UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has his first title defense coming up against interim champ Ciryl Gane and is training with one of the best strikers in the world to prepare for the challenge. Ngannou is training with Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven down at Xtreme Couture MMA Gym. Bringing in top global talent is […]
UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou has his first title defense coming up against interim champ Ciryl Gane and is training with one of the best strikers in the world to prepare for the challenge.
Ngannou is training with Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven down at Xtreme Couture MMA Gym.
Bringing in top global talent is nothing new for top-tier MMA gyms such as Xtreme Couture. Ngannou is preparing for what could be a tough test on the feet against the crafty Gane.
El campeón de peso completo de Glory, Rico Verhoeven, ayudando a Francis Ngannou con su kickboxing, de cara a la unificación de su título contra Ciryl Gane. pic.twitter.com/4oZ22uTNZH
Coach @Eric_XCMMA posted on Instagram that Francis Ngannou has brought in Glory heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven into his camp ahead of his title defense against Cyril Gane.
Francis Ngannou And Rico Verhoeven Are Two Of The Top Heavyweights In The World Today
Ngannou earned the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260. Before that, he had won four fights in a row by knockout after suffering disappointing losses to Miocic and Derrick Lewis.
Ngannou is probably garnering a lot of knowledge from Verhoeven, who was originally supposed to fight Ngannou’s former opponent, Alistair Overeem, and a recent Glory kickboxing event. Overeem pulled out of the fight with an injury and Verhoeven ended up knocking out Jamal Ben Saddik in their trilogy.
Ngannou and Verhoeven are regarded as two of the most feared men in combat sports today. Both men usually put on a show when they’re in the cage, and often put on knockout performances against their opponents.
Verhoeven has a record of 59-10 in professional kickboxing and hasn’t lost a single fight since 2015. Ngannou isn’t just a striker but has also shown off improved grappling, as evidenced in his most recent win over Miocic.
It’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever get the chance to see Verhoeven and Ngannou go to battle in either kickboxing or MMA, but nothing is impossible. For now, it’s nice to see two of the best heavyweights in the world teaming up and making each other better.
What is your prediction for Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 270?
Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has suggested he’d rather train Ciryl Gane for free than reunite with “The Predator” for $100,000.
Ngannou began his career in MMA under the tutelage of Lopez at the renowned MMA Factory gym in Paris, Fr…
Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has suggested he’d rather train Ciryl Gane for free than reunite with “The Predator” for $100,000.
Ngannou began his career in MMA under the tutelage of Lopez at the renowned MMA Factory gym in Paris, France. After a spell in jail and a period living on the streets following his release, the Cameroonian was taken in by Lopez , who allowed the powerhouse to train and sleep in his gym for no cost.
After going 5-1 across the Pacific, Ngannou was signed by the UFC in 2015, and secured his first title shot on MMA’s biggest stage following six straight finishes. After falling short of gold against Stipe Miocic, and suffering a second consecutive loss at the hands of Derrick Lewis seven months later, Ngannou had an unceremonious split from MMA Factory.
Now under the guidance of Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture, Ngannou has scaled the heavyweight mountaintop. But while “The Predator” has fought his way to the title, a new product out of MMA Factory has been stalking him from below.
In just three years in the sport, Gane has developed a unique heavyweight style, made it to the UFC, defeated the likes of Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Alexander Volkov, and capitalized on Ngannou’s inability to defend the belt in August this year to become the interim champ.
With his victory over Lewis at UFC 265, “Bon Gamin” set up a blockbuster unification bout with his former teammate, which is set to headline UFC 270 next January.
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Lopez Has No Desire To Train Ngannou Again
Given the history between the heavyweight king and MMA Factory, the clash between Ngannou and Gane was always going to bring up some of the disagreements and tension between the two camps in the build-up. However, not many would have expected that to hit the metaphorical front pages so soon.
It started at Madison Square Garden at UFC 268. Gane and Lopez, who were in attendance to corner middleweight prospect Nassourdine Imavov, can be seen standing backstage in a clip that went viral towards the end of the November 5 pay-per-view. In the video, Ngannou walks past his former coach and teammates without even acknowledging them. A confused Gane questioned the snub at the time and in a later interview with MMA Junkie.
After insisting that the real issue is the misconception about his attitude towards the animosity, Lopez suggested he’d rather train Gane for free than coach Ngannou again for $100,000.
“Okay, let me put it simple. If I have to sit tomorrow with Francis, talk with him (and) work with him, about something else, not training, I can’t train with him, but I can do a bunch of things with him; it’s not a problem for me. Yeah, I will appreciate this to be the past because I don’t keep that in my mind.
“What is frustrating is the misunderstanding of what’s going on. It’s not the problem that we have or the issue that we have, the frustrating point is people do not know what’s going on and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s jealous.’ Why should I be jealous? I would prefer, if they give me right now $100,000 to go train him (Ngannou) for 10 minutes or train Ciryl for free, I will train him (Gane) for free.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CSUFvdVjBsM/
Lopez went on to claim that similar to how Ngannou is happier at Xtreme Couture, he’s content with the crop of talented and loving fighters he has at MMA Factory. With that in mind, the renowned coach reiterated that he expects nothing from Ngannou anymore.
“I’m happy for him (Ngannou). This is the thing, having a gym is not about good coach or bad coach, it’s about where you feel good. Francis do feel good with Xtreme Couture; perfect, for him. I’m very glad for him… In my way, I find my way. Which is, I have tons of guys, very nice, bringing me so much love… When you ask me that will bring me back to the situation that people do not understand… no. I do not expect anything from him. He’s a nice guy in some parts, in other parts he’s not that nice.”
While the upcoming clash between Gane and Ngannou was already an exciting one, the backstage snub, coupled with the interim champ and Lopez’s responses, has made for an even more intriguing storyline heading into UFC 270.
Who do you think will leave Anaheim with the unified heavyweight title in January, Ciryl Gane or Francis Ngannou?
Things are starting to heat up ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane. The former teammates are expected to clash at UFC 270 with the winner being crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion. At UFC 268, Ngannou sensationally snubbed his Gane and his old team as he walked right by them without even glancing in their […]
Things are starting to heat up ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane.
The former teammates are expected to clash at UFC 270 with the winner being crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion.
At UFC 268, Ngannou sensationally snubbed his Gane and his old team as he walked right by them without even glancing in their direction. The moment was caught on camera and has since gone viral, with ‘Bon Gamin’ since speaking about his confusion following the incident.
Fernand Lopez Accuses Francis Ngannou Of Sabotaging His Teammate
Fernand Lopez, who is the head coach at MMA Factory where Ngannou used to train and Gane still does, has added more heat to the rivalry by claiming ‘The Predator’ strategically advised the UFC against signing his next opponent.
“At the time (the start of Ngannou’s career), what I was doing was that every time they (MMA Factory fighters in the UFC) had an interview, I will ask them to drop the name of Francis Ngannou; name-drop him,” Lopez said on The MMA Hour. “So every time that they will get caught in an interview, they will say, ‘Oh, we have so much good talent, you will know, soon enough you will know Francis Ngannou.’ That’s how I was trying to build his name… That’s how I used to push guys.
“As a matter of fact, I did do the same for Ciryl Gane… I tried to sign him with Mick Maynard,” Lopez added. And you know what, Francis went back to Vegas and he said to me, ‘Hey, I had Mick and he asked me if young guy in my gym name Ciryl Gane is good.’ And I said, ‘Oh yeah, he did? He said, ‘Yes, but you know what, because that people in the matchmaking, because they expect me to be very, very dithyrambic on the name of the guy, I didn’t say that, I said he’s a little bit good, but he’s not good yet to go to the UFC.’ That’s coming from Francis Ngannou’s mouth. For him, that’s a strategy to do not have Mick Maynard get suspicious of me and him being on the same page, which is not true.” (Transcribed by MMA News)
How do you see Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane playing out?
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has discussed his expected move up to heavyweight in 2022, suggesting “the world isn’t ready.”
Jones is undoubtedly the greatest light heavyweight of all time and is widely regarded as the leading con…
Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has discussed his expected move up to heavyweight in 2022, suggesting “the world isn’t ready.”
Jones is undoubtedly the greatest light heavyweight of all time and is widely regarded as the leading contender in the overall GOAT debate. The two-time 205-pound king became the youngest champion in UFC history with his title victory over Maurício “Shogun” Rua in 2011. Among a host of light heavyweight records, Jones boasts the most title defenses, most wins, and the longest winning streak.
After returning from suspension to regain the belt with a win over Alexander Gustafsson in 2018, Jones went on to defend the gold three times against Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Dominick Reyes during his second reign. After a tight decision victory over “The Devastator,” Jones vacated the belt to pursue a move up to heavyweight.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CWO_uKev9ru/
Jones Says The World Isn’t Ready For Heavyweight “Bones”
Jones has now been out of action since last February. In that time, “Bones” has continuously shared training videos and updates on his ongoing transition to the UFC’s heaviest division. After Francis Ngannou dethroned Stipe Miocic earlier this year, most had expected Jones to be the first challenge to the Cameroonian’s reign.
After failed negotiations and a public feud over the promotion’s failure to meet his pay demands, Jones announced that he’d remain on the sidelines until 2022. Despite a troubling arrest for battery domestic violence, Jones’ comeback is seemingly still on track. The 34-year-old was recently spotted training with Henry Cejudo at the Fight Ready gym.
Providing a further update on his heavyweight status, Jones recently interacted with a fan on Twitter. Responding to a question surrounding Ciryl Gane’s abilities, “Bones” admitted the Frenchman is “pretty unique” for a heavyweight, but claimed the world isn’t prepared for the level of uniqueness he’s set to bring to the Octagon in his new weight class.
I think he’s pretty unique for a heavyweight, I don’t think the world is ready for how unique I’m going to be. I believe my light heavyweight experience will be the biggest difference in my future fights. https://t.co/BbXyC0d7CX
“I think he’s pretty unique for a heavyweight, I don’t think the world is ready for how unique I’m going to be. I believe my light heavyweight experience will be the biggest difference in my future fights.”
Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has accused the UFC Heavyweight Champion of downplaying Ciryl Gane’s abilities to the UFC while the pair were teammates.
After transitioning from poverty to superstardom under the tutelage of Lopez at Fr…
Francis Ngannou’s former coach Fernand Lopez has accused the UFC Heavyweight Champion of downplaying Ciryl Gane’s abilities to the UFC while the pair were teammates.
After transitioning from poverty to superstardom under the tutelage of Lopez at France’s famed MMA Factory gym, Ngannou moved to the United States and rose to the top of the heavyweight mountain with Xtreme Couture’s Eric Nicksick behind the wheel. Since losing back-to-back fights to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis in 2018, “The Predator” has been on a brutal tear in the division, leaving the bodies of Cain Velasquez, Curtis Blaydes, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Miocic in his wake.
While Ngannou surged to the top of the food chain, Lopez and MMA Factory have developed a new star from across the Pacific. In less than four years, Gane has made the transition to MMA from Muay Thai, signed for the UFC, and won interim gold. By defeating Lewis at UFC 265, “Bon Gamin” set up a unification fight with Ngannou, which is set to go down at UFC 270 in January 2022.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVZ1Q1wsQjj/
Lopez Questions Ngannou’s Intentions
While the anticipation for the clash has been high ever since it was on the table, and the history surrounding Ngannou’s departure from France’s biggest gym is well-known, the rivalry and storyline has been enhanced over the last week. It began with an awkward backstage encounter at UFC 268.
While Ngannou was in attendance to support his fellow African champion Kamaru Usman, Lopez and Gane cornered Nassourdine Imavov for his fight against Edmen Shahbazyan. A video was released towards the end of the event that showed the heavyweight champ walking past the MMA Factory team without acknowledging them.
In another revelation, Lopez told Helwani that before Gane was signed by the UFC, matchmaker Mick Maynard asked Ngannou about the Frenchman, who was his teammate at the time. According to the coach, Ngannou told Maynard “Bon Gamin” wasn’t good enough for the UFC.
“At the time (the start of Ngannou’s career), what I was doing was that every time they (MMA Factory fighters in the UFC) had an interview, I will ask them to drop the name of Francis Ngannou; name-drop him. So every time that they will get caught in an interview, they will say, ‘Oh, we have so much good talent, you will know, soon enough you will know Francis Ngannou.’ That’s how I was trying to build his name… That’s how I used to push guys.
“As a matter of fact, I did do the same for Ciryl Gane… I tried to sign him with Mick Maynard. And you know what, Francis went back to Vegas and he said to me, ‘Hey, I had Mick and he asked me if young guy in my gym name Ciryl Gane is good.’ And I said, ‘Oh yeah, he did? He said, ‘Yes, but you know what, because that people in the matchmaking, because they expect me to be very, very dithyrambic on the name of the guy, I didn’t say that, I said he’s a little bit good, but he’s not good yet to go to the UFC.’ That’s coming from Francis Ngannou’s mouth. For him, that’s a strategy to do not have Mick Maynard get suspicious of me and him being on the same page, which is not true.”
Quoting actor Denzel Washington, Lopez questioned Ngannou’s decision not to make the most of an opportunity to bring one of his teammates into the UFC with him. Among other things, Lopez said the champ’s decision not to promote Gane was one of the factors behind his deteriorating relationship with Ngannou.
“The only thing we can say about that is that you had the opportunity to drag a new guy, coming from your gym, in(to) the UFC, and you felt the liberty to say to the matchmaking that the guy could become a good guy, but for now, he’s not good enough. That’s why I’m finding. It’s not about him in or out of my gym, I’m so proud of him to go to Erick Nicksick… But what I’m finding here is that at some point in the life, Denzel Washington was saying… ‘When I got to the heaven, God would ask me, which motherfucker did you pull from your community?’ Who did you drag with you? Who did Francis drag with him? No one.”
What do you make of Fernand Lopez’s claims that Ngannou rejected the opportunity to encourage the UFC to sign his teammate?
Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane has commented on Francis Ngannou’s decision to avoid an interaction with “Bon Gamin” and his team backstage at UFC 268 last weekend.
Gane, who trains out of Fernand Lopez’s MMA Factory in Paris, France, s…
Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane has commented on Francis Ngannou’s decision to avoid an interaction with “Bon Gamin” and his team backstage at UFC 268 last weekend.
Gane, who trains out of Fernand Lopez’s MMA Factory in Paris, France, set a collision course with Ngannou, a former member of the gym, with his crowning in August. After “The Predator” wasn’t ready to defend his belt against Derrick Lewis at Houston’s UFC 265 pay-per-view, the promotion’s desire to have “The Black Beast” headline saw “Bon Gamin” matched up with him in a controversial interim title fight.
After finishing Lewis, marking his third main event win of 2021, Gane extended his unbeaten record to 10-0 and booked himself in a blockbuster unification bout against the champion. Despite being months away from their clash, tensions appear to be high between the elite heavyweights.
At UFC 268 in New York City, Ngannou, who was in attendance to support fellow African champion Kamaru Usman, crossed paths with Gane and Lopez backstage. The pair were at Madison Square Garden to corner Nassourdine Imavov in his prelim fight against Edmen Shahbazyan.
Now, in an interaction with MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Gane has commented on the tense backstage snub. According to “Bon Gamin,” he was left perplexed by Ngannou’s decision not to acknowledge his former team. The Frenchman described the Cameroonian’s conduct as “not necessary.”
“[I think you said, ‘Why didn’t he say hello?’] Yeah, something like that, exactly. I say, ‘Why? Just why?’ It was not necessary. But, it’s like that. Some people think different, like me. Some people think different. For me, it was not necessary, but he did it. This is his choice so, that’s it.”
But while Gane holds some understanding for Ngannou’s decision to avoid an interaction with him and Lopez, the interim champ’s real confusion surrounds his upcoming opponent’s decision not to greet Imavov.
According to Gane, the surging middleweight was one of Ngannou’s top sparring partners during his time at MMA Factory. Given that he’d just defeated a high-ranked contender, a win which has seen him rise to #12 at 185 pounds, Gane believes it’s a shame Imavov was also dismissed by Ngannou.
“I’m surprised because maybe he has something against me, maybe he has something against his former coach, Fernand Lopez, but Nassourdine Imavov? Nassourdine Imavov just finished his fight, and he won, and in MMA Factory, maybe Nassourdine Imavov was Francis’ biggest sparring partner. So Fernand, OK. Me, I’m the future opponent, OK. But Nassourdine Imavov, it’s a little bit of a shame.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVZ1Q1wsQjj/
The stage for the unification bout between Gane and Ngannou is certainly being nicely set. The pair are expected to come to blows in the main event of UFC 270 on January 22. Given his unique heavyweight style, many are intrigued to see how “Bon Gamin” fares against the biggest powerhouse in the division.
Will Gane’s ‘hit and don’t be hit’ gameplan stump Ngannou like it has so many other top heavyweights? Only time will tell…
Who do you think will walk away with the undisputed heavyweight gold on January 22, Ciryl Gane or Francis Ngannou?
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Things are starting to heat up ahead of Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane. The former teammates are expected to clash at UFC 270 with the winner being crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion. At UFC 268, Ngannou sensationally snubbed his Gane and his old team as he walked right by them without even glancing in their […]
