UFC: Francis Ngannou Surgery Update
Francis Ngannou, the UFC heavyweight champion, will take a break from competing in UFC fights.
He plans to have knee surgery to fix the injuries he sustained before his bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270, according to ESPN.
Two weeks back in Anaheim, California, Ngannou unified the UFC heavyweight championship by defeating Ciryl Gane (10-1) by majority decision.
Ngannou then disclosed that he had a damaged knee going into the five-round fight. During sparring sessions leading up to the fight, he tore his MCL and injured his ACL.
On Monday, Ngannou had a medical examination in Los Angeles. Ngannou hopes to return to his native Cameroon shortly, according to Martin, and he and his team did not want the surgery to get in the way of it.
When he returns to the United States, he will have an ACL repair treatment, with a nine-month rehabilitation timetable, according to Martin.
For the bulk of his MMA career, Ngannou has fought solely in the UFC. He’s indicated a desire to box professionally on several occasions, and he told ESPN that his next contract must allow him to do so.
Francis Ngannou Health Condition: Knee Recovery Status
Ngannou’s manager, Marquel Martin, estimated that his recuperation would take a few months. Ngannou is optimistic that things will be back to normal before the end of the year.
The challenger, Gane, was taken down by Ngannou, who was wearing knee pads, who utilized a surprise ground-based strike. Ngannou was declared the winner by unanimous decision.
Ngannou disclosed at the postfight news conference that he had MCL and ACL injuries 25 days prior to the fight.
Martin stated that the MCL is fully gone and that the surgery will be focused on the ACL.
Ngannou is in an unusual position, as he made his eighth appearance in the UFC last weekend, as part of an eight-fight deal he signed with the organization in 2017.
Because of a champion’s clause in his contract, he is still under exclusive contract with the UFC, but he informed ESPN prior to UFC 270 that he would not compete again under the terms of his current contract.
It remains to be seen whether the UFC and Ngannou can reach an agreement on a new contract.
The two sides have made numerous attempts to achieve a new agreement, with one coming near in 2021.
Dana White, the president of the UFC, was strangely missing following Ngannou’s victory over Gane in Anaheim and has not talked publicly about Ngannou’s contract since.