Thrilling championship doubleheader headlines UFC return to Honda Center

Las Vegas, November 17: UFC returns to Honda Center for the first time in over two years with thrilling championship fights as former teammates collide in heavyweight title unification bout along side a trilogy in the flyweight division.

In the main event of UFC 270, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou battles interim champion Ciryl Gane, while newly crowned UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno runs it back with former titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event.

No. 4 men's pound-for-pound fighter Ngannou (16-3, fighting out of Paris, France by way of Batie, Cameroon) aims for his first successful title defense following a thrilling KO win over Stipe Miocic in March.

Among the most feared strikers in the UFC, he also holds memorable finishes against Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. Ngannou now hopes to deliver his most impressive performance yet by handing Gane his first career loss in emphatic fashion.

Undefeated Gane (10-0, fighting out of Paris, France) has wasted no time rising through the heavyweight ranks, capturing the interim title with a spectacular TKO win over Derrick Lewis in August.

A former professional kickboxer, he has also delivered notable victories against Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Junior Dos Santos. Gane now intends to dethrone his former teammate to begin his reign atop the heavyweight division.

No. 10 men's pound-for-pound fighter Moreno (19-5-2, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) delivered the biggest victory of his career in December by submitting Figueiredo to earn the flyweight championship.

Initially featured on The Ultimate Fighter season 24, Moreno has also secured notable victories against Brandon Royval, Jussier Formiga and Louis Smolka. Moreno now aims to prove he is the top flyweight in the world by stopping Figueiredo a second time.

Former champion Figueiredo (20-2-1, fighting out of Soure, Pará, Brazil) is determined to even the score with Moreno by recapturing the belt with a vintage performance.

A powerful striker and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he has delighted fans with memorable wins over Joseph Benavidez (twice), Tim Elliott and Alexandre Pantoja. Figueiredo now plans to get revenge on Moreno in their third battle to once again reach the top of the 125-pound ladder.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Top five middleweight contenders collide when No. 3 ranked Jared Cannonier (14-5, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) takes on No. 4 Derek Brunson (23-7, fighting out of Wilmington, N.C.).

• Undefeated featherweights battle when No. 13 ranked contender Movsar Evloev (15-0, fighting out of Sunzha, Republic of Ingushetia, Russia) squares off with Ilia Topuria (11-0, fighting out of Alicante, Spain).

• No. 6 ranked women's flyweight contender Viviane Araujo (10-3, fighting out of Brasilia, DF, Brazil) takes on. No. 11 Alexa Grasso (13-3, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico).

• Kay Hansen (7-4, fighting out of Fullerton, Calif.) squares off with recent Dana White's Contender Series signee Jasmine Jasudavicius (6-1, fighting out of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) at flyweight.

• Trevin Giles (14-3, fighting out of Houston, Texas) meets Dana White's Contender Series contract winner Michael Morales (12-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) at welterweight.

• Tony Gravely (21-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) faces Dana White's Contender Series signee Saimon Oliveira (17-3, fighting out of Balneario Camboriu, SC, Brazil) in a bantamweight bout.

• No. 15 ranked bantamweight contender Cody Stamann (19-4-1, fighting out of Sparta, Mich.) squares off with rising Said Nurmagomedov (14-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia).

• Warlley Alves (15-5, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) faces Dana White's Contender Series contract winner Jack Della Maddalena (10-2, fighting out of Perth, Western Australia) in an intriguing welterweight bout.

• Poliana Botelho (8-4, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) takes on Ji Yeon Kim (9-4, fighting out of Incheon, South Korea) at flyweight.

• Greg Hardy (9-4 1NC, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla.) squares off with Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) in a battle of heavyweight finishers.

• Matt Frevola (8-3-1, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y.) faces unbeaten Dana White's Contender Series signee Genaro Valdez Solo (10-0, fighting out of Tijuana, Mexico) in an exciting lightweight matchup.

• Rodolfo Vieira (8-1, fighting out of Orlando, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims for another show-stealing submission when he takes on Wellington Turman (17-5, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) at middleweight.

UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane will take place Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. All bouts will be simulcast on ESPN+ in English and Spanish beginning at 6:15 PM ET/3:15 PM PT with the ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass prelims.

The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT followed by the ESPN+ Pay-Per-View main card that will kick off at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.

The tickets will go on sale Friday, November 19 at 10 AM PT and are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person.

Fight Club members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wednesday, November 17 at 10 AM PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com.

A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to newsletter subscribers Thursday, November 18 starting at 10 AM PT.

Source: Press Release