Francis Ngannou attends the UFC Fight Night: Ultimate media day at Wanda Realm Hotel on November 22, 2018 (Photo by Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images)
Francis Ngannou is the defending UFC Heavyweight Champion
There could be quite a spell on the sidelines for Francis Ngannou, according to his manager Marquel Martin (h/t ESPN).
Ngannou damaged an ACL and tore an MCL as well ahead of his UFC 270 title fight against Ciryl Gane.
Ngannou didn’t back out of the fight and put on a couple of knee braces in that bout. The Cameroonian defeated Gane using his wrestling, but now will be out for nine months recovering from surgery.
The ESPN report claims that Ngannou will be back from Cameroon this week. The UFC Champion will then undergo surgery in the US and the recovery time is nine months.
This will put a halt to any talk of him defending his title as the most important thing for the champion is to return to full fitness.
Ngannou’s win over Gane was the last one on his current UFC deal. However, he is still under contract with the UFC due to a champion’s clause.
The Cameroon star has claimed he will not fight on the current terms of his deal. Ngannou is looking for better pay and the ability to take up boxing professional alongside his UFC career.
Dana White, the UFC President, has claimed that there will be further negotiations after Ngannou returns from Africa.
Ngannou, for his part, has called out Tyson Fury in what would be a huge boxing match. As for the UFC, it is to be seen what they do.
They could have an interim title bout to crown a champion until Ngannou returns. However, there is a possibility the current champion might not sign a new deal.
Furthermore, there are others who could be keen on getting the gold. Stipe Miocic was defeated by Ngannou to win the title, and he hasn’t fought since that bout.
Jon Jones is another who is keen on making a tilt for the Heavyweight gold. Jones relinquished his UFC Light Heavyweight title to move up a weight class. However, Bones is yet to fight in this division.
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