Francis Ngannou scored a remarkable come from behind win in the unlikeliest of fashions in tonight’s UFC 270 main event.
Ngannou (17-3 MMA) put his heavyweight championship on the line against former training partner and reigning interim heavyweight title holder Ciryl Gane (10-1 MMA) this evening.
It was a fascinating matchup pitting arguably the scariest knockout artist in UFC history against what many consider the divisions best technical striker.
During his walk to the Octagon, many fans were quick to point out that Francis Ngannou was sporting braces on both of his knees.
Things did not go Ngannou’s way in the early moments of the fight. Ciryl Gane was able to land a number of good punches and kicks while ‘The Predator’ missed wildly with most of his attempts. After seemingly dropping the opening two rounds, Francis Ngannou decided to incorporate his wrestling which proved to be the turning point in the fight. He was able to control and smother Gane on the canvas for the better part of the final fifteen minutes earning a unanimous decision victory.
Official Result: Francis Ngannou def. Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision (48-47 x2, 49-46)
Shortly following his impressive title defense, Ngannou revealed that he had completely tore his MCL just three weeks ahead of tonight’s contest.
“Like three weeks ago I hurt my knee. I tore my MCL completely,” Ngannou said. “Hurt my ACL and all that stuff. I wanted to call out this fight, but I couldn’t see myself retreating from this fight because it was a moment for me to make a statement and remind people that I am the champ.”
Whether or not Francis Ngannou will require time off for knee surgery remains to be seen. Regardless, ‘The Predator’ has no intentions of fighting again on his current UFC deal.
One man who wasn’t impressed by Ngannou’s comeback win was former light heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones (see more on that here)
