Tag: Fernand Lopez

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)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXmEIH0MuoI/

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.

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.

EXCLUSIVE | Fernand Lopez Rips ‘F*cking Liar’ Francis Ngannou

Fernand LopezMMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez isn’t happy with his former protege, Francis Ngannou, calling him “evil and manipulative” after sparring footage with Ciryl Gane went viral. Ngannou and Gane are set to square off for the unified UFC heavyweight title at UFC 270, the first pay-per-view of the new year. The two elite strikers […]

Fernand Lopez

MMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez isn’t happy with his former protege, Francis Ngannou, calling him “evil and manipulative” after sparring footage with Ciryl Gane went viral.

Ngannou and Gane are set to square off for the unified UFC heavyweight title at UFC 270, the first pay-per-view of the new year. The two elite strikers were once teammates at MMA Factory before Ngannou was kicked from the gym after a falling out with Lopez.

The two sides have gone back-and-forth on their relationship at MMA Factory before Ngannou ultimately joined Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Both have accused the other of various misdoings. Lopez claims that Ngannou tried to stop the UFC from signing Ciryl Gane. ‘The Predator’ has since denied trying to stand in the way of Gane signing for MMA’s premier promotion.

During an exclusive interview with LowKickMMA, Lopez responded to Ngannou’s recent comments on his YouTube page.

Fernand Lopez Explains How Francis Ngannou Talked Down On Ciryl Gane

“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 f**king 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,” Lopez added. “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? How am I 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 s**t. Francis Ngannou is full of s**t and has a victim mentality.”

The Lopez/Ngannou tensions have been a key component to the buildup ahead of UFC 270. While Ngannou and Gane don’t appear to have legitimate animosity for one another, it’s clear that he doesn’t care for his former coach.

The UFC heavyweight title fight will be the main focus of Fight Week, but the back-and-forth between Ngannou and Lopez will almost certainly be a topic of discussion for weeks to come.

What is your reaction to Fernand Lopez‘s comments?

EXCLUSIVE | Fernand Lopez Admits Sparring Footage Didn’t Tell The Whole Story: ‘Francis Got Dropped’

Fernand LopezMMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez has cleared up what really went down between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane in their sparring sessions and now-viral footage. The buildup to Ngannou vs. Gane at UFC 270 has been interesting, to say the least. After Gane won the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis, sparks have flown […]

Fernand Lopez

MMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez has cleared up what really went down between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane in their sparring sessions and now-viral footage.

The buildup to Ngannou vs. Gane at UFC 270 has been interesting, to say the least. After Gane won the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis, sparks have flown from both sides, especially between Ngannou and Lopez.

Things turned up a notch after footage of Gane and Ngannou sparring each other during their time at MMA Factory went viral. The clips show the two going at it in a light sparring session, with Gane arguably showing a bit more technical striking, despite it being in a training environment.

During an exclusive interview with LowKickMMA, Lopez asserted in never before released footage that Ngannou got dropped by a knee from Gane, briefly halting the session.

Fernand Lopez Claims Francis Ngannou Got Dropped With A Knee To The Body While Sparring Ciryl Gane

“That footage didn’t tell the whole story of what happened in training,” Lopez said. “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.”

Lopez’s comments come after Ngannou went as far as calling his former coach “evil and manipulative” for leaking the sparring footage. Gane has also said that he’s able to manage Ngannou’s power and that the heavyweight champion is aware of this.

The first UFC pay-per-view of the year features a heavyweight showdown for the ages, and this ongoing controversy will surely fuel the fire of both men.

What do you think about the Francis Ngannou/Ciryl Gane sparring controversy?

Francis Ngannou Denies Trying To Stop The UFC Signing Ciryl Gane

Francis NgannouFrancis Ngannou has responded to the claim that he tried to stop the UFC from signing his former teammate turned heavyweight rival, Ciryl Gane. ‘The Predator’ will attempt to unify the heavyweight division against the interim champ, Gane, at UFC 270 on January 22. According to Fernand Lopez of MMA Factory, this is a situation […]

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou has responded to the claim that he tried to stop the UFC from signing his former teammate turned heavyweight rival, Ciryl Gane.

‘The Predator’ will attempt to unify the heavyweight division against the interim champ, Gane, at UFC 270 on January 22.

According to Fernand Lopez of MMA Factory, this is a situation Ngannou was desperate to avoid a few years ago.

“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 in November 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.”

Francis Ngannou Refutes The “Evil” Claim

Ngannou posted a video to his YouTube account which focused on his sparring sessions with Gane while also taking the time to deny the claim made by his former coach.

“And recently, I saw something about him. They sent me something like, which his coach said about me – Fernand [Lopez] – He said I told [UFC matchmaker] Mick [Maynard] that Ciryl is good but not that good or something like that. I’m like, ‘Man. This, like; this nasty.’ You know, this is not a fair game anymore. It’s not a fair game anymore. Like, I understand this position is not; you want to take everything, you want to destroy somebody. But to go after him like that, associate other people; I mean, I think this is evil. You know, but I know the man, and I know how it processed.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Do you think Francis Ngannou would try to sabotage his teammate?

Ngannou Explains Gane Snub, Thinks UFC Set The Whole Thing Up

Francis Ngannou has explained his viral backstage snub of former training partner Ciryl Gane, and he says there’s more than what meets the eye.

One of the stories that came out of UFC 268 had nothing to do with all the in-cage action. A backstage n…

Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

Francis Ngannou has explained his viral backstage snub of former training partner Ciryl Gane, and he says there’s more than what meets the eye.

One of the stories that came out of UFC 268 had nothing to do with all the in-cage action. A backstage non-encounter between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane widely made the rounds over the internet, with Ngannou shown walking straight past Gane without even a trace of acknowledgment.

Gane himself was flabbergasted by the whole scene, summing his thoughts up in three short words: “Why? Just why?”

In an interview with Daniel Cormier that dropped Wednesday, Ngannou explained why. And as it happens, it wasn’t a snub of Ciryl Gane after all, but rather one of the other figures seen in the video, Ngannou’s ex-head coach and Gane’s current coach, Fernand Lopez.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to say hi. I feel like I didn’t want to say hi for my sake,” Ngannou said. “Well, it’s been a couple years now that [Lopez is] out there picking on me. I mean, like, yeah, I want to be nice, but when I saw him in that position, I [had] a few thoughts. I’m like, ‘OK, should I say hi? Then, I’m like, ‘I don’t know. I might go closer and say hi and somehow you will hear that I said [something I didn’t say].

Coach Fernand Lopez Says Dana White Was Telling The Truth About Francis Ngannou Having An Ego Problem
Fernand Lopez (left) and Francis Ngannou (right)

“Getting close to him was giving an opportunity for him—not only the fact that I’m sure that he didn’t need me to say hi, but it was giving him an opportunity to again say something that I didn’t say. So I’d rather stay in the distance. So it was good that the camera was there. They couldn’t say, ‘Francis said this,’ right? That was for my sake. I needed that. No, not like Francis say this. Maybe you can stand there. If we have to talk, we talk here. But once again, I don’t have a need—it’s not like we’re friendly. He’s attacking me all the time. Like, I can’t do that.”

Ngannou’s concerns may be warranted here, as Lopez has certainly made many accusations against his former fighter as of late. Among them, he claimed that Ngannou nudged the UFC not to sign Ciryl Gane, that Ngannou still owes gym fees to him, and he also stated that he’d rather coach Gane for free than work with Ngannou again for $100,000.

Ngannou also clarified that he has no issues at all with Gane. And as for Gane’s confusion on the whole matter goes, Ngannou says he would have had the same reaction if he were in Gane’s shoes. That said, had it only been Gane standing there, Ngannou assures that we would have seen a much less frigid video.

“I would have been confused to,” Ngannou said. “Because if I walk by Gane, I would say hi. If it’s just him, I would say ‘Hi, what’s up…’

“And if I say hi to them without saying hi to Fernand and then they respond, I think that might cause them a problem as well. So it just was a very confusing situation.”

Francis Ngannou Believes The Backstage Run-In Was Set Up By UFC Officials

After explaining #Snubgate, Ngannou wold then make a bombshell accusation. The UFC heavyweight champion says he is convinced the UFC set it up so that he would cross paths with Gane and Lopez. When an incredulous Daniel Cormier nearly refused to hear Ngannou’s reasoning out of sheer disbelief, Ngannou insisted that he present his evidence.

“There was this lady taking us to our seat. And she was bringing us to this section, and then they talked to her over the radio. And then [she said], ‘Oh, sorry, I’m wrong.’ So she turned around and we get back [and Gane and Lopez are standing right there]. I mean, tell me how this can be a coincidence…

“And when you look, by the time I come from the corner, the guy was ready with his camera. Like, if you watch that video, he was on me by the time I turned around the corner and just zooming on me like, ‘Oh, he’s there! He’s coming!’ [makes music sound] Like this movie scene! He was there waiting for [me]! It’s not like you see somebody and you’re like, ‘Oh, [it’s] them, let me film.’ Like, come on. His camera wasn’t just there ready to film something if ever something happened. No, he’s waiting.”

Backstage drama and conspiracy theories aside, arguably the two very best heavyweights in the world will compete at UFC 270 on January 22. This heavyweight blockbuster will be a title unification bout between Ngannou and Gane.

Yesterday, the UFC dropped the official poster for the event, which you can peep below.

May be an image of 2 people, indoor and text that says 'CHA UFC HAMP 270 AMP FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT THRONE NGANNOU VS GANE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP JAN 22 SATURDAY ON PPV HONDA Center.'

Do you believe the UFC set up the backstage encounter between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane?

Continue Reading Ngannou Explains Gane Snub, Thinks UFC Set The Whole Thing Up at MMA News.