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Francis Ngannou Makes His Pick for the Best Kickboxer in the UFC and It’s Not Israel Adesanya

Published 01/01/2022, 6:23 AM EST

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The MMA world has long considered the undisputed middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, to be the best kickboxer in the business. Since his UFC debut, the Kiwi has made headlines through his incredible kickboxing prowess. Ultimately, landing the 185-pounds honcho his first UFC strap. However, the ‘Baddest man on the planet, Francis Ngannou, thinks otherwise.

The current UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou, has been in the fight business for almost a decade. Hence, ‘The Predator’ knows the game inside out. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the 35-year-old declared his opponent and current interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane, as the ‘best’ kickboxer over ‘The Last Stylebender’ in the UFC.

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“If I am about to say best strike, striker, for MMA striking, he will still be Jon Jones, but if we go kickboxing style, then I think he’ll be Ciryl.” Ngannou declared.

The ‘Predator’ may have not faced ‘Bon Gamin’ in a professional capacity yet. The Cameroonian doesn’t shy away from giving credit where it’s due. As he acknowledges his opponent’s competence.

Interestingly, both of the heavyweight elites have trained at the same gym when Ngannou was training in France, Gane’s home country. There are videos of them both sparring on the mat.

Francis Ngannou Comments on Conor McGregor

As we all have judged from his previous interactions. Francis Ngannou never flinches away from his opinions. The Cameroonian isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade, even if he is on the unpopular side of the conversation.

In the same video, the Cameroonian gave his opinion on UFC megastar and former double champion Conor McGregor. The only thing he had for the Irish Mixed Martial artist was praise. Notably, the 25-year-old asserted that people may be quick to judge the ‘Notorious’ of his recent escapades. However, no one should deny that he’s a capable fighter.

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“Conor McGregor is a very good fighter… He is unique on his way of carrying himself. You know, sometimes people lose fights and then just lose confidence and shut up. The guy is always there, going after people and saying stuff. He’s very high level of trash talk.”

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The heavyweight champion will face interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane, for a title unification bout at UFC’s first Pay-per-view event in 2022, UFC 270.

Who do you think will win the blockbuster heavyweight fight, Gane or Ngannou? Tell us your picks in the comment section below.

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Written by:

Aashish Kumar

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Aashish Kumar is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism & Mass Communication, this Israel Adesanya fan has interned at reputed media houses and gained valuable reporting experience. Building on that experience, Aashish will look to tap into his love for combat sports and let fans benefit from his passion and journalistic expertise.
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