Francis Ngannou unhappy with his inactivity in the UFC for the past 16 months

Francis Ngannou appears to be a victim of his own success. The Cameroonian is considered to be the biggest threat in the UFC Heavyweight division. It speaks volumes when considering that he has only been inside the Octagon for a combined time of 2 minutes and 42 seconds since November 2018.

All of Francis Ngannou's last four outings ended in a first-round knockout in his favor. The names included Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, and, most recently, Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Between 2019 and 2020, Francis Ngannou has only fought twice. Finishing Junior dos Santos in 71 seconds and Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds, The Predator has long since cemented himself as the number one contender in the Heavyweight division.

Francis Ngannou was on a similar rise on the way to his first title shot - where Champion Stipe Miocic dominated him in a one-sided defeat via decision. Ngannou is set to meet Stipe Miocic for the Heavyweight title in his next fight, but that won't be until the first quarter of 2021 at the earliest.

Francis Ngannou expressed his frustration over his lack of activity in the UFC and the state of the Heavyweight division:

2 title fights in the @ufc heavyweight division for the past two years and yet we don't know if there will be another one anytime soon. Contenders have to fight for something 😤 #ThisIsSucks

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) October 20, 2020

Why has it been such a delay for Francis Ngannou?

Francis Ngannou earned his spot as the number one contender in 2019 after his win over Junior dos Santos. However, the Stipe Miocic-Daniel Cormier trilogy that started in 2018 took place in the summer each year until 2020, where the Croatian-American Champion concluded it with a win over his rival.

While Stipe Miocic showed more interest in fighting Jon Jones next, Dana White confirmed that Francis Ngannou is the next in line for a title shot. Ultimately, the past year has been a waiting game for The Predator, and it's unlikely we see him fight again until 2021.