UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was almost forced out of his title unification bout against Ciryl Gane back in January. The fight saw Ngannou dominate Gane, then the undefeated interim champion, despite two torn ligaments in his knee. Ngannou’s ongoing contract dispute with the UFC and the knee injury made the champ feel like “everything was designed for [him] to fall”, but in a recent YouTube video Ngannou revealed how he refused to quit.
“Everything was designed for me to fall and collapse – not to come back. That was it. That was how it was designed. Like, ‘OK, that’s how it’s going to be. Let’s go.’”
Ngannou’s Knee Injury: “Everything was designed for me to fall”
Ngannou’s knee injury happened late in December, at the end of a long sparring session with a new partner. Although Ngnanou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, was doubtful of setting a UFC champion against a fresh sparring partner so close to a fight, he acquiesced. That day, Ngannou – who boasts the world record for the most powerful punch – felt his knee give way.
“The injury itself happened on Dec. 28, exactly three days after Christmas. There was a guy in the gym that just came. I think that was his second training session at the gym.
We were sparring. I think he got overwhelmed. He shot a desperate takedown. Then when I tried to turn around. I heard the crack on my knee. Then, right at that moment, when you hear that on your knee, you know that something is happening. But I was so warmed up, I couldn’t feel it exactly.”
Francis Ngannou, like many heavyweights before him, has relied largely on his terrifying knockout power to win fights. On the other hand, Cyril Gane represented a new breed of MMA heavyweight, a giant of a man who moved like a middleweight and had walked through the likes of Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Without his knee working properly, Ngannou shocked the MMA world and used his grappling to dominate Gane, who was unable to mount much, if any, meaningful offense off his back. Ngannou defended his UFC title once more, became the first loss on Ciryl Gane’s record, and has spent the past ten months recovering from his broken leg.
Now, with former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones threatening to finally arrive in the heavyweight division early in 2023, Francis Ngannou will likely have to defend his title once more.
Is this it for Francis Ngannou, or will he defend his title again? Let us know in the comments.
