This weekend’s fight calendar is thin and top-heavy all at the same time. UFC 270 on Saturday night in Anaheim will get most of the MMA world’s attention, but there’s also a sneaky good fight at LFA 122 on Friday that’s worthy of any fight fan’s attention.
With that in mind, here are the weekend’s best cage-fight offerings.
The 3 best MMA fights this weekend
3. Charles Johnson vs Carlos Mota at LFA 122
One of the fastest routes for an up-and-coming fighter to make it to the UFC is winning a championship in LFA. Is it Charles Johnson’s turn? St. Louis’ Johnson (10-2) is a former interim champ and was made the full champ when the previous titleholder Victor Altamirano signed with the Las Vegas-based organization. He defends his title against Mota (6-0), a Brazilian who has shown a well-rounded skill set in his short career. One has to think the winner is sure to get a UFC call with a W on Jan. 21.
2. Brandon Moreno vs Deiveson Figueiredo 3 – UFC flyweight title fight
Let’s face it, UFC 270 is basically drawing on the strength of the top two fights, with a big dropoff in star power afterward. Fortunately for those who will plunk down the newly raised price of $75 for the pay-per-view, these two scraps both look like bangers. The evening’s co-feature bout is a trilogy fight that will cap off a series that began with two tremendous matchups.
When then-champion Deivesion Figueiredo (20-2-1) and Brandon Moreno (19-5-2) first squared off at UFC 256, it appeared Moreno was more guts than skill, using his heart to forge a draw against a knockout artist in Figueiredo. In the rematch, Moreno looked like a man who had gone out of his way to strengthen his weaknesses. Which paid off when he scored a stunning submission in the third round to claim the title.
So will “Figgy” counter with adjustments of his own, or has the paradigm shifted at 125 pounds? Making Moreno not only the first Mexico-born UFC champ but also one who will remain at the top of the division mountain for the long haul? We’ll find out after 10 pm ET on Saturday night.
1. Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane – UFC heavyweight title fight
As if there wasn’t already enough drama around this fight, controversy over leaked sparring footage between the former teammates bubbled up during fight week. Ciryl Gane (10-0) appears to get the best of Francis Ngannou (16-3) in the clips, but “The Predator” said at Wednesday’s media day that he actually knocked Gane out during the session.
That’s just another layer added onto what’s already an intriguing battle of behemoths. Ngannou won five in a row en route to winning the heavyweight title, with only one getting out of the first round. Gane has won seven in a row since joining the UFC, including an interim title. That title was created as a result of ongoing contract tension between Ngannou and UFC boss Dana White, which has continued unfolding over fight week as the champ’s future is up in the air with only one bout left on his current deal. In short, this fight has it all.
–By Dave Doyle, Field Level Media
