Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane odds
- Francis Ngannou - -110
- Ciryl Gane - -120
It's a super close betting line for the opening pay-per-view event of the year between two former teammates here.
Reigning champion Ngannou is the current underdog, coming in at -110 with MyBookie sports betting after winning the title at the second attempt when he knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 in March 2020. That means you need to stake $110 in order to see back a $100 return for your bet.
Gane on the other hand comes into the fight as an undefeated professional with three huge wins in 2021. He defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov via decision before knocking out Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 to claim interim title status and set up this fight. He is the slight favorite at -120 with BetUS sports betting, which means you must stake $120 in order to see a $100 return on your bet.
Ngannou vs Gane preview
Two of the best heavyweights in the world, which means fireworks and edge-of-your-seat combat sports will lead this card to the promised land.
Ngannou is the current reigning champion and is on a five-fight win streak with all knockouts, with four of them coming in the first round. The knockout streak is the longest of its kind in the UFC currently and has taken his professional record to an impressive 16-3.
Standing opposite him will be the undefeated phenom 'Bon Gamin' Gane, who has a professional record of 10-0 with a well-rounded split of four knockouts, three submissions and three decision victories.
It's brute force and power against technical supremacy in this fight and the MMA world cannot wait to see which of the former teammates will fall first - because somebody will hit the floor.
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Speed kills
One of Conor McGregor's most famous quotes came after he knocked Jose Aldo unconscious to win the featherweight title when he said, "precision beats power and timing beats speed."
That will be a very telling statement when these two meet, with the wild and unpredictable power of Ngannou coming up against the measured and technical excellence of Gane.
If Ngannou is going to win this fight, it's going to be in a split second when he lands big and turns Gane's lights out. The longer the fight goes on, the more likely it is that Gane can make his reads and Ngannou's power begins to drain away, leaving the door open for Gane to take advantage with his kickboxing and Muay-Thai game.
Both men are exceptionally quick for their size, but Gane has the added weaponry of kicks in his game and that means he is able to stay at a further distance away and still do damage to his opponent. The speed of his left high kick is exceptional, while he also closes distance very well too.
Gane has more paths to victory
While Ngannou certainly has the tools to make this a very short and sweet night, Gane just has more tools to his game to get a victory on the night.
For a heavyweight, he is very light on his feet, is excellent in the striking and grappling department and importantly has the excellent ability to control opponents in the clinch. While he hasn't fought anyone quite as powerful as Ngannou before, their experiences training together will definitely bode well for him.
Gane will know what he can and can't do to Ngannou and thus can build his game plan around that. Ngannou knows he is unlikely to outlast Gane in a 25-minute bout so will be looking to explode early with big strikes.
Against Lewis, at UFC 265 Gane came up against something similar and managed to take him apart with complete ease over two-and-a-half rounds before finishing with a killer instinct that all top fighters have.
Like a Swiss army knife, there are just more ways for Gane to get a win here and it's hard to pick against someone who we've never seen in any sort of danger or face any kind of adversity.
I don't think Ngannou will go out on his back, but I do expect Gane to control the fight for the most part and so for that, I'd back him to get the win and via decision.
