Francis Ngannou Out for 9 Months – Paves Way for Yet Another Interim Heavyweight Title

Francis Ngannou put on an emphatic performance at UFC 270, as the Champion unified the Heavyweight Championship and beat the Interim Champion and his former teammate, Ciryl Gane, with a surprising wrestling-heavy game plan.

After the fight, it was revealed that ‘The Predator’ was suffering from a torn MCL and damaged ACL, which made the performance even more impressive.

With Ngannou defending his UFC championship for the first time, he wanted to spend some time in his home country of Cameroon.

However, his injured knee required surgery. But the visit to Cameroon delayed the surgery.

A recent report confirms, the UFC Heavyweight Champion will undergo surgery on March 18. The surgery will go down in the U.S., as ‘The Predator‘ is looking to return to the States after his trip to Cameroon.

Also, the surgery and a nine-month recovery period will see Ngannou out of the action, for the rest of the year.

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‘The Predator’ has already fought the last fight on his current UFC deal. Thus, the UFC and Dana White would look to get the UFC Heavyweight Champion a new contract as soon as possible.

Dana White met Francis Ngannou before his trip to Cameroon

UFC President Dana White invited Ngannou for a dinner before his trip back home. Also, White revealed that the negotiations for a new contract will begin after Ngannou returns from his trip.

Marquel Martin, Ngannou’s manager, appreciated the gesture from the UFC President. He said, “I believe Francis and Dana needed to get together in that kind of setting. We’re all looking forward now to sitting down with the UFC in a professional capacity to map out the next chapter in Francis’s journey.”

However, before UFC 270, White was unsure of Ngannou’s future.

Since the champion will be out for an extended period, it opens new doors in the division. Another interim championship makes a lot of sense. An Interim Championship bout between Stipe Miocic and the fan-favorite Tai Tuivasa could be next.

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Nevertheless, the fans would hope for a speedy recovery for Francis Ngannou.