Francis Ngannou reacts to being compared with Khabib Nurmagomedov following UFC 270 grappling display
Francis Ngannou drew a ton of praise from fans, the media and fellow fighters following his victory over Ciryl Gane at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, this past weekend.
Ngannou shocked the world with his grappling chops in the main event of UFC 270. Usually known for his devastating knockouts, the Cameroonian opted for a different approach in his heavyweight title-unification bout with Gane and it worked wonders.
After getting outstruck on the feet for the first two rounds of the bout, Ngannou realized the need to change his strategy and chose to take the fight to the ground instead. 'The Predator' landed as many as four takedowns, maintaining either top position or staying on Gane's back for the most part on the mat.
Ngannou brought Gane into uncharted territory at #UFC270 🤼 https://t.co/dKSVXtVnEF
At the end of the five scheduled rounds, Ngannou was declared the winner via unanimous decision. The champ is being showered with praise for his incredible display of grappling on the night, with many comparing him to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is regarded as one of the best grapplers on the planet.
When asked to respond to comparisons to 'The Eagle', Ngannou simply said he's the Kamaru Usman of heavyweights. Usman, who is known for his wrestling prowess, is the current welterweight champion.
Usman cornered Ngannou during his fight with Gane and has helped 'The Predator' improve his grappling over the years.
When Francis Ngannou just heard he’s “the Khabib of the heavyweights”, he chuckled and said “the Usman of the heavyweights” #UFC270 https://t.co/FPgIcEArTx
Tyson Fury asks Francis Ngannou to box him if 'The Predator' wants to make some "real money"
Boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has once again teased a potential showdown with Francis Ngannou inside the squared circle. Following Ngannou's statement-making victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, 'The Gypsy King' took to Twitter to congratulate the champ as well as respectfully call him out.
Fury also said that Ngannou will make some "real money" if he accepts the challenge. The reigning WBC heavyweight world champion tweeted:
"Congratulations @francis_ngannou but if you want to make some real money come see the GK"
Congratulations @francis_ngannou but if you want to make some real money come see the GK 💰
Francis Ngannou has previously expressed interest in fighting Tyson Fury and recently stated that he'd like to switch to boxing before the end of his career. Having fought the last bout on his current contract with the UFC this past weekend, Ngannou could see his pugilistic dreams come to fruition sooner than expected.