Coach discloses what worried Francis Ngannou inside the ring against Tyson Fury
Francis Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick has disclosed the point of worry for 'The Predator' during his fight against Tyson Fury.
The former UFC heavyweight champion made his pro-boxing debut against the WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Despite walking into the fight as a massive underdog, Ngannou impressed everyone with his skills and even managed to knockdown Fury in the third round of the fight.
However, it wasn't enough to earn him a victory and Francis Ngannou ended up losing a close split decision. Speaking about the fight during a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Ngannou's coach Eric Nicksick spoke about the things that could've been done in order to secure the later rounds.
According to Eric Nicksick, Ngannou seemed to be worried about his cardio going into the later rounds of the fight and started to reserve his energy. While suggesting that 'The Predator' could've done a bit more to secure the victory. Nicksick stated:
"As the rounds were going on, I could tell that Francis was a little worried about his cardio but he wasn't showing it at all. I just feel like he was kind of reserving a little bit of something and then we were like, 'Dude you're in great shape, like you're in amazing shape let's start pushing the pressure a little bit more.'"
Watch the interview below (10:32):
Francis Ngannou's manager gives an update about 'The Predator's' next fight
Following an impressive outing against Tyson Fury, the combat sports community is eager to see what's next for Francis Ngannou. Speaking about it during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou's manager, Marquel Martin gave an update about the former UFC heavyweight champion's return.
While suggesting that Ngannou is looking to return in the first quarter of 2024, Martin said:
"I think we will see him again in Q1 [2024]. Whether that's with his partners at the PFL or a hybrid of some sort. I think all options are on the table and it's going to be exciting that who really wants to fight him. It's not so much Francis chasing, which is a good situation to be in. I would say the decision is probably 90% made, not 100%."
Check out Martin's comments below: