Francis Ngannou is one of the most physically intimidating MMA fighters on the planet. With his ferocious KO power and sculpted muscles, ‘The Predator’ is terrifying for everybody. Even if he doesn’t win, he’s definitely got the potential to put your lights out with one punch. Just ask Cain Velasquez, Alistair Overeem, and Curtis Blaydes.
Right now he’s sitting on the fence waiting for his opportunity. Ngannou sees himself as the number one contender at heavyweight but knows that Stipe Miocic v Daniel Cormier III takes precedence over his claims. That’s why he took a fight against another dangerous heavyweight striker in Jairzinho Rozenstruick.
The pair have been booked twice to fight already but thanks to the current health emergency it’s off the cards. Despite this, Ngannou is still in phenomenal shape. His power and strength are ridiculous. Just ask Shaquille O’Neal who found out to his extreme discomfort.
.@Shaq you're not so heavy as I thought 🤣🤣🤣 that's probably why you could fly on the court pic.twitter.com/oUJmVpyYB1
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 17, 2020
Work Out
The pair were working out at the same gym when this clip was filmed. First of all, you have to appreciate the size of Shaq. The Lakers’ legend is eve bigger than Ngannou which just makes you realize what a beast he must have been to deal with on the court. However, even ‘Diesal’ is no match for ‘The Predator.’
After admiring how Nganou had zero fat, the Cameroonian responded by picking up the former basketball player. Shaq laughs but you can tell that inwardly he’s questioning the meaning of life. He says that he thinks that’s the first time it’s ever happened to him. Let’s see if Ngannou transfers that into his wrestling.
Scary
In prospect, Ngannou v Rozenstruick could be sensational. Now, we’ve seen Ngannou flop before against another heavy-hitter in Derrick Lewis. But you can’t imagine him letting that happen again. At 15-2, he’s got more MMA experience than the 10-0 Rozenstruick. However, the Suriname native is a former kickboxer with a lot of combat experience.
He definitely has better kicks than Ngannou, but he did struggle against another former rival of the Cameroonian’s. While the most iconic image from Jairzinho’s clash with Alistair Overeem was the latter’s mangled lip, the Dutchman had dominated the fight. He can’t let Ngannou dominate him like that.
Dangerous
XTreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick says Ngannou’s striking is even better. That is a terrifying prospect for anybody. We will see a more controlled and efficient fighter with the same ferocious power. Nicksick told MMA Fighting:
“He’s super accurate. I think that’s one thing, too, that he’s been working on a lot with coach Dewey (Cooper) and myself. But he’s accurate and he’s pinpoint. He’s not overthrowing his punches maybe like he once was, sitting down on everything. His technique is impeccable, but he hits like a truck. (He’s) one of the hardest kickers and one of the hardest punchers I’ve ever held for, so my shoulders and my body is definitely going to be happy when this camp’s over.”
In short, you don’t want to be the man in his way. Credit to Ngannou for taking the Rozenstruick fight too. He doesn’t have a lot to gain from it and everything to lose.
