Francis Ngannou already made a name for himself in mixed martial arts. Considering that the UFC is home to the biggest and baddest fighters around, Ngannou was essentially head and shoulders above the rest – although Jon Jones would vehemently dispute that statement.
After failing to re-sign with the multi-billion dollar conglomerate, Ngannou made a career change, opting to try his hand at boxing. In his pro debut, he was given who many believe is the best heavyweight in the world, Tyson Fury.
Against all odds, the boxing newbie promised that he would shock everyone. Winning may have ultimately eluded him, but he still accomplished his goals.
For large stretches, Ngannou dominated, even scoring a second-round knockdown in the process. Malik Scott, Deontay Wilder’s current head trainer, couldn’t believe what he was watching. The poise, the skills, and of course, the thumping power – it was all there.
While he may have come up short, prognosticators are calling for either a rematch or another jumbo event. Mentions of Wilder, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk are prevalent in the mind of Ngannou.
Facing those aforementioned names is one thing, but beating them is something else entirely. For those who believe Ngannou has what it takes to take out any of the heavyweight division’s elite, Scott advises that they seek medical attention.
With that said, it wouldn’t be facetious to consider Ngannou a better fighter than most of the heavyweight crop.
“Francis is not coming over here just beating anybody,” Scott explained to BoxingScene.com during a recent interview. “But I believe Francis would beat a lot of guys in the top 15-20. The landscape is not that sexy right now. It’s not like we got a lineup of full killers. There’s guys that he can beat that’s been boxing way longer then him.”