Nearly every fan, pundit and internet warrior chimed in when Francis Ngannou lost his UFC heavyweight title fight to Stipe Miocic. A clear mismatch in grappling in the fight led to a crystal clear one-sided decision. Accusations flew about his failure to stop takedowns. Joe Rogan said he suspected that Ngannou didn’t even train takedowns for the fight. Others blamed the coach and his wrestling ability.
In his interview with the Top Turtle MMA Podcast, Ngannou explained why he felt that Miocic took him down as much as he did.
For my last fight, the main issue wasn’t my grappling or wrestling defense, Ngannou insists. This time this was different because I got tired really quick.
The culprit of his diminished gas tank? A trip to go see his coaches in Paris just before the fight.
I went back to Paris the weeks before the fight because [my coaches] couldn’t come here right away, Ngannou cites as one of the major disruptions to his cardio training.
Although he does put some of the blame on the travels, he acknowledges that some in cage factors may have affected him as well.
I think it’s the way that I managed the fight… for me that is the main issue, he says. Sometimes over two rounds I wouldn’t get tired like [I did in the first].
And to those that still claim he can’t grapple, Ngannou would like you to go back and watch some of his older fights, which show he’s got the skills.
If you watch and go back to some of my old fights, you will see that I’ve been through some of this and I handled it very well, he said.
Ngannou now has the training situation handled. A move to Syndicate MMA in Vegas where he has done the majority of his work for this camp gives him some stability. It’s also given him topnotch instruction in game planning and grappling; something he knows he needs.
I agree that I need to improve my grappling, he said, noting that he needs to get better everywhere. I’ve been doing this for only four years and a half.
A fact that a lot of us forget.
Author Daniel Vreeland is a co-founder of the Top Turtle Podcast, and a brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu at New England Submission Fighting in Amherst, Massachusetts.
