Francis Ngannou’s greatest victories in the UFC

Francis Ngannou made the bold move to leave the UFC at the beginning of this year. The French-Cameroonian fighter opted to make the switch to a totally other form of combat in boxing. 

Ngannou’s switch to boxing is not unprecedented, many UFC fighters such as Conor McGregor have embarked on similar ventures in the past.

I have been underestimated and doubted before. We’ll see 📝 #FuryNgannou #CountingChickens @riyadhseason #BattleOfTheBaddest pic.twitter.com/G44GazIGZn

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) September 29, 2023

The former mixed martial arts star will now rely solely on his punching in the ring. A line can be firmly drawn underneath his prior career, but what were his greatest victories throughout his time in the UFC?

Revenge against Stipe Miocic

Ngannou’s strongest-ever opponent in the Octagon could perhaps be compared to the first task he will face in boxing.

Stipe Miocic was once flirting with the prospect of becoming the UFC’s greatest heavyweight ever. Tyson Fury is close to nailing down a similar title in boxing, and he will star in Ngannou’s debut in the sport. In the outright markets for odds on Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou, the former is a massive -1200 favorite. 

The former UFC star could perhaps use his previous victory against a man-mountain in Miocic to greaten his chances in the ring against Fury. Ngannou had previously been beaten by Miocic before meeting the American in a rematch in 2021. At UFC 260, he earned his revenge on his opponent by knockout, which came via punches. 

He dominated the first round, which led to Miocic coming out aggressively in the second to try to close the distance. However, Ngannou unleashed a deadly knockout blow. One quick action symbolized the French-Cameroonian’s greatest skill of heavy striking. 

Ngannou entered the Octagon as an outsider and came out with the UFC Heavyweight title – the single greatest moment of his combat career to date as he became a world champion for the first and only time.

When Ngannou earned his second title shot

Ngannou’s crowning moment against Miocic was, of course, the greatest victory of his career.

The second most vital Octagon appearance was the night he earned that title shot. Ngannou had fought for the heavyweight title before and lost against Miocic in 2018. In 2020, however, Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik fought for the opportunity to challenge the then-champion.

The pair made up the remainder of the top three in the heavyweight rankings behind Miocic. Their fight was hugely anticipated due to the vast uncertainty surrounding how it would pan out. Both fighters had knockout potential, and both would have been forgiven for deploying reserved tactics in the Octagon. However, the fight offered a huge surprise, with both fighters trading heavy blows immediately.

Ngannou knocked out Rozenstruik after just 20 seconds and it went down as arguably his most impressive finish ever in the UFC. His greatest moments both came after his failed title shot in 2018. His ability to bounce back and make history despite suffering a huge disappointment is indicative of his mentality and fight. 

🚨| @arielhelwani says that Jones/Miocic and Ngannou/Fury will happen “within a few weeks of each other.”

Jones vs. Miocic goes down on November 11th.

[per The MMA Hour]#UFC290 #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/hatVkUHdgk

— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) July 10, 2023

Fury will likely be far too strong of an opponent for Ngannou to mount a successful start to his boxing career. It may take a few disappointing losses before he wins a boxing bout. But if Ngannou continues to train hard, he could forge a strong legacy in the sport, like he has done in the UFC.