Francis Ngannou reveals psychiatrist in 2018 warned him ex-coach Fernand Lopez could be a 'problem'

Fernand Lopez (left;) and Francis Ngannou (right) Image Credit: via @lopez_fernand on Instagram)

Francis Ngannou has revealed that he was warned by a psychiatrist in 2018 that his former head coach Fernand Lopez could be a "problem" for him.

The UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou left Lopez's MMA Factory gym for the Xtreme Couture facility after a major clash with his fellow Cameroonian.

During a recent interview uploaded to the UFC's YouTube channel, 'The Predator' added that he thought the psychiatrist was crazy back then for asking him to watch out for Lopez.

"At some point, I thought we were okay. Because even when I was in Vegas, I was friendly and connected to him. That's why sometimes I will ask him to come to my corner even though I wasn't in his gym anymore. You know just as a friend. Obviously, that wasn't enough. So many things was on his mind. And I couldn't bring a solution to that... I always knew something like this might come from him. I was in Paris three years ago after the Derrick Lewis fight. I was dealing with some personal stuff on my end. I decided to see a psychiatrist. It's funny because even three years ago she pointed out that Fernand was a problem so watch out. I thought she was crazy. But she started breaking it down and putting it in the notes. Now, I think she was all right," said Ngannou.

Watch Francis Ngannou in conversation with UFC reporter Megan Olivi below:

Francis Ngannou has never been finished in his MMA career

Francis Ngannou will square off against his former training partner and interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270 on January 22nd, 2022.

Ngannou holds a 16-3 win-loss record in his professional mixed martial arts career, while the unbeaten Gane is 10-0. The Cameroonian has never been finished inside the octagon and has also never gone the full distance during victories.

See the official poster for this month's UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane in California below:

1️⃣4️⃣ more days to @Francis_Ngannou vs @Ciryl_Gane 👀

[ #UFC270 | Jan 22 | @HondaCenter | Tickets 🔗 ufc.ac/3x3MxMU ] https://t.co/keffcLsWkk

Francis Ngannou is currently training under Eric Nicksick, while Dewey Cooper is his striking coach.

The Frenchman Ciryl Gane, on the other hand, is being trained by Fernand Lopez, thereby hyping up the heavyweight unification bout even more.