It’s been two months since we last saw hard hitting heavyweight Francis Ngannou. After losing his title fight to Stipe Miocic, the UFC’s hardest puncher went silent, and packed back to Africa to spend time away from the sport.
Now, for the first time since his title loss, Ngannou is talking about the defeat, and admits he’s still sad about the night’s result.
In a new chat with Ariel Helwani, Ngannou stated, “I was very sad about it. I am not over it. I just, for me it’s just the beginning. It’s just because I’m really tough with myself. I’ve been doing this sport for 4 years, 4 years and a half. At this point you can’t be done. I just started… It wasn’t what I expected.”
“I still think about it. Unfortunately I think sometimes we need this kind of thing to learn more. What I did in this fight, I can’t do it again.”
“There were many things. The fact that I traveled to Paris two weeks before the fight. The amount of media. I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“It was very difficult for me to train three times, because I was traveling, and traveling for media. A lot of things like that. I learned from it. Next time I will prepare myself for it.”
On his cardio:
“I felt it in the first round. Sometimes, I’ve never did three rounds. I did two rounds. But, for this fight, in the middle of the first round I felt like something was wrong. It wasn’t like it used to be.”
“In sparring you push yourself. You do more than you’re supposed to do. You get very tired, very exhausted. But not for the first round, not for the second round even… I wasn’t tired like I was in the first round for this fight.”
“I no watched all the fight. I watched two rounds, and I was very done. I was just very sad about all the mistakes.”
“Now I’ve been through it. Now I know more about this fight game.”
“… I have to do something to manage my condition. Avoid travel maybe three weeks for a big fight like that.”
On his punches against Miocic:
” I think he’s really though. But, I wasn’t surprised because I didn’t hit him very well. He was very smart, avoided my punches, and kept moving. I never thought [I got him with a good shot].”
“My corner told me it’s a five round fight and slow down. But, in the first round, I just went crazy.”
“I think the problem is how I managed the fight. I went out of the game plan. I used to be patient and let my opponent come to me, but I didn’t do the same thing.”
…
“I truly believe this fight made me the strongest fighter in the world. Not just the strongest fighter in the world, but it improved my wisdom.”
“I have that experience now, and I really needed it.”
On who he wants next:
“I want Brock Lesnar. I read Anthony Joshua wants to fight me in MMA. We can do it both sides. In the Octagon, and inside the ring. HE’s going to get me anyway.”
“I like the fight with [Brock Lesnar]. I like him. He look very big and strong, and I really want to try that.”
“I think if I take someone like Brock, and win. I can get back to the title shot.”
“I just want to tell [Brock Lesnar] to come back, come back my friend. We need you to put some fun back in the division. I’ve been waiting for you.”
