UFC 220 results: Gian Villante outworks Francimar Barroso to snap two-fight skid

BOSTON – It wasn’t a “Fight of the Night” candidate, but Gian Villante picked up a crucial win to get back on track.

Villante (16-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) took a split decision from Francimar Barroso (19-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in a fight that saw him pressing forward much of the fight, but seldom putting together enough offense in any sustained flurry to put Barroso in too much trouble. Villante won with a pair of 30-27 scores. Oddly, a dissenting judge gave the fight to Barroso, 29-28.

The light heavyweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC 220 event at TD Garden in Boston. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Villante pressed forward right away and 45 seconds in wobbled Barroso with a right hand. He stayed patient and continued to stalk the Brazilian down. He landed a combination, then another and kept Barroso backpedaling. Barroso tried a spinning attack with 90 seconds to go, but it was off the mark. His offense consisted mainly of looking for low kicks to try to keep Villante from pushing inside.

In the second, the big men started swinging for the fences early. Both connected, but it was Villante who kept pressing the pace. Barroso got a break in the action when Villante caught him with a low kick, but the Brazilian wanted to get going again quickly. Both fighters landed here and there throughout the round, but nothing of any major consequence to build on for momentum.

In the first minute of the third, Barroso landed a big body kick that echoed through the arena. Villante seemed to work through it, though, and 30 seconds later stumbled Barroso with a right hand. The Brazilian stayed in the fight, though, and bloodied Villante’s nose up. But later in the fight, he was mostly just on the end of Villante’s punches rather than getting hit flush with them.

Villante snapped a two-fight skid for his first win in 13 months. Barroso lost for the second straight time.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 220 results include:

• Gian Villante def. Francimar Barroso via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
• Rob Font def. Thomas Almeida via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:24
• Kyle Bochniak def. Brandon Davis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Sabah Homasi via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:47
• Dustin Ortiz def. Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Julio Arce def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Enrique Barzola def. Matt Bessette via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Islam Makhachev def. Gleison Tibau via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:57

For complete coverage of UFC 220, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Ken Hathaway contributed to this report on site in Boston.)