This week’s installment of UFC comes, once again, from the UFC APEX facility near Las Vegas, and the main event is the highly anticipated rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, with Miocic defending his belt. This is a rematch of UFC 220, when Miocic won unanimously on the cards, defending his title for the third time. The co-main event pits Vicente Luque against Tyron Woodley in a welterweight bout.
We have the full fight card for you, along with UFC betting thoughts about the main events.
UFC 260: Miocic vs Ngannou 2 Preview
Main Card (Pay Per View)
- Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou (UFC Heavyweight Championship)
- Tyron Woodley vs Vicente Luque (Welterweight)
- Sean O’Malley vs Thomas Almeida (Bantamweight)
- Gillian Robertson vs Miranda Maverick (Women’s Flyweight)
- Jamie Mullarkey vs Khama Worthy (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
- Alonzo Menifield vs Fabio Cherant (Light Heavyweight)
- Jared Gooden vs Abubakar Nurmagomedov (Welterweight)
- Modestas Bukauskas vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (Light Heavyweight)
- Shane Young vs Omar Morales (Featherweight)
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)
- Marc-Andre Barriault vs Abu Azaitar (Middleweight)
Stipe Miocic (20-3, 14-3 UFC, +100) vs Francis Ngannou (15-3, 10-2 UFC, -120) is the rematch of what turned out to be an easy win for Miocic. Ngannou brought danger in the striking game, but Miocic used his wrestling and defense to avoid damage and rode that strategy to a win on the cards. Since that fight, Miocic has only entered the Octagon once, taking on Daniel Cormier in a trilogy fight that left Miocic the winner of the last two. Ngannou took on Derrick Lewis after losing to Miocic, and that fight was disappointing, as Ngannou, a counterpuncher, sat back and waited for the action, an approach that led to five rounds of inaction, with Lewis doing just enough to win on the cards. Ngannou has fought four other times since then, winning each of them via knockout – and with no fight going longer than 71 seconds.
What this means is that this fight basically has a similar vibe to the first fight, with Ngannou coming in bringing danger with his fists and Miocic likely to use his wrestling skill to slow down the initial pace. There are two questions: has Miocic’s defense eroded since his last title defense? Has Ngannou’s wrestling defense improved? Ngannou has the edge in terms of power and stamina, but Miocic may still have that defensive edge. Given the slight edge in value, I’m going with Miocic.
Final Prediction: Miocic wins via decision
Vicente Luque (19-7-1, 12-3 UFC, -255) vs Tyron Woodley (19-6-1, 9-5-1 UFC, +215) appears to bring another step in the decline of Woodley, whose style may finally be coming back to haunt him. His style involves backing up to the cage and then delivering punishment as his punishments approach. He has had the combination of accuracy, power and athleticism to make it work, as he has delivered many knockout wins that way – or use his wrestling to get things to the ground. He used this approach to win a welterweight belt that he held for 2 ½ years. However, he lost his title when Kamaru Usman did him one better, closing in and just overpowering him on the ground. Usman’s wrestling strength is greater than many UFC fighters, but that didn’t seem to matter, as Gilbert Burns almost knocked out Woodley at the start of their fight and then beat him on the cards. Woodley’s last fight was also a loss to Colby Covington, and while it was not as ugly, Woodley looked too tentative.
That timidity will not work against Luque, who is the opposite of Woodley in terms of approach. He has developed a striking game that makes him fun to watch, as he intrepidly keeps moving forward, bringing pressure. This means that his defense is negligible, and his wrestling skills are not elite by any means. Can Woodley turn back the clock and deliver the sort of striking that will deliver the win, or will he hesitate too much? Given Woodley’s recent form, expecting him to jump up and strike seems unrealistic.
Final Prediction: Luque wins via decision
