Is Francis Ngannou still the UFC heavyweight champion?
Yes, Francis Ngannou is still the reigning UFC heavyweight champion of the world. However, some followers of MMA find themselves confused regarding his position as champion due to the recent crowning of Ciryl Gane after his win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265.
Here's some clarity for those who are still confused. Ciryl Gane's victory over Derrick Lewis did earn him a title - the interim UFC heavyweight championship. Francis Ngannou remains the undisputed champion at the top of the food chain. One may ask, what is an interim title?
The UFC paves the way for an interim title if the champion of a division is unable to maintain regular activity inside the octagon. In this case, Francis Ngannou was reportedly unable to compete so soon after winning the title. Resultantly, the UFC announced an interim title fight between top-ranked contenders Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis.
'Bon Gamin' Ciryl Gane will now face Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout. UFC president Dana White confirmed the same at the post-fight press conference after UFC 265 in Houston, Texas.
When did Francis Ngannou win the UFC heavyweight title?
Francis Ngannou became the UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 260 in March 2021. He faced off against arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest heavyweight in UFC history and then-reigning champion Stipe Miocic.
The fight at UFC 260 was the second encounter between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou. In their first fight at UFC 220, Miocic outclassed Ngannou throughout the course of five rounds.
The fight was Francis Ngannou's first loss in the UFC, prior to which he had become the most dreaded fighter to walk the canvas.
But at UFC 260, Francis Ngannou came prepared to make the most of his title shot. His striking was much more technical and precise, and his improved ground game allowed him to stay in control when Miocic looked to take the fight to the mat.
Within the first minute of round two of their fight at UFC 262, Francis Ngannou knocked Stipe Miocic out cold to finally clinch heavyweight gold. With the win, 'The Predator' became the UFC's third African champion, following in the footsteps of Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman.