Ngannou: Israel Adesanya Is A Better Version Of Ciryl Gane

Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane are continuing to talk about each other’s fighting style leading up to their main event.

The two seem to have mutual respect for one another, as they’ve each given th…

Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane are continuing to talk about each other’s fighting style leading up to their main event.

The two seem to have mutual respect for one another, as they’ve each given the other praise. Gane stated Ngannou is the “most powerful and athletic human” he’s ever seen. Ngannou returned the compliment and admired Gane for possessing the best kickboxing style in MMA.

Thursday on his YouTube channel, Ngannou was asked about middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s fighting style, to which Ngannou responded by taking a jab at Gane. Ngannou compared the two’s similar kickboxing styles and stated that Adesanya is a better version of Gane.

“He’s (Adesanya) a great guy, the best striker in the game, definitely,” said Ngannou. “Because when you look at his style, he just does everything that Ciryl does but in a better way.”

Ngannou stated that he even tried to get Adesanya to come help train with him in preparations of facing a kick-boxing-styled heavyweight in Gane. Ngannou claims that the reason he couldn’t get “The Last Stylebender” over was due to the strict travel restrictions where Adesanya resides in New Zealand.

“By the way, I (tried) to get him for this training camp, but travel restrictions with New Zealand wasn’t really helpful for us,” said Ngannou “But he would have loved to come here and help me for the striking part of the game, the footwork and everything.”

Gane and Adesanya are some of the highest-leveled kickboxers in the UFC, with names like Stephen Thompson, Joanna J?drzejczyk, Valentina Schevchenko, and many others being up there with them.

Ngannou and Gane are just a few weeks away from finally fighting for the heavyweight championship, which will be held on January 22nd. Ngannou (16-3) will be looking to make his first title defense since securing UFC gold when he KO’d Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. As for Gane, he will be looking to take the word “interim” off of his current title and become the undisputed heavyweight king with a win over Ngannou.

Who do you think has the better kickboxing style between Ciryl Gane and Israel Adesanya?

Continue Reading Ngannou: Israel Adesanya Is A Better Version Of Ciryl Gane at MMA News.

Derrick Lewis Admits ‘It Was Too Much Pressure’ Fighting in Houston Against Ciryl Gane

Derrick LewisUFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis admitted that he felt the pressure in his interim heavyweight title clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in August of last year. Unfortunately for the fan favourite Derrick Lewis, his second crack at UFC gold didn’t fall in his favour as Ciryl Gane stopped him in the third round. Some fighters […]

Derrick Lewis

UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis admitted that he felt the pressure in his interim heavyweight title clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 265 in August of last year.

Unfortunately for the fan favourite Derrick Lewis, his second crack at UFC gold didn’t fall in his favour as Ciryl Gane stopped him in the third round. Some fighters relish the opportunity to fight in their own backyard with the home crowd behind them, but for Derrick Lewis, it caused massive distress, and he believes if the fight didn’t take place in Houston, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

In an interview with The MMA Hour, Derrick Lewis described what he went through and the measures he had taken to relieve the stress of fighting in his home city.

Derrick Lewis on UFC 265 Experience

“I don’t even want to experience that ever again,” Derrick Lewis said. “It was too much pressure, too much pressure. Too much.

“To the point where I really was calling people up, let me get some weed off ‘em so I can relax my nerves during fight day. That type of pressure,” he said.

Derrick Lewis has taken on all comers since joining the UFC in 2014, with notable wins over Francis Ngannou, Curtis Blaydes and Alexander Volkov. Not to forget leading the way for the most knockouts in the promotion’s history.

The whole fight-week process of fighting in Houston seemed to affect Lewis and his performance on the night, to the point it made him reflect on his past. Lewis told Ariel Helwani the experience reminded him of an incident that occurred when he was younger when he faced jail time for aggravated assault. Lewis served a three-and-a-half-year sentence. The title fight with Ciryl Gane also marked the 13-year-anniversary of his release date.

“Never felt it that bad,” Lewis said. “Actually, before court. Before I went to court, before they gave me some time to go to prison. That’s the other time I felt so much pressure, but other than that it was the Houston card. It was pretty bad as well.

“[UFC 265] was the same day that I got out, the same day I fought. It was, like, 13 years to that day, it was the same day I was released. So I put a lot of pressure on myself as well because it would have made a great story. From the worst of times to the best of times.”

Even with the Houston event being over, it still didn’t give Lewis any satisfaction due to failing to secure gold for the second time and being reluctant to let his hands fly.

“I don’t think it was like a weight lifted,” Lewis said of his feelings after the fight. “Just real embarrassed. I felt embarrassed to fight. Felt embarrassed, I felt like I should have did a lot more than what I did. I was gun-shy the whole fight. I didn’t want to pull the trigger and I was too stationary. It’s a lot of stuff.

“I could go on and on about a lot of things that I should have done different in that fight, but it just didn’t happen, so you’ve got to just move on and just better myself. If that time comes again and we face each other again, it will be a different outcome, I believe.”

With that being said and the dread of competing in his home town, Derrick Lewis is set to face Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 in Houston on Feb.12. Only Lewis himself will know how he will deal with the pressure this time around, and last years fight with Ciryl Gane will have to be put behind him.

“I say that all the time,” Lewis said. “I believe so, all the time. My coaches believe that as well. Everyone believes it would have been a lot different if it wasn’t in Houston. On that big of a stage and all of that stuff going on, I don’t believe the outcome would have ended like it did.”

Coach: Ngannou Is A “F*cking Liar” For Denial Of Gane Sabotage

Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has branded the UFC Heavyweight Champion a “fucking liar” for denying that he attempted to sabotage Ciryl Gane’s UFC signing.

The build-up to the upcoming UFC 270 main event, which will see a blockbuster…

Fernand Lopez & Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has branded the UFC Heavyweight Champion a “fucking liar” for denying that he attempted to sabotage Ciryl Gane’s UFC signing.

The build-up to the upcoming UFC 270 main event, which will see a blockbuster unification bout between the promotion’s elite at heavyweight, has been littered with narratives.

To go along with the intriguing clash of styles, which will see the world’s biggest power-puncher look to shut the lights out on the leader of a new breed of technical heavyweights, is the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Ngannou’s future. A defeat on January 22 could well see him leave the promotion, a scenario that is mind-boggling considering the Cameroonian’s status as one of the top UFC titleholders.

But behind that lies a bitter story of a former pupil-coach relationship turned sour, which will now see two former teammates collide in the Octagon, one flying the MMA Factory flag.

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Lopez Thinks Ngannou Has A “Victim Mentality”

Having brought Ngannou off the streets of Paris and into his MMA Factory gym, it’s perhaps surprising to see the state of Fernand Lopez’s relationship with “The Predator” in 2022.

After the heavyweight behemoth sought a permanent move to the United Status, the Xtreme Couture gym became his new stomping ground following his 2018 loss to Stipe Miocic. In the period since, both Ngannou and his former mentor have traded jabs in interviews, something that increased tremendously last year following an awkward backstage snub at UFC 268.

Following that, Lopez explained why the relationship deteriorated. Amongst other things, the French coach accused Ngannou of refusing to pay a gym membership, crediting him or the gym for his success, and of attempting to sabotage teammate Gane’s rise by advising matchmaker Mick Maynard not to sign him to the UFC.

Denying the accusation of sabotage, Ngannou recently described his ex-coach as “evil” for attempting to destroy his reputation. As the game of tennis continues, Lopez has now responded. During an interview with LowKick MMA, the 43-year-old slammed his former student, suggesting he is “full of shit” and has a “victim mentality.”

“If Francis denied that he didn’t try to prevent the UFC from Ciryl, he’s a fucking liar,” Lopez said. “Francis Ngannou told me, ‘Coach… I had a meeting with Mick. And he asked me, is it true that Ciryl is ready for the UFC? And I said to him, he’s a good young kid, he’ll be good one day. But I told him he’s not ready yet.’ If he says this isn’t true, then he’s a fucking liar.

“I’m not surprised that he said that, because I don’t think Francis Ngannou ever thought that Ciryl was the kind of guy to face him one day. He basically pretended that Ciryl was irrelevant, always talked him down. That’s who he is, I’m giving you guys the reality. I took him from the street, helped him stay in the gym without paying any fee, gave him money and sponsors, and a place to sleep. And I’m evil?” Lopez added. How I be evil when I’m the one who called Joe Silva when you were 4-1, and got you in the UFC? I told him he could become a champion. He’s full of shit. Francis Ngannou is full of shit and has a victim mentality.” (h/t LowKick MMA)

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With so many stories at play as we race towards the opening pay-per-view of 2022, the headliner is certainly shaping up to be a thriller. It’s already been described as the “most compelling” heavyweight contest of all time by Chael Sonnen.

But when the cage door closes, rivalries beyond the Octagon and contractual disputes will be left on the outside, and bombs will be thrown on the inside. You’d be hard-pressed to find a fan not brimming with excitement ahead of this one.

Who do you think will leave the Octagon as the undisputed champion at UFC 270, Ciryl Gane or Francis Ngannou?

Continue Reading Coach: Ngannou Is A “F*cking Liar” For Denial Of Gane Sabotage at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane: Ngannou Is Most Powerful & Athletic Person I’ve Ever Seen

Ciryl Gane has high praise for future opponent Francis Ngannou.

At UFC 270, former sparring partners Gane and Ngannou will face in a heavyweight championship unification bout. In an interview with La Suer Clips (French MMA News Outlet) posted on Y…

Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane has high praise for future opponent Francis Ngannou.

At UFC 270, former sparring partners Gane and Ngannou will face in a heavyweight championship unification bout. In an interview with La Suer Clips (French MMA News Outlet) posted on Youtube Monday, Ciryl Gane labeled Francis Ngannou as the most athletic and powerful person he has ever seen.

“Till today, I’ve never seen anyone as powerful, as athletic, with such knockout power, I’ve never seen it. In terms of strength, he might be the most impressive guy in UFC’s history,” said Gane.

Gane’s assessment of Ngannou’s power is not an overstatement. Gane is very familiar with Nganou’s power as the two used to be training and sparring partners at MMA Factory in France before Ngannou had a fallout with the management and moved to the States. Ngannou currently trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

In 2017, Ngannou visited the UFC Performance Institute, where he set the world record for the hardest punch ever. Ngannou recorded a punch of 129,161 units, breaking Tyrone Spong’s previous record. His speed power was measured at 51,064-foot pounds/per second, which is equivalent to the horsepower of a small car.

Video of Ngannou’s record-setting punch

Ngannou has scored 12 knockout victories of his 16, with eight of them coming in the first round. Gane, on the other hand, doesn’t pack the punch as powerful as Ngannou, only having four career wins by knockout with just one in the first round. Cautious of Ngannou’s power, Gane knows that he has to play it safe and strategic when the two lock horns in the Octagon.

“You know, we’re coming into this fight with our own strengths. We’re not here to try and counter his strengths. We don’t want to try and be stronger than him,” said Gane. “I’m not gonna try to become stronger than him in three months, it wouldn’t make sense.”

Do you think there is a person in MMA more powerful than Francis Ngannou?

Continue Reading Ciryl Gane: Ngannou Is Most Powerful & Athletic Person I’ve Ever Seen at MMA News.

Bisping Encourages Ngannou To Focus On Gane Rather Than Distractions

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has encouraged reigning heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou to keep his sights set on what matters right now, upcoming opponent Ciryl Gane.

It’s probably safe to say no other heavyweight fight in…

Francis Ngannou, Michael Bisping

Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has encouraged reigning heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou to keep his sights set on what matters right now, upcoming opponent Ciryl Gane.

It’s probably safe to say no other heavyweight fight in UFC history has had so many different narratives at play leading into it as the UFC 270 main event. On January 22, Ngannou and interim champion Gane will collide in a blockbuster unification title fight to open the promotion’s pay-per-view account for 2022.

On the face of it, the clash pitches two former teammates, one who left his long-time coach Fernand Lopez to pursue fresh pastures and achieve success elsewhere, and one who has grown into the new face of Paris’ MMA Factory gym. With their awkward backstage encounter at UFC 268 and the words aired in interviews since, that story is providing a nice build ahead of the fight.

Next, we’ve got the stylistic story. A heavyweight behemoth with the hardest punching power on the globe comes up against the new breed of heavyweight: a fast, technical, and evasive Frenchman who has become an expert in hitting and not being hit.

But below those intriguing layers lies the real story: the heavyweight champion’s ongoing feud and contractual dispute with the promotion. The cherry on top is Ngannou’s clear intention to eventually lace the boxing gloves, something he says must be possible in any new UFC deal.

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Bisping Suggests Boxing Ambitions & Contract Dispute Will Distract Ngannou

In recent weeks, the feud between Ngannou and Lopez and the actual clash between “The Predator” and “Bon Gamin” has been somewhat lost amidst a unique situation between the UFC and one of its titleholders.

Ngannou’s manager recently spoke out about his client’s treatment and revealed two things the promotion must offer the Cameroonian in order for him to re-sign. Currently, a defeat for Ngannou could see him depart the UFC for another organization, which is a truly remarkable prospect considering his position as champion.

Alongside that, Ngannou has continued to shout his boxing ambitions to the world. He recently revealed his hopes to test his skills in the ring against top heavyweight boxers Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.

One man who knows a lot about holding UFC gold and pre-fight prep is former 185-pound king Michael Bisping. During a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, “The Count” warned Ngannou about becoming too invested in scenarios and situations away from his primary goal: a victory over Gane at UFC 270.

“It’s already a tough enough fight. But now, I think Francis is kind of muddying the waters a little bit because there’s all his contract talk. If you google Francis Ngannou’s name, there’s a lot of talk about contract disputes, and he wants more money and things… There’s also a lot of talk about him going to the boxing world.

“I just think that all this could be a distraction. Ciryl Gane is a very, very tough opponent for any man… I hope for Francis and everybody involved that (a crossover to boxing) does happen. But you’ve just gotta be careful because he’s got Ciryl Gane, and it’s kind of a distraction to be thinking about these things… Ciryl Gane is probably in the gym, in training camp, right now, just thinking about Francis Ngannou, formulating a game plan. Then when you google Francis Ngannou, it’s talk about contracts, it’s talk about money, and it’s talk about boxing. You’ve gotta be careful in this day and age.”

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What Ngannou’s status in the UFC will be come fight night is anyone’s guess. While Dana White recently claimed he’d had a “positive talk” with the champ while out for dinner, we’ve yet to hear any similar updates out of the Cameroonian’s camp.

One thing we know is that if Ngannou wins, he’ll be sticking around for at least another defense, meaning the contract debacle could be far from being sorted.

Do you agree with Michael Bisping? Will Francis Ngannou’s contractual dispute and boxing ambitions distract him ahead of UFC 270?

Continue Reading Bisping Encourages Ngannou To Focus On Gane Rather Than Distractions at MMA News.

Lopez Threatens To Release Sparring Footage Of Gane Dropping Ngannou

The beef between Francis Ngannou and former coach Fernand Lopez continues to grow.

The UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has a date set to defend his title against his old training partner Ciryl Gane. The matchup is arguably one of the most …

Francis Ngannou Ciryl Gane Fernando Lopez

The beef between Francis Ngannou and former coach Fernand Lopez continues to grow.

The UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has a date set to defend his title against his old training partner Ciryl Gane. The matchup is arguably one of the most anticipated heavyweight title fights in a long time. Now, the growing animosity between Ngannou and Gane’s head coach Fernand Lopez is adding even more drama to this bout.

Recently, Lopez set forth some heavy claims that accused Ngannou of trying to keep Gane out of the UFC. Ngannou was also the target of some released footage that showed Ngannou and Gane training together.

The Cameroonian was unhappy with the clip that was released and called it misleading. According to Lopez, however, Ngannou could have been made to look much worse. And now, he is willing to release the entire length of training footage.

“That footage didn’t tell the whole story of what happened in training,” Lopez told Low Kick MMA. “There were so many opportunities where they got the better of each other in sparring, so we couldn’t have manipulated the footage. He didn’t want me to release the whole footage because, in that specific training, Francis Ngannou ate a knee shot to the liver and got dropped. Stopped the whole training. These are facts. Francis was on his backside. If he’s saying this isn’t true, I’ll release the whole footage. But, my content manager didn’t want to release it because we have privacy in the gym. When guys train in your gym, they expect things to stay in the gym.”

Ngannou and Gane trained together at MMA Factory in France before Ngannou left. Lopez, now the head coach of Gane, has expressed his problems with Nagnnou in a public capacity. In return, Ngannou publically ignored them while both were backstage at UFC 268 in New York.

Everything will soon enough be settled inside the Octagon. The real fight will be taking place on Jan. 22 at UFC 270. At that time, all sparring footage will become obsolete and the truly better man and fighter will be crowned as the UFC heavyweight champion.

Do you think Francis Ngannou has what it takes to defeat Ciryl Gane at UFC 270?

Continue Reading Lopez Threatens To Release Sparring Footage Of Gane Dropping Ngannou at MMA News.