Francis Nganou is a former UFC heavyweight champion. Known as The Predator, Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic in the second round of their UFC 260 bout on March 27, 2021 to become the UFC heavyweight king.
He successfully defended the belt by defeating interim champion Cyril Gane at UFC 270 to become undisputed heavyweight champion. However, Ngannou could not reach a contract extension agreement with the UFC and the championship was vacated. Ngannou then signed up for the PFL’s super fight division where he is allowed to accept boxing bouts.
The Predator made noise when he knocked down lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury during their 10-round boxing bout last October. Fury won the bout via split decision but Ngannou won the hearts of fight fans and earned a second big boxing bout against Anthony Joshua. Ngannou fought Joshua last month in Saudi Arabia but unfortunately, Joshua knocked out Ngannou inside two rounds.
The 37-year old Ngannou stand 6-4 tall which is slightly taller than the UFC heavyweight division’s average height of 6-3. Most of Ngannou’s opponents were 6-4 – Cyril Gane, Stipe Miocic, Junior Dos Santos, Curtis Blaydes, Alistair Overeem, and Andrei Arolvski. The only opponent who was taller than Ngannou was Anthony Hamilton whom he submitted via kimura at UFC Fight Night 102 in 2016.
But while Ngannou was a tall fighter in the UFC, he was dwarfed in his first two professional boxing bouts. Francis’ first boxing opponents was Fury who is listed at 6-9. Then he went on to face the 6-7 Anthony Joshua.
If plans don’t miscarry, Ngannou’s next MMA fight will probably his toughest. That’s because his next opponent – 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Fereira has a four inch reach advantage over Ngannou at 6-8 tall.