The UFC is looking to make a comeback on May 9th with the first of three events in Jacksonville, Florida. The two title fights have been at the center of the world’s attention. However, Dana White has some great fights planned to follow the main attractions, that are just as lustrous. 

Two of the hardest hitters in the UFC heavyweight division are looking to square up against each other at UFC 249 as Francis Ngannou takes on the unbeaten Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

For many fans, Francis Ngannou seems to be the safer bet. And UFC President Dana White concurs while in conversation with Kevin Iole from Yahoo! Sports.

“Francis has been in the big fights. He’s pretty much done it all except win the belt.  And if you look at his last fight. I’m sure that has a lot to do with it too. Because it was a similar opponent. And you saw what Francis did to [Alistair Overeem],” said White in an effort to justify why people are backing Ngannou. 

However, Iole still has some faith in the Surinamese fighter. Keeping his previous fight and track record in mind, Iole’s faith in Rozenstruik is not ill-founded. But White is still not convinced, “You look at the experience factor and you got to go with Francis.”

Why Dana White Is Backing Francis Ngannou

Ranked No. 2 in the UFC’s official heavyweight rankings, it is not a shock that The Predator is the crowd favorite.

His devastating knockout win over Alistair Overeem in 2017 earned him a shot at the title. However, Miocic took the win that night by unanimous decision.

Ngannou faced back to back setbacks as he lost to Derrick Lewis following his loss against Miocic. The only two losses the 33-year-old fighter has seen in his stint in the UFC. 

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Following these losses, Ngannou returned to winning ways, bagging 3 consecutive wins. Each of those fights ending with Ngannou sending his opponents to the floor in the first round itself. 

His fight with Curtis Blaydes lasted for 45 seconds. And Cain Velasquez hit the floor 5 seconds shy of half a minute. His longest of these fights lasted 71 seconds against Junior Dos Santos.

His lethal accuracy and explosive strength make him a highly unpredictable and dynamic fighter. He can drop a fighter to the ground in the blink of an eye. This is something that Rozenstruik specializes in, as well.

However, both these fighters have never attempted a takedown during their entire spell in the UFC. So expect a fight with thundering elbows, fists, and kicks.

Who do you think will come out on top?