Watch: When Dana White said Francis Ngannou's punch was like 'getting hit by a Ford Escort'
Francis Ngannou is arguably the most intimidating knockout artist the sport has ever seen. Back in 2018, Dana White revealed the exact statistics behind the Cameroonian's devastating punching power.
Ngannou took on then-heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 220 three years ago. At the pre-fight press conference, Dana White revealed the nature of the power behind a punch from 'The Predator'. The UFC president said:
"Francis Ngannou has the world record for the most powerful punch, his punch is the equvivalent to 96 horsepower which is equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can. And it's more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer swung full force from overhead. Holy sh*t!"
The stats behind Francis Ngannou's brute force were revealed when he paid a visit to the UFC Performance Institute. He set the record for the hardest punch ever recorded at 129,161 units.
Ngannou has recorded knockout victories over the likes of Curtis Blaydes (twice), Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Stipe Miocic. In every fight he's won, 'The Predator' has been able to knock his opponent out.
Francis Ngannou will face the toughest task of his career against Ciryl Gane
Francis Ngannou is set to take on Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270. Ngannou became the UFC heavyweight champion following his stunning knockout victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 earlier this year. Gane became the interim UFC heavyweight champion after defeating Derrick Lewis at UFC 265.
'The Predator' is well aware that he will face the toughest task of his career when he locks horns with Gane. The duo used to train with one another and are familiar with each other's style of fighting. Ngannou will have to be smart with his power and cannot risk gassing out like he did against Stipe Miocic three years ago.
Gane incorporates a karate-style stance and is extremely agile on his feet. He has done extremely well against power punchers like Ngannou in the past, having secured wins over the likes of Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
It remains to be seen if he can evade the bombs that will be coming his way when the two heavyweights collide.