January 23, (THEWILL) – With an unexpected performance against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, Francis Ngannou transitioned from a KO king to a grappling god, retaining his heavyweight title despite fighting on with a torn knee.
The champion landed a tremendous body slam takedown that must have registered on the Richter scale in California as his French opponent clattered into the mat after dropping the first two rounds with his energy levels clearly running low.
It was the fight’s turning point, signalling a key shift in momentum, which the Cameroonian native repeated in the championship rounds. With the score tied at two rounds apiece going into the fifth, both men knew the following five minutes were crucial.
Gane put Ngannou down for the first time in the fight, but he made a fatal blunder, highlighting his lack of expertise at the highest level. The Frenchman attempted a leg lock, but Ngannou reversed position and spent the majority of the round on top, leaving no doubt in the judges’ minds that the champion should keep his title.
The majority of combatants, spectators, and analysts thought that if the champion was going to win this bout, he would do so early, in the first or second round, as he had done in his previous five fights.
Gane, on the other hand, was too light on his feet, flitting in and out, not posing much of a threat himself but easily escaping Ngannou’s hard blows and winning the opening two rounds. Everything was going according to plan for Gane and his coach, Fernand Lopez, who had a tumultuous relationship with Ngannou, which provided the backdrop for most of the build-up to this rematch between former sparring partners.
But Ngannou, who was so badly hurt in the grappling exchanges in his first bout with Stipe Miocic, is history. What a terrifying prospect. The world’s baddest guy now has even more tools at his disposal.
While the 35-year-old’s knee ailment did not appear to hinder him in any way, he later disclosed the exact degree of the damage, telling Joe Rogan: “It has been a very tough training camp, very tough.
“A lot of s*** happened. Three weeks ago I hurt my knee. Tore my medial cruciate ligament completely, hurt my ACL and other stuff.”
The result is bad news for Dana White and the UFC, who have been at odds with Ngannou over his contract for months and have been at odds with him. The UFC president reportedly did not attend the post-fight press conference after refusing to enter the cage and put the belt around his waist, as is customary.
Ngannou is believed to have one fight left on his contract due to a clause that allows him to extend it if he wins a championship battle, putting him and the UFC in an awkward position after announcing his wish to fight Tyson Fury or another heavyweight star in a lucrative cross-over bout.
It will be fascinating to watch if the organisation can reach a deal with the champion or if he is stripped of his title as a result of his actions.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
