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Francis Ngannou successfully defended his heavyweight belt against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. In his post-fight interview, the Cameroonian revealed that he had sustained multiple knee injuries three weeks prior to the fight.
Ngannou told Joe Rogan that he tore his MCL and ACL ligaments while preparing for the fight against Gane. He also stated that he nearly pulled out of the fight, but wanted to make a statement so badly that he went ahead with the bout.
Ngannou said:
"It's been a very tough training camp. Very tough 10 months. A lot of s***, you know. Like 3 weeks ago I hurt my knee. Tore my MCL completely, hurt my ACL and all those stuff, and wanted to call off this fight but couldn't see myself a retrieve from this fight because it was a moment for me to make a statement and to remind people that I'm the champ. You guys might sleep on me, forget about me, I put in work everyday."
Francis Ngannou stunned the MMA community once again at UFC 270. Only this time, it wasn't due to his ferocious power.
After getting picked apart on the feet by Gane's technical striking, Ngannou decided to take the fight to the ground, successfully landing takedowns at will.
'Bon Gamin' looked visibly shaken by Ngannou's adjustments and had no answer to the African's strength on the ground. 'The Predator' defeated Gane via unanimous decision.
Francis Ngannou expressed gratitude towards his home country of Cameroon after UFC 270 win
Francis Ngannou, being classy and humble after retaining his heavyweight title, showed gratitude and appreciation towards his nation of Cameroon. In the post-fight interview, the Cameroonian champion said he was grateful for the support he received from his country.
Ngannou said:
"I want to thank my family, my friends, and my fans all around the world. Basically, in Cameroon, my home country, I feel a lot of love from that country, man! They sent me huge support, something that I can't give back. It's been an incredible journey."
Watch Francis Ngannou's full post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
Ngannou is known to do charity work in his home country of Cameroon. 'The Predator', along with his organization, The Francis Ngannou Foundation, opened MMA gyms in two Cameroonian towns.
