The Pennsylvania betting scene would be shocked by Sean O’Malley saying he wants no one to bet on him as he looks to bounce back from his first ever career loss, but will be undoubtedly hyped for the main event of UFC 260, as Ngannou challenges Stipe Miocic once again for the heavyweight title.
Francis Ngannou is going to go up against Stipe Miocic for the second time in his career, hoping for a better result than the last time. That last time was in 2018, at UFC 220, where Ngannou was riding a six-match winning streak since joining the UFC. He was the favorite going onto the match and the stars looked aligned for the Cameroonian who looked primed to become the new heavyweight champion. Ultimately, he would fall short – short of impressing, short of his objective, and short of the title, in an unrecognizable performance that saw the champ clamp down and snuff out Ngannou. Such a high-profile loss would floor anyone mentally, raise cause for doubt, especially when another loss follows it in a match that was supposed to show your ability to bounce back. Ngannou would again take to the octagon to but the title loss behind him, only to be stunned by Derrick Lewis. The predator still would not lose sight of his goal and is now back in the fray after four big wins on the trot and what he believes to be the best version of himself.
Miocic on the other hand has been relatively at ease as the champ. After taking down Ngannou, he had a setback with Daniel Cormier, losing their first fight before coming back to put all arguments to bed with two resounding victories to close the loop on that trilogy. Not the most flashy or vocal fighter, Miocic goes about his business in a calm and cool manner and is definitely profiting from the low profile while his opponents get all the media attention. For his second go with Ngannou, Miocic will have to once again prove his mettle as champion of the heavyweight class. It has been quite a while since both men lost and this will be a test of not only their physical but also mental strength.
Beyond the main event, the UFC 260 card is jam-packed with matches and fighters that are sure to get fans’ adrenaline levels up. Sean O’Malley will be looking to shake off his first career defeat when he faces Thomas Almeida. The rising star and product of the Dana White Contender Series had been high-flying in his career, amassing a 12-0 record, which got dented by Marlon Vera at UFC 252. O’Malley has said he wants no one betting on him, probably as fuel for his fire, but Almeida will also be looking to add some shine on his record by taking down one of UFC’s rising stars. Another big one to watch will be Tyron Woodley’s matchup against Donald Luque.