Khabib Nurmagomedov predicts how the heavyweight title unification bout between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will go

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Francis Ngannou (left), Khabib Nurmagomedov (central), Ciryl Gane (right) [Images Courtesy: @francisngannou @khabib_nurmagomedov @ciryl_gane on Instagram]

Khabib Nurmagomedov has predicted who will win the heavyweight title bout between champion Francis Ngannou and interim champion Ciryl Gane.

In a recent interview recorded and translated by Fighting Flashback, Khabib Nurmagomedov was discussing the topic of heavyweights in MMA. He began by revealing who he believes Ciryl Gane is the greatest heavyweight in modern MMA. He went on to acknowledge that Ngannou's knockout power made him a more entertaining fighter.

This naturally led to Khabib Nurmagomedov being asked who he believes will win the upcoming clash. He had the following to say:

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"I think Ciryl Gane will win. I have never met Ciryl before. I used to meet and talk with Ngannou many times. My professional opinion is that Ciryl Gane is better as a fighter."

Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane do not yet have a fight booked. However, Gane recently captured the interim title after defeating Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. This victory makes him the number one contender. Gane has since hinted that a fight in early 2022 is likely.

Gane vs. Ngannou is especially intriguing due to the fact that they are former training partners. The two men were both coached by Fernand Lopez at the MMA Factory in Paris, France. Ngannou later made the decision to move to the US.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals he would like to sign Ngannou or Gane to his own MMA promotion

Since retiring from the sport, Khabib Nurmagomedov has purchased his own MMA organization, Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC). During the same interview, he was asked whether he would be interested in signing any talent from outside of Russia. He stated that:

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"I would like to sign a heavyweight fighter. Some interesting heavyweight fighter. We have a big deficit in the heavyweight division. It would be interesting to sign a heavyweight. Ngannou or Ciryl Gane."

You can check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's full interview below:

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