"The king is here to stay" - Aljamain Sterling, Jon Jones, and other UFC fighters react to Francis Ngannou's successful title defense against Ciryl Gane
Francis Ngannou has successfully defended his undisputed heavyweight crown by defeating interim champion Ciryl Gane in their title unification clash at UFC 270.
Out of all the possibilities, Ngannou bested Gane in the unlikeliest manner. 'The Predator' outwrestled his former training partner to score a unanimous decision win after five rounds β his first non-finish victory in the UFC.
π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π π #ANDSTILL
[ @Francis_Ngannou | #UFC270 | B2YB @CLMBR_Official ] https://t.co/JXnWqtUkMb
The champion's victory came with huge implications for his career moving forward. Ngannou, of course, has been entangled in an ongoing contract dispute with the UFC. With that in mind, the Cameroonian found himself in a must-win situation as losing would've taken away his leverage in contract negotiations down the line.
Faced with seemingly overwhelming odds, Ngannou rose to the occasion. Here's how the pros reacted to the 'The Predator's successful title defense at UFC 270.
UFC fighters react to Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane
Francis Ngannou's display of maturity impressed most of his fellow UFC stars. Heading into the fight, many believed that Ngannou's only path to victory is knocking out Ciryl Gane with his volcanic power.
However, 'The Predator' unexpectedly utilized what many believed was his greatest deficiency. Former UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Miesha Tate were pleasantly surprised by the weapons in Ngannou's arsenal.
#andstill the champion @francis_ngannou great job by the champion. Who would have thought it would be wrestling and grappling that got him the victory. Congrats champ!
@francis_ngannou wrestling?!! Who woulda thought! Told you guys he works hard and is getting better at an unprecedented rate #UFC270
Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and featherweight contender Calvin Kattar went after Ngannou's critics. Meanwhile, Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson said nobody believed Ngannou was capable of putting on such a well-rounded performance.
Imagine saying βFrancis canβt win a decision over a highly nimble and skilled Gane,β
Then he goes out and wins a decision! SUPER impressive! The king is here to stay! #UFC270
How quickly they forget champ #UFC270
0% of people thought Ngannou should win that way! What an evolution. Congrats to the baddest man on the planet! #UFC270
Belal Muhammad and Lando Vannata were reminded of different UFC legends after witnessing Ngannou's improved wrestling and ground game. Muhammad compared Ngannou to Khabib Nurmagomedov, while Vannata believes Ngannou fought like Antonio Noguiera on the ground.
Is this francis or Khabib
Amazing job champ!Okay. @francis_ngannou is now Francis Nogueira π Amazing job champ!
@ufc
However, not everyone was impressed by the main event clash. Jon Jones appears to be more confident that he can beat both Ngannou and Gane after watching them fight each other. 'Bones' added that the fight was so uninspiring that he might as well stay inactive.
If this is the Apex of heavyweight fighting, Iβm excited about it. Got some more records to break
Lol Shit I may just enjoy retirement
Jones, of course, has been heavily rumored to fight the winner of Ngannou vs. Gane in his heavyweight debut. That's if he can settle his own contract dispute with the UFC.
YouTube star-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul didn't seem to enjoy the action either.
Boring fight.