Getty Francis Ngannou
Reigning UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou is currently sidelined with a knee injury, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting some work in with his hands. And in a recent training post, “The Predator” looked massive.
Ngannou went under the knife in March to repair his MCL and reconstruct his ACL, he revealed in an Instagram post. Fast forward around five months and the fighter is looking bigger than ever.
See the post of him hitting mitts below:
The video garnered a lot of reaction, with many sharing their take in the post’s comment section.
“I never want to get any trouble with the predator. He’s a killing machine with the strength of the almighty,” someone commented.
“I feel bad for the trainer .. look at his face lmao,” a fight fan wrote.
Another typed: “I’m happy to see the stronger man in the world back in the octagon. Can’t wait to see you fight again.”
“I feel the power right here. Keep going champ,” someone commented.
Another wrote: “Those liver shots no one can survive.”
“You will be undefeated if you keep yourself humble,” someone else chimed in.
“Them pads don’t help much when hit by a cannon ball,” a person wrote.
Ngannou Said in a Recent Video That He Weighs Nearly 300 Pounds
The Predator would have to cut weight to make the 265-pound heavyweight limit right now. During a recent YouTube video on his channel, Ngannou revealed that he weighed just south of 300 pounds.
“A lot, a lot more than I used to weigh,” Ngannou said via MMA Mania. “It’s been six months though, six months since I last fought and had to train. Not three (hundred) … 290, 293.”
Ngannou last fought in January at UFC 270 when he utilized his underrated wrestling and grappling to earn a unanimous decision win over then-interim champion Ciryl Gane.
Ngannou and the UFC remain at odds over his contract. The fan-favorite fighter will technically be a free agent within the coming months, and although he’s made it clear he wants to stick with the promotion, he’s also eyeing a boxing match with Tyson Fury. And with how the UFC structures its exclusive contracts, combatants can’t compete in other matches outside of the UFC without the organization’s permission.
Ngannou hopes that he and UFC president Dana White can work together to allow him to box Fury while also competing inside the cage as the company’s heavyweight king.
Ngannou Could Fight as Early as December
TMZ Sports caught up to Ngannou in June and they asked the heavyweight champion about his recovery. The Predator told the outlet that his knee is “getting better” and that he could return to the Octagon as early as the end of December.
“It’s getting better,” Ngannou said via Low Kick MMA. “Pretty good, it wasn’t easy but we’re getting there. It’s been only three months so yes, I’m still doing physical therapy. If everything goes well, I will be ready by the end of the year because it is going to be nine months. So let’s say late December or early next year.”