Matches to Make After UFC 270

Francis Ngannou and Deiveson Figueiredo need to make some room in their respective trophy cases.

In the main event of UFC 270 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., “The Predator” won a competitive but clear unanimous decision over former teammate, interim heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane. While his win was no great surprise, the specifics were, as Ngannou overcame a slow start to win the final three rounds with powerful takedowns, top control and bursts of ground-and-pound. That new weapon in the champ’s arsenal would seem to vindicate his decision to relocate his training to Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, and is a daunting prospect for future contenders who already have to prepare for his numbing punching power.

The co-main event was not so straightforward, as Deiveson Figueiredo won back his flyweight title from Brandon Moreno by unanimous decision. Figueiredo-Moreno 3 was a rousing, ultra-competitive five-round scrap, and one of the closest fights you’re ever likely to see, as each round was individually difficult to score. The announcement of the official decision was greeted with dejection by Moreno — and probably by the rest of the flyweight Top 10 as well, since the series now stands at one win apiece and a draw, making the first quadrilogy in UFC history a distinct possibility.

In the wake of UFC 270, here are some matches that ought to be made for the two champs and the rest of the main card winners:

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones

Stipe Miocic, who is the greatest heavyweight champ in UFC history and is 1-1 against Ngannou, might deserve the shot more than Jones. The same could be said for Derrick Lewis, who is 1-0 against the champ, if he gets by Tai Tuivasa next month. However, a Jones matchup frankly has far more zing than either of those rematches. All of this assumes that Ngannou fights for the UFC again at all, rather than making good on his threat to wait out his champion’s clause and then test the open markets of MMA and boxing. Saturday’s performance might end up helping keep Ngannou in the UFC, as the particulars of his win over Gane did not exactly help sell a prospective fight with Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury. And if the main remaining stumbling block is pay, a Jones pay-per-view will get him far closer to his target number than any other option in the UFC — or any other promotion.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno

Considering that I generally hate immediate title rematches, I can’t believe I’m advocating for a four-peat here, but it’s the best move for those two and honestly not bad for the division as a whole. If Moreno had won, the series would stand at 2-0-1, and Alexandre Pantoja would be the most likely next challenger. However, the series is now tied up, all three fights have been exciting and Figueiredo has already fought and beaten Pantoja. Letting the Brazilian and Mexican settle their history-making rivalry will allow enough time for two big upcoming contender fights — Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara France and Matheus Nicolau vs. David Dvorak — to put some solid options on deck for the second half of 2022.

Michel Pereira vs. Geoff Neal

Don’t look now, but “Demolidor” is looking like a real, live welterweight contender. When the manic Brazilian arrived in the UFC in 2019, his hilarious arsenal of Superman punches, flying knees and capoeira-style spinning attacks figured to make for a fun highlight reel but a very limited ceiling. That scouting report seemed dead on when he lost his second and third UFC fights for reasons directly attributable to his gas tank and fight IQ. However, since then he has won four straight fights over very solid competition, culminating in his unanimous decision win over short-notice replacement Andre Fialho at UFC 270. Along the way, he has shown himself to have more than adequate cardio for three-round fights, and has flexed surprising versatility, including some strong offensive wrestling. Another win might well propel the 28-year-old into the Top 10. Muslim Salikhov, Pereira’s originally scheduled opponent for Saturday, would still be a suitable matchup, but given Salikhov’s age (37) and history of pulling out of fights, it’s almost unfair to Pereira to rebook it. Neal, who bounced back from the first back-to-back losses of his career with a nice win over Santiago Ponzinibbio last month, would be the perfect foil.

Michael Morales vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov/Carlston Harris winner

Morales was one of several fighters who made a huge splash in his UFC debut on Saturday. The 21-year-old Ecuadorian by way of Mexico endured a back-and-forth first round with Trevin Giles before catching Giles with a huge uppercut and swarming for the TKO finish. In so doing, he showed poise and patience in addition to his obvious physical tools, and as such, is likely to get a strong push in his next fight. Rakhmonov, another young, undefeated prospect, and Harris, a seeming journeyman who came out of nowhere to win his first two UFC fights last year, meet at UFC Fight Night 200 on Feb. 4. The winner would make a great next opponent for Morales.