Coach Eric Nicksick posts emotional tribute to Francis Ngannou after successful title defense at UFC 270

Eric Nicksick has posted an emotional tribute to his student Francis Ngannou following UFC 270.

In the main event this past weekend, Francis Ngannou overcame some real adversity, both physically and mentally, to defeat Ciryl Gane and successfully retain the UFC heavyweight title.

The win was one that we hadn't seen before from 'The Predator' in terms of how he got the job done. Nonetheless, he was the one who walked out of California as the king of the heavyweights.

Eric Nicksick played a huge role in getting him to where he is today. In a recent Instagram post, the Xtreme Couture coach wanted to let the world know how proud he is of the champion.

"Now that the dust has settled and more details have come out about the adversity we saw all through camp, I think it’s important to say a few things about the baddest man on the planet. In the moment of this picture, my exact words to Francis was, 'You did this. This win is on you. Your self belief and unwavering confidence won you this fight.' And it did. I feel like every great champion has their moments of adversity, it’s almost a right of passage to be considered a defending champion. I am honored to be able to witness this first hand, and be able to walk amongst your greatness. Keep shining, Bubba."

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What made the difference for Francis Ngannou?

The wrestling of Ngannou was quite clearly a huge factor between the third and fifth rounds, but the corner work was particularly noteworthy.

In a clip that's been circulating ever since the fight, Nicksick made sure to let Ngannou know how highly he thought of him.

“Hey, look at me. I believe in you motherf***er, okay? We’ve been through so much s*** together - this is you, okay? You understand me? This is you, kid. Let’s go.”

The belief he had in his student was clear for all to see. In the end, Ngannou went out there and proved why he's one of the greatest heavyweights to ever step foot in the UFC.