It didn’t take long for Francis Ngannou to pick up the biggest win of his career in Detroit.
Ngannou, one of the scariest fighters in the world, viciously knocked out Alistair Overeem early in the first round of the UFC 218 co-main event Saturday night. Overeem started very quickly, rushing Ngannou at the opening bell and seemingly looking for a takedown, but Ngannou was able to reverse and eventually separate from the fence. It wasn’t long after that before Ngannou landed a brutal left hand to put “The Reem” to sleep.
What was the highlight of the fight?
There isn’t an argument here, of course. The fight lasted only a couple minutes, and the only big moment was Ngannou’s knockout blow. He might just be the heaviest hitter in the heavyweight division, and despite Overeem’s known chin issues, he showed that at Little Caesars Arena. Overeem has great striking defense, but that didn’t matter. Ngannou’s stoppage win was ultra impressive.
Where do these two go from here?
Ngannou is getting a title shot against heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. Joe Rogan was adamant that that was the case when interviewing Ngannou post-fight, and Dana White confirmed so at the post-fight press conference. There is no way around it; Ngannou is a beast and more than deserves the next crack at the champ.
Overeem was one fight away from another — and perhaps his last — title shot in the UFC. I’m not sure he can ever get back to the top after this stunning loss, especially now with Ngannou ranked ahead of him. He’s still one of the best heavyweights in the world, and there is no shame in losing to Ngannou, but it’s still a step backwards, and at age 37, it could just lead to two more steps back.
Watch now, later, or never?
You don’t need to spend much time to watch Ngannou’s destruction of Overeem, so check it out now.