Francis Ngannou has been making big revelations in recent days. He admits that Kamaru Usman helped him a lot before facing Ciryl Gane.
Francis Ngannou took a big risk by ending his UFC contract against Ciryl Gane while injured. But it was Kamaru Usman who encouraged him to take this risk. Ngannou had enormous pressure on his shoulders heading into the first defense of his heavyweight title against Gane at UFC 270. Not only was he fighting and finishing his contract with the promotion with every intention of testing the life of he was a free agent, but he hoped to do so with the belt around his waist to maximize his negotiating power.
Francis Ngannou thanks Kamaru Usman
In the end, Francis Ngannou won the fight against Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision. The Predator reveals that this victory allowed him to obtain a much more lucrative fight, in fact, for him, this victory allowed him to negotiate the boxing fight against Tyson Fury. Watch the two men face-to-face here. It was only afterwards that the champion revealed that he had fought injured, suffering serious knee damage, which made his victory all the more impressive.
During his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience show, Francis Ngannou revealed that it was former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman who gave him the belief that he could win, even if he was injured. Seeing Usman fight through a similar injury and speaking with him before his fight against Gane, he knew he could do the same.
“When they explained to me what was happening with my knee, I was very worried. I called Kamaru or he called me. We were on the phone, we were talking and he explained to me what he had. I remember one time when I saw him in Vegas, when he fought, I think it was Colby Covington the first time, and the guy was in bad shape,” Ngannou explained.
“I was like, ‘So, this guy is going to fight on Saturday? “I was so worried. I felt uncomfortable. But that evening he was very strong. This is the guy I saw on Wednesday who could barely walk. He was sharp. I knew exactly what was wrong with him, and that helped me believe that when the time comes, your fighting instincts will take over.”
Although it was a significant risk, it turned out to be the right decision for Francis Ngannou. This confidence allowed him to get the boxing match he wanted, as well as a contract with the PFL.
