One of the most intriguing heavyweight title match-ups in some time looks set to go down on at UFC 270 on January 22.
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou will take on Ciryl Gane for the gold on the new year fight card, per French outlet LaSueur, in a showdown between two former training partners at the highest level of the sport.
Ngannou hasn’t fought since defeating Stipe Miocic to claim the title in March of this year. The UFC had expressed an interest in him returning in August but Ngannou indicated he wasn’t ready, with the UFC subsequently creating an interim title which Gane won by defeating Derrick Lewis.
Gane has now wracked up seven consecutive wins in the UFC’s heavyweight division — with his last four victories against Lewis, Alexander Volkov, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Junior Dos Santos being particularly impressive.
Reports also indicated that the UFC is intending to book the middleweight title rematch between Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker on the same card, in what looks set to be an early contender for the best card of 2022.
