Francis Ngannou to be Present at UFC 261- Will Corner Kamaru Usman

Published 04/16/2021, 12:21 AM EDT

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman recently revealed to ESPN that he’ll be having the newly minted UFC heavyweight champion in his corner. Usman will take on Jorge Masvidal in one of the biggest rematches of the year at UFC 261.

Francis Ngannou will step to the plate for ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ as Usman’s brother will be unable to corner him. Chiefly, Usman was in Ngannou’s corner for his fight against Stipe Miocic and ‘The Predator’ is returning the favor.

Both the African stars have grown close to each other as of late, with their shared heritage playing a role. Usman revealed that Francis Ngannou was a massive inspiration to him, and it would serve him well to have the Cameroonian in his corner. Hence, it’s clear that there’s plenty of admiration and respect on both sides of the equation.

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“Who better to replace someone like that than with the heavyweight champ himself, Francis Ngannou? “It motivates me so much,” Usman said. “I said that to him. It motivates me so much to even just be around him.”

Francis Ngannou is the most recent entrant into the winner’s circle, as there are now three African-born UFC champions. The trio has a huge fan following in the sport, and the UFC will potentially look to bring a show to Africa.

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Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal 1- An Overview

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The first fight took place back in July at UFC 251 after Gilbert Burns fell out with just six days left. Masvidal stepped in for ‘Durinho’ and made a run at becoming the undisputed welterweight champion. However, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had other plans and stood his ground against the ‘BMF’.

From heavy clinch action to foot stomps, Usman used all the tricks in the book to neutralize Masvidal’s striking threat. ‘Gamebred’ found himself rather depleted as the fight wore on, as the short-notice booking took its toll. Now, the BMF will look to utilise a full camp to make good on his goal of becoming a champion.

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The rematch will go down with 15,000 roaring UFC fans in attendance at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. Will Francis Ngannou’s presence prove decisive in derailing ‘Gamebred’?

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Written by:

Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

Francis Ngannou to be Present at UFC 261- Will Corner Kamaru Usman

Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal 1- An Overview

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