5 UFC fighters who could compete for an interim heavyweight title in Francis Ngannou's absence
Right now, it’s probably fair to suggest that the future of UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is very much undecided. Not only is ‘The Predator’ embroiled in a contract dispute, he recently underwent knee surgery too.
🏽
Knee surgery went very well today ( ACL reconstruction and MCL repare).
PS: no meniscus damage 🙏🏽
Thank you to Dr Alattrache and staff for taking great care of me.
Sincerely, THE KING 🤴
#thepredator #africa #3kings #cameroon #Batie #SANSANBOY https://t.co/aJNa7aGNm1
With Francis Ngannou’s future up in the air, it seems likely that the UFC will introduce another interim heavyweight title in the near future. So, which fighters could compete for it?
Thankfully, the promotion has no shortage of high-level big men right now and any number of combinations could produce an excellent fight and a worthy interim champion.
With that in mind, here are five UFC heavyweights who could compete for an interim title in Francis Ngannou’s absence.
#5. Curtis Blaydes – No.4-ranked UFC heavyweight contender
One fighter who seems to be flying under the radar right now in the UFC heavyweight division is Curtis Blaydes. The big wrestler is due to fight Chris Daukaus in the main event of this weekend’s Fight Night show. If he wins, he could absolutely be in contention for a shot at any interim title that may be created.
It’s true that ‘Razor’ has come under fire at times for fighting in a less than pleasing style, largely relying on his wrestling and takedowns to defeat his foes.
With that said, he’s also a ruthless finisher when he wants to be, as he showed in his wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Junior dos Santos.
RAZOR. BLAYDES. #UFCRaleigh https://t.co/71vUfAvdIM
Blaydes is not an invulnerable fighter. In fact, he may already have received a shot at the heavyweight crown had he not suffered a knockout loss to Derrick Lewis in the early part of 2021.
However, that loss was his first since December 2018. Outside of that, he’s beaten five of his last six opponents, including Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his most recent fight.
When you also consider that, stylistically, ‘Razor’ is probably the toughest fight for any of the heavyweights ranked highly in the promotion right now, it’s probably fair to say that with a win over Daukaus this weekend, particularly if he can achieve a finish, it’d be harsh not to give him a shot at becoming interim champ.