UFC 260 : FRANCIS NGANNOU NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
Francis Ngannou of Cameroon became the new heavyweight champion of the world, in the confines of the Apex in Las Vegas, during UFC 260, by dominating the American Stipe Miocic in the 2nd round.
This time around, 34-year-old Francis Ngannou didn't let his chance slip away. The Cameroonian-born Las Vegas resident got the job done in his second attempt to snatch the UFC heavyweight title from Stipe Miocic (20-4) on Saturday night. Ngannou (16-3) knocked out the 38-year-old two-time champion at the 52nd second of the second round with a final left hook to capture the title in the main event of UFC 260 in Vegas.The stats are unmistakable 58 punches thrown for 36 significant, one takedown, two knockdowns...
Power like no other... #UFC260pic.twitter.com/5VKidSGMeu
- UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2021
Miocic had beaten Ngannou in their first fight at UFC 220. But Ngannou was patient from the start on Saturday, using a much-improved defense to avoid takedowns. In the second round, the Cameroonian went for it, throwing lefts repeatedly until the ever-tough Miocic finally let go. A series of hammerfists on the ground finally ended the fight. Ngannou said the lessons learned in his first fight against Miocic, which Miocic won by a one-sided unanimous decision, helped him learn where he needed to improve. This was his second attempt to capture the UFC heavyweight title. After his loss to Miocic, Ngannou lost a decision to Derrick Lewis. He went on to win four consecutive fights by knockout, the longest of which lasted only 1'11, to earn his rematch for the heavyweight title.
Just a kid from Batié, Cameroon #UFC260pic.twitter.com/7ipT9YFzkQ
- UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2021
The Cameroonian, a colossus of 1.93m for 120 kg, has thus become the first UFC world champion from French MMA. "My life has always been a form of combat," he confided to Le Figaro. "I arrived in France in 2013 with barely a hundred euros in my pockets. I was homeless, sleeping in a parking lot (...) My family was very poor. From the age of 12, I had to work in the sand quarries in the summer to support my relatives and buy my school supplies. Despite my efforts, I was always left out of school". Now he is the king of the heavyweights.
Source: AFP
