Francis Ngannou takes the next step towards greatness
UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou reports he has moved to Las Vegas and is ready to take his game to the next level.
The UFC once signed a fighter so talented he appeared to be the future. He was at the time training in a highly-respected but not world-beating facility in upstate New York. UFC president Dana White eventually saw Jon Jones situated at one of the sport’s mega-camps – Jackson’s MMA. Jones became world champion in short order, although he eventually ran into his own human frailties.
Francis Ngannou appears to be the future of the heavyweight division.
The Cameroon-born fighter emigrated to France as a toddler. After experiencing homelessness, he found Paris’s highly-respected MMA Factory. Ngannou is now on a nine-fight win streak, five of them in the UFC, in a division that is woefully short of streaks. No UFC heavyweight has ever successfully defended the title more than twice, but in a January interview, White said Ngannou may change all that.
“I believe that this guy has the potential to become the heavyweight champion of the world,” said White. “I also believe he has the potential to hold that title for a very long time.”
I don’t know if in the history of the UFC we’ve ever had a heavyweight champion like Ngannou who actually looks like [that]. If you put this guy NGannou next to — put him side to side with NFL players. Put him side by side with the heavyweight boxing champions throughout history. This is a massive, massive guy.
Ngannou is 6′ 4″ tall and only a little under the heavyweight limit of 265. The final piece of the puzzle may be getting him in a training camp with the best in the world. And that appears to be underway.
https://twitter.com/francis_ngannou/status/859417079304171520
The fighter moved to Vegas last week and will reportedly be deciding on a gym shortly. The Predator with a world-class camp appears right now to be the future of the heavyweight division.