Only two events into 2022 and we have our first pay-per-view of the year for MMASucka staff picks.
UFC 270 will kick off in just a few short hours tonight, January 21 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. This marks the promotion’s return to The Golden State for the first time since August of 2019 where Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic had met for the second time. The main card will begin live at a start time of 10:00pm ET (7:00pm PT) with the pay-per-view available for purchase to those with an ESPN+ subscription.
Bellator sees its return for our MMASucka staff picks with Bellator 274: Bader vs. Moldavsky next weekend.
Live results from all of UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane can be found here at MMASucka.
The Fights
Two highly-anticipated title fights will end the night of fights from Anaheim, the main event seeing Francis Ngannou looking to defend his heavyweight title against challenger Ciryl Gane.
Ngannou took the divisional championship with his rematch victory of Stipe Miocic in March of last year with a vicious second-round stoppage. The win stretched his current streak to five in-a-row by knockout as the powerful Cameroonian still retains a 100% finishing rate. Ngannou’s opponent, Gane, brings a more technical approach to his game having remained undefeated in his ten professional fights. The fast-rising MMA Factory star took the interim title last August with his third-round knockout over Derrick Lewis.
A trilogy will be settled for the UFC flyweight championship between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. The two first met in December of 2020, and yet despite fighting to a draw, the fight caught eyes all across the world in what was arguably the greatest 125-pound fight in MMA history. Moreno scored the victory in their rematch last June with a rear-naked choke in the third round, Figueredo’s run as champion with two prior title defenses coming to a halt. Who will rise in what may be their final octagon meeting?
Due to a late main card fight cancellation between Rodolfo Vieira and Wellington Turman, only four fights will be counted for our UFC 270 staff picks. Find those for tonight’s pay-per-view further below.
Staff Picks
Staff picks in 2022 will follow the same set of rules from the 2021 season. Throughout the calendar year, staff picks will be composed of main card fights from both UFC and Bellator events. Main card fights and selected preliminary fights will be selected for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the entire fight card.
Bellator’s first event will take place Saturday, January 29. Dates for the return of both PFL MMA and Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 are soon-to-be announced.
The WINNER of staff picks in 2022 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. A winner is determined simply by the individual correctly picking the most victorious fighters at the year’s end. Nate Freeman secured his first victory with MMASucka in 2021 with a compiled record 243-136.
See our UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane staff picks below.
Staff Records after UFC Vegas 46:
1. Frazer Krohn: 4-1
2T. Ash Camyab: 3-2
2T. Andrew Benjamin: 3-2
2T. Brandon Joint: 3-2
5T. Jeremy Brand: 2-3
5T. Wesley Riddle: 2-3
5T. Michael DeSantis: 2-3
5T. Mike Lynch: 2-3
5T. Nate Freeman: 2-3
5T. Coby Weinsier: 2-3
5T. William Dong: 2-3
5T. Chinyere Okafor: 2-3
5T. Julio Monteros Jr.: 2-3
14T. Chris Presnell: 1-4
14T. Jacek Okninski: 1-4
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
Cody Stamann (19-4-1), +165
vs.
Said Nurmagomedov (14-2), -195
Bantamweight Division, 135 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Stamann via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Stamann via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Stamann via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Stamann via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Stamann via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Nurmagomedov via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Stamann via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Stamann via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Nurmagomedov via Split Decision
Jacek Okninski: Nurmagomedov via Round 2 TKO
William Dong: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Chinyere Okafor: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Nurmagomedov via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Stamann: 7
Staff picking Nurmagomedov: 9
Michel Pereira (26-11, 2 NC), -280
vs.
Andre Fialho (14-3, 1 NC), +225
Welterweight Division, 170 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Pereira via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Pereira via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Pereira via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Pereira via Round 1 TKO
Mike Lynch: Pereira via Round 3 TKO
Nate Freeman: Pereira via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Fialho via Split Decision
Chris Presnell: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: Pereira via Round 2 TKO
Brandon Joint: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Pereira via Round 2 TKO
Chinyere Okafor: Fialho via Split Decision
Julio Monteros Jr.: Pereira via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Pereira: 14
Staff picking Fialho: 2
Brandon Moreno (19-5-2), -180
vs.
Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1), +155
Flyweight Divisional Championship, 125 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Moreno via Round 3 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Moreno via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Figueiredo via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Moreno via Round 4 SUB
Nate Freeman: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Moreno via Round 2 TKO
Coby Weinsier: Figueiredo via Unanimous Decision
Brandon Joint: Figueiredo via Unanimous Decision
Jacek Okninski: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
William Dong: Moreno via Unanimous Decision
Chinyere Okafor: Moreno via Round 4 SUB
Julio Monteros Jr.: Moreno via Round 4 SUB
Staff picking Moreno: 13
Staff picking Figueiredo: 3
Francis Ngannou (16-3), +120
vs.
Ciryl Gane (10-0), -140
Heavyweight Divisional Championship, 265 lbs.
Jeremy Brand: Gane via Round 4 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Gane via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Gane via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Ngannou via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Ngannou via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Gane via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Gane via Round 1 TKO
Nate Freeman: Gane via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Gane via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Gane via Unanimous Decision
Coby Weinsier: Ngannou via Round 2 TKO
Brandon Joint: Ngannou via Round 2 TKO
Jacek Okninski: Gane via Round 1 TKO
William Dong: Gane via Round 4 TKO
Chinyere Okafor: Ngannou via Round 2 TKO
Julio Monteros Jr.: Ngannou via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Ngannou: 6
Staff picking Gane: 10
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