The UFC raised some eyebrows when they put the interim heavyweight title on the line for the UFC 265 main event between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane in Houston, Texas. One person who was particularly displeased by the decision was the undisputed heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou.

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There were even rumors that the promotion could strip ‘The Predator’ of his belt after having failed to reach negotiations for a date of his first title defense. Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic in March at UFC 260 to solidify his status as the ‘Baddest Man On The Planet’. So, he hasn’t been out of action for too long, one can say.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 27: Francis Ngannou of Cameroon reacts after his victory over Stipe Miocic in their UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 260 event at UFC APEX on March 27, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

The Cameroonian, who sat down for a chat with GQ recently, was asked if he believes the UFC is trying to devalue his position as the heavyweight champion of the world.

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Absolutely! That’s how I feel. There’s one thing: if you say you understand the UFC, and how they do business, that means you don’t understand sh*t. It’s just like that: it can be very spontaneous, premature, and decisions are out of nowhere. They just pop up like that: boom! But at the end of the day, things will get done. It’s just a matter of time,” said Ngannou.

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Francis Ngannou will fight Ciryl Gane next

Ciryl Gane, who made the most of his opportunity and became the interim heavyweight champion, will next fight Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout. The duo has a brief history between them as they were training partners in the MMA Factory gym in Paris.

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Stylistically, a fight between the duo will an intriguing watch for the fans. Ngannou is the scariest power puncher in the entire UFC roster. Gane, on the other hand, with his tremendous movement and technical acumen, is a breath of fresh air in the UFC’s heavyweight roster

Also, being former training partners, both men will be aware of the other’s strengths and weaknesses. What do you make of Ngannou‘s statement? Can ‘The Predator’ beat Ciryl Gane? Let us know.

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Apratim Banerjee

1,260 Articles

Apratim Banerjee is a senior UFC author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters. Dan Henderson’s brutal knockout against Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in 2009 is one of his earliest memories of the sport. He has never missed a UFC PPV or a Fight Night since, which speaks volumes about his wealth of MMA knowledge. Israel Adesanya, Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, Conor McGregor are some of his favorite fighters. Apart from this, Apratim plays soccer in his free time and loves scoring long-distance goals.

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