This weekend, we would witness one of the most anticipated MMA fights of 2022 as UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou defends his belt for the first time when he takes on rival Cyril Gane. The fight could alter the hierarchy in the UFC heavyweight division, depending on the outcome.

Ngannou and Gane have some history behind them, as they trained for some time about three years ago. But Ngannou has denied that they were ever close, debunking rumours that he and Gane were teammates or even friends. According to him, they only shared a few training sessions together. He also said that during training then, he knocked out Gane with a kick, but it was by accident and is not something he was meant to be proud of.

Ngannou has a career record of 16 wins and 3 losses. His most recent loss, in 2018, was in the hands of Derrick Lewis, who Gane knocked out last year. The fight between Ngannou and Lewis took place almost one month before Gane launched his MMA career.

Last March, Ngannou defeated Stipe Miocic to win the UFC Heavyweight title. It was the same Miocic who handed Ngannou his second career loss back in 2018. The improvement over the gets is quite obvious, as he has even won his five last fights. He is clearly the favourite for the fight.

Gane, since making his debut in 2018, has won all 10 fights. His fight against Ngannou could either be his first professional loss or improve his record to 11 wins. His performance, so far, has been very impressive. One two wins have come by unanimous decision, as he has always managed to beat his opponents to submission or knocked them out instead.

This fight means a lot to the two men involved, and there is no telling how things might go until the last minute.

Written by:  Leon Osamor