Eric Nicksick details Francis Ngannou’s fight through knee injury at UFC 270
When reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou stepped into the Octagon for his first defense earlier this year, he was clearly less than 100 percent. The ‘Predator’ suffered a knee injury in the lead-up to his fight against then-interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 this past January. Plagued by a Grade 3 […]
Jared Cannonier ‘planning on neutralizing’ Israel Adesanya, won’t be goaded into a striking battle
Jared Cannonier believes he will be the first middleweight to provide the winning formula to beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 276. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ claims the key is to not get sucked into ‘The Last Stylebender’s’ game and to avoid a striking battle at all costs. Cannonier believes he will succeed where Adesanya’s previous opponents […]
‘He was lucky’ – Michel Pereira details hotel confrontation with Francis Ngannou
Given his size, power, and reputation, UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is easily one of the most intimidating men to ever walk the planet. But some would dare to want that smoke, one of them being welterweight fighter Michel Pereira. “Demolidor” apparently had an altercation with “The Predator” at their hotel lobby after UFC 270 […]
After UFC 273 win Khamzat Chimaev vows to smash Colby Covington’s face
Khamzat Chimaev proved he’s one of the top welterweights in the UFC last night. At UFC 273 he bested former title challenger Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision. Chimaev didn’t have it all his own way, but despite being bloodied and bruised in the contest he managed to prove that much of the hype behind him […]
Dana White open to fourth ‘freak’ fight between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo
UFC 270’s co-headliner between Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo lived up to the hype. For the third time, the two elite flyweights put on a show, but this time, it was the Brazilian who emerged victorious to reclaim the 125-pound title. With the first fight ending in a draw and the second one going to […]
‘I got paid $950K six years ago’ – Mark Hunt blasts Francis Ngannou’s $600K ‘joke’ salary
This week, former UFC two-division Randy Couture rallied behind reigning heavyweight king Mark Hunt. Not only did “The Natural” speak out against the UFC’s practices, he also issued a warning to “The Predator” based on his own experience dealing with the company’s top brass. “(The UFC will) drag Francis into court and try to bleed […]
Couture: UFC will drag Francis Ngannou ‘into court’ and ‘bleed him’ of his money
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has been at odds with the organization for a while now, and there hasn’t been any progress. “The Predator” did defend the heavyweight title at UFC 270 against Ciryl Gane, but he says his contract situation remains uncertain. With the way things are going, it won’t be surprising if Ngannou’s […]
Deiveson Figueiredo wants $1 million for fourth Brandon Moreno fight
One of the first things Deiveson Figueiredo did after he regained the UFC flyweight title with a decision win over Brandon Moreno at UFC 270, was to call for a fourth consecutive bout against the former champion. And on Monday, January 31st, the two-time UFC 125-pound champion named his price for that fight. “I’m ready […]
UFC 270 Reactions & UFC Vegas 47 Picks | Care/Don’t Care Podcast
It’s time for another one of our infamous and patented Care/Don’t Care Podcasts, with your talent: the astounding Eugene S. Robinson, author of the ‘Eugene S. Robinson Substack’, the fight book: “Fight: Everything You Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You’d Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking”, host of the ‘Eugene S. Robinson […]
The Level Change Podcast 159: Oliveira-Gaethje, Big Franci vs. UFC
Welcome to the The Level Change Podcast, our combat sports themed variety show hosted by Stephie Haynes, Mookie Alexander and Victor Rodriguez, featuring the news of the week, fight card breakdowns and analysis, a roundup of regional promotions’ cards and fights, and whatever else we decide is important enough or entertaining enough to bring to […]
Sean O’Malley says Francis Ngannou shouldn’t have ‘talked s—t’: You can’t do that to Dana, your boss
Francis Ngannou and Dana White’s relationship have seemingly deteriorated following a long and public contract dispute. The heavyweight champion is said to get knee surgery soon, then likely wait out the remaining time on his UFC deal. As Ngannou could possibly be the first to enter free agency even as the sitting UFC champion, many […]
‘It’s just flawed by design’ – Francis Ngannou’s coach says injury leaked from UFC PI
Francis Ngannou’s coach, Eric Nicksick, has a theory on how, why and when the odds turned against Ngannou for his UFC 270 matchup against Ciryl Gane. According to the coach at Xtreme Couture, the physical layout of the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas had a lot to do with Ngannou going from a favorite […]
Sonnen on Ngannou: Holding out, hoping a boxing promoter is ‘willing to lose’ money on you is ‘silly’
Things have deteriorated between Francis Ngannou and the UFC brass that the heavyweight champion now badly wants out of his UFC contract, even if it means walking away from millions of dollars. Ngannou supposedly wants to sit out the remaining months left on his deal — mostly just stemming from the champion’s clause — and […]
UFC champ Francis Ngannou headed for surgery, likely out for ‘9 to 10 months’
After his successful title defense at UFC 270, heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou revealed he entered the fight against Ciryl Gane with a knee injury. Specifically, “The Predator” claimed to have completely torn his MCL while also damaging his ACL during camp, which almost led to his withdrawal. Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin gave an update on […]
‘I saw Francis all week, you idiots’ – Dana White explains absence during Ngannou vs. Gane at UFC 270
In a rare moment during a UFC PPV, company president Dana White was MIA. He wasn’t there to wrap the belt around Francis Ngannou’s waist after the main event, and he was nowhere to be found during the post-fight presser. White’s absence raised some questions, particularly because of his reportedly strained relationship with the UFC […]
Michael Pereira didn’t expect Andre Fialho’s toughness at UFC 270: ‘He really surprised me’
Known for his flashy strikes in the Octagon, welterweight Michel Pereira was surprised by his opponent at UFC 270. Paired up against Andre Fialho in a bout he won via unanimous decision, the Brazilian was surprised when his opponent started out so strong in the match. Furthermore, Pereira did not expect to lose a round […]
In defense of booking Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno IV
As Deiveson Figueiredo waited for Brandon Moreno to enter the octagon at UFC 270, he surely noticed the reception his opponent, who was — at that time — the reigning UFC flyweight champion, received from the crowd at the Honda Center in Anaheim. It was loud; it was approving and it was likely music to […]
Have you seen Jon Jones’ legs? Ngannou or Gane could ‘snap it in half’ with one kick, says Wonderboy
For the last year and a half, Jon Jones has been putting in the work to make himself a strong contender at heavyweight. The former light heavyweight champion managed to get himself up to as heavy as 250 pounds in preparation for the new phase of his career. Many of us are curious to see […]
Quitting exotic dancing ‘was one of the scariest things’ I’ve done – UFC 270’s Vanessa Demopoulos
One of the notable moments of this past weekend’s UFC 270 was Vanessa Demopoulos’ win over Silvana Gomez Juarez. The 33-year-old won the fight via first-round armbar after being knocked down with a right hand. What made Demopoulos’ win more noteworthy is her personal backstory. During her post-fight scrum, she revealed quitting her job as […]
UFC fighter rankings: Figueiredo back on P4P list, Yan rises
Right up to the headliner, UFC 270 was a banger of an event. Though five of the first ten fights went to decision, not a single one of them were boring and there was a lot of high-level action. What there wasn’t, unfortunately, was a lot of relevancy. Cancellations and late changes meant that a […]
UFC 270 Fight Night weights: Deiveson Figueiredo regained nearly 20 pounds after weigh-ins
It’s been over two years since the UFC’s last card in California, which means it’s been a good while since we’ve gotten data on the fight night weights for fighters. As part of its efforts to curb excessive weight cutting, the California State Athletic Commission keeps track of fighters’ weight differentials from weigh-in day to […]
Francis Ngannou’s biggest fight is against the UFC and it’s already well underway
The biggest – and maybe toughest – fight of Francis Ngannou’s career began in earnest the moment Bruce Buffer announced that the ‘Predator’ had defeated Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 270. That fight, which started with a few test jabs thrown all the way back in March of 2021, could get ugly. […]
Francis Ngannou willing to walk away from $7 million to get ‘freedom’ from the UFC
Francis Ngannou sounds like he's done dealing with the UFC
Francis Ngannou says UFC threatened him with lawsuit moments before UFC 270; reveals ‘racist’ text
Francis Ngannou may have retained the UFC heavyweight title on Saturday, but his victory didn’t seem to get enough luster as it should. For one, UFC president Dana White didn’t wrap the belt around his waist and ditched the post-fight presser, raising more questions about their professional dealings. On Monday afternoon, “The Predator” appeared on […]
We’re ‘seeing the evolution of heavyweights’ – Usman talks Francis Ngannou’s UFC 270 win
Francis Ngannou’s fight against Ciryl Gane in the UFC 270 headliner didn’t go the way anyone seemed to expect. Two highly respected strikers – one with devastating power, the other with a large bag of technical tricks – went five whole rounds, in what ultimately proved to be mostly a grappling contest. Later fans would […]
‘That guy is incredible’ – Deiveson Figueiredo wants fourth Moreno fight in Mexico
After his third encounter against Brandon Moreno, Deiveson Figueiredo finally walked out of the Octagon victorious. Now once again the undisputed UFC flyweight champion, ‘Deus da Guerra’ still doesn’t have his sights set on facing a different challenger, however. The Brazilian was so impressed with his opponent’s performance at UFC 270 that he believes a […]
Where was Dana White? – Eight unanswered questions from UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane
Will Kay Hansen stay at flyweight? Kay Hansen dropped her UFC flyweight debut to Jasmine Jasudavicius via unanimous decision. Hansen, who had previously only fought at 115 pounds in the UFC, had a 2-1 career record at flyweight prior to UFC 270. The fight was the 12th of the pro career of the 22-year-old and […]
Dana White doesn’t put belt on Francis Ngannou, ditches UFC 270 press conference; Champ responds
It seems Dana White didn't have any time for the champ following his big win at UFC 270.
UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane – Unofficial Awards
UFC 270 is in the bag and there is no shortage of drama from the event. Francis Ngannou proved himself to be a true mixed martial artist as he utilized wrestling to ground and control Ciryl Gane for several rounds of their five round title fight. The true drama there is only just starting as […]
UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane – Fights to make
Despite a main event that truly lacked luster, UFC 270 sort of over-delivered. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane may be nobody’s idea of a thrilling fight to go back and watch over again, but in the moment it was highly compelling theater. Deiveson Figueiredo’s third battle with Brandon Moreno provided all the high stakes, back-and-forth […]