitting at -110 odds to win.
It'll be interesting to see if Ngannou can finish the night with his first successful title defense. The 35-year-old has been surging recently, winning his last five fights in a row. He last fought at UFC 260 back in March of this year, which was also the same night that he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. In a rematch from three years prior, Ngannou ended up knocking Stipe Miocic out within the first minute of the second round, capturing his first-ever championship.
Now, Ngannou’s real test is whether or not he can be the first fighter to defeat Gane. It’ll be interesting because, on paper, the interim champion has better striking offense and defense than him. Ngannou averages 2.54 significant strikes on 41% accuracy, while also absorbing 2.04 strikes with a 46% defense rating. Meanwhile, Gane lands 5.37 strikes on 58% accuracy and absorbs 2.40 with a 63% defense rating.
At the end of the day, it could all come down to whether or not Ngannou can end the fight as soon as possible. BetOnline is expecting it to last fewer than 2.5 rounds, so only time will tell if Ngannou can finish Gane off at UFC 270 as quickly as he did Miocic earlier this year.
UFC 270 Odds: Gane Eyeing Unified Championship
It’s hard to ignore just how dominant Gane has been throughout his professional MMA career ahead of UFC 270. As mentioned earlier, the 31-year-old Frenchman is undefeated through his first 10 bouts and is 7-0 in the UFC. He’s unpredictable when it comes to how he’ll defeat his opponents, winning four fights by KO/TKO and three apiece by submission and decision.
Gane last fought in August against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. While many wondered which way the fight would go, Gane wound up KO’ing Lewis in the first round, earning performance of the night honors and the interim championship.
In a way, Gane’s victory over the man with the most knockouts in UFC history could give him an advantage heading into UFC 270. After all, it was Lewis who defeated Ngannou via unanimous decision at UFC 266 back in November 2018. Yes, that was a long time ago, however, it still shows that Gane was able to do something that the current champion couldn’t do.
The key to Gane winning the unified title will be making the fight go as long as possible. He’s a perfect 3-0 whenever his fights go the distance, whereas Ngannou is 0-3 when that happens. If he can find a way to stretch things out, Gane may leave Anaheim as the new UFC Heavyweight Champion.
