Where Are They Now: A Lookback At UFC 220 In Boston

UFC 292 marks the first event in Boston for the Ultimate Fighting Championship since UFC 220 at TD Garden on Jan. 20, 2018.

From past and present champions to high-level fighters no longer with the company, the pay-per-view event was a standout card at the time and holds plenty of historical contexts five years later.

Here are a few big-name fighters who performed at UFC 220 in Boston with major implications in the years since the event.

Francis Ngannou
Ngannou stepped up to challenge for the heavyweight championship in Boston against Stipe Miocic. Ngannou entered the bout with six straight wins to open his UFC career. As the division’s No. 1 contender, the fight set up an intriguing matchup as UFC 220’s main event.

Experience held strong over Ngannou as Miocic kept the pressure on throughout the fight with six takedowns and overwhelming control time.

At the end of five rounds, Miocic retained the heavyweight belt with a win by decision.

Ngannou lost his first two fights of 2018 with another defeat by decision at the hands of Derrick Lewis later that summer. From there, Ngannou continued to improve as one of the top fighters in the company to earn a rematch with Miocic in March of 2021 at the UFC Apex without fans during pandemic times.

In an entertaining sequel, the Cameroon native got his revenge with a huge left hook to earn the championship win in the second round via technical knockout.

Ngannou made one defense of the heavyweight title with a win over Ciryl Gane to kick off the 2022 calendar in the UFC in Anaheim in January.

After ongoing contract negotiations, the 36-year-old has since left the UFC for the Professional Fighters League (PFL) as well as a boxing bout with fellow champion Tyson Fury.

Stipe Miocic
Miocic arrived in Boston for UFC 220 as the heavyweight champion of the world. The Ohio native entered as a winner of five straight fights, including a championship victory to gain the belt in 2016 over Fabricio Werdum.

The veteran’s win over Ngannou in Boston came in rather dominant fashion by outstriking his opponent, 200-36.

After his win at TD Garden, Miocic embarked on a championship trilogy against Daniel Cormier, winning the final two bouts.

Ngannou defeated Miocic for the belt in their previously mentioned bout at UFC 260 in 2021. The 40-year-old is set to make his return after nearly 2 1/2 years at UFC 295 in November at Madison Square Garden in New York City to challenge Jon Jones for the heavyweight championship.

Islam Makhachev
As the lone fighter on this list to not fight on the main card in Boston, Makhachev fought at UFC 220 at a much different point in his career. The Boston bout marked just his fifth fight in the UFC as he entered with a 4-1 record.

The Russian fighter opened the prelims at TD Garden with a statement win in short order. Makhachev needed less than one minute in the opening round to finish Gleison Tibau with a massive overhand lefty punch to secure the victory.

The 31-year-old’s victory at TD Garden came as part of a ten-fight winning streak that led him to a career-defining moment at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. With the UFC lightweight championship on the line, Makhachev submitted reigning champion Charles Oliveira in the second round via an arm triangle.

With the continued guidance of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev defended the belt with a win over the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Alexander Volkanovski, at UFC 284.

The current lightweight champion now prepares for a rematch with Oliveira back in Abu Dhabi in October exactly one day shy of the one-year anniversary of their first fight.

Daniel Cormier
Cormier enjoyed a successful career as a two-division world champion and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as a member of the 2022 induction class.

The Louisiana native made one of his several title defenses in Boston against Volkan Oezdemir. Cormier made quick work of the challenger with a second-round win via technical knockout to retain the light heavyweight championship of the world.

The UFC 220 started a perfect 3-0 year for Cormier in 2018 with two more victories over Miocic and Lewis.

Cormier eventually lost both of his final two fights to Miocic before announcing his retirement in the summer of 2020.

The 44-year-old remains a familiar face around the UFC as a prominent commentator on the broadcast team with play-by-play broadcaster Jon Anik and analyst Joe Rogan.