Stipe Miocic set the record for most consecutive successful heavyweight title defenses in UFC history with a lopsided win over Francis Ngannou to cap off UFC 220 on Saturday night.
Miocic used a tactical strategy to force Ngannou to exert a lot of energy chasing him around the Octagon through the early part of the opening round and that’s when the champion seized on his opponent’s waning cardio.
The Ohio native employed a strong wrestling game to put Ngannou on his back over and over again, and as each round bled into the next, it was clear that Miocic was in complete control.
When it was finished, Miocic earned 50-44 scorecards from all three judges as he walks out once more as UFC heavyweight champion.
Despite those accolades, Miocic was actually a solid underdog going into the card with only 43 percent of fantasy players selecting him to win. Still, Miocic put on a masterful performance to defend his title and add another top ranked name to his resume. Because this was a title fight, the players who selected Miocic also earned an extra 150 points.
Thank you That was amazing. wanna dedicate that to the 1’s who matter most. I love you Salina, Daniel and Marquita. And to all my family and fans. I love you @zinkinsportsmanagement all my partners and coaches @americankickboxingacademy I thank you all. #weareaka #andnewagain DC pic.twitter.com/w7jt02OXt5
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) January 21, 2018
In the co-main event, Daniel Cormier was one of the heaviest favorites on the card, with 81 percent of fantasy players picking him to win, and he did not disappoint. Cormier outworked Volkan Oezdemir before ground and pounding him to a TKO finish in the second round to defend his light heavyweight title. Once again, Cormier’s win earned an extra 150 points for the players who picked him.
While Cormier was a huge favorite to get a win, the opposite was true with Calvin Kattar pulling off a jaw-dropping knockout against Shane Burgos after just 22 percent of fantasy players picked him going into the event. Kattar is now 2-0 in the UFC and even earned a Performance of the Night award for his knockout.
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Gian Villante gutted out a hard fought three-round split decision to get past Francimar Barroso in a light heavyweight showdown. Villante was selected by 74 percent of fantasy players and he came through with a very solid victory over a tough opponent in Barroso.
„It was a bit nerve-racking.“ @GPVillante talks about his win at #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/PAaEdZXahV
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2018
In a massive upset to kick off the pay-per-view main card, Boston’s own Rob Font knocked out highly touted bantamweight fighter Thomas Almeida in spectacular fashion in the second round. Despite Font being picked by just 13 percent of fantasy players, he stunned and then finished Almeida with a series of strikes that started with a nasty head kick. While Font was a huge underdog according to fantasy players, the matchup was tight on paper so his win was also worth an extra 120 points in the competition.
Local favorite Kyle Bochniak got a win in front of the Boston crowd with a unanimous decision against Brandon Davis with 65 percent of the fantasy players picking him to get the job done. The players who picked Bochniak also earned an extra 120 points because this was such a tight matchup on paper.
Following a controversial ending in their first fight, Abdul Razak Alhassan left no doubts this time around as he dropped the hammer on Sabah Homasi with an absolutely vicious first-round knockout in this welterweight rematch. Alhassan won the first fight under questionable circumstances but that was enough for him to remain the heavy favorite going into the second fight with 78 percent of fantasy players picking him to win, which is exactly what he did on Saturday night.
SECOND FIGHT!
SAME RESULT!@JudoRazak #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/z26xMmiSQg
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2018
Veteran flyweight contender Dustin Ortiz battled back from a tough first round against Alexandre Pantoja to earn a unanimous decision victory on Saturday night. Ortiz was a solid favorite with 62 percent of fantasy players picking him to win, but he definitely had to grind out his win over a very game Pantoja.
Julio Arce made the most of his UFC debut with a lopsided victory over fellow newcomer Dan Ige by unanimous decision. Arce was picked by 61 percent of fantasy players and they also earned an extra 50 points because he accepted this matchup on short notice.
Former Ultimate Fighter: Latin America winner Enrique Barzola was able to hold off late replacement Matt Bessette in their bout on the undercard to earn a unanimous decision win. Barzola was a solid favorite, with 76 percent picking him to win and another 74 percent correctly predicting that he would be victorious by decision.
In the opening bout of the night, Islam Makhachev made short work of Octagon veteran Gleison Tibau, who was making his return to action after two years away. Makhachev needed just 57 seconds to earn the first-round knockout after he was a heavy favorite according to fantasy players, with 76-percent picking him to win.
At the end of the night, only three underdogs came away victorious at UFC 220, with eight favorites getting wins. That means those underdog wins were that much more important in the final scoring tallies once UFC 220 came to a close.
