Francis Ngannou has vowed to make his fans proud again, after a dismal showing against Derrick Lewis at UFC 226.
Fans weren’t the only ones let down by the performance of Francis Ngannou at UFC 226. Along with them, opponent Derrick Lewis, and Dana White (who made note of Ngannou’s perceived ego issues), Ngannou himself was clearly disappointed in his showing. On Monday, he released a statement via his official Instagram account, addressing what many have called the worst heavyweight fight in UFC history.
Ngannou admitted that fear carried over from his last fight, a failed title bid at UFC 220 against Stipe Miocic. The Cameroonian fighter entered that contest the favorite in spite of Miocic being the reigning champion. Yet he simply couldn’t get the better of the Ohio native, and instead found himself gassing early in the bout.
Then came UFC 226, where it seemed as if Ngannou barely threw a strike.
“I am not proud of my last performance,” the heavyweight said. “I have carried my fear from the last fight to this one.” You can read Ngannou’s full statement below.
Derrick Lewis wound up claiming a three-round unanimous decision win over Ngannou at UFC 226. The fight was heavily jeered by fans, who didn’t expect it to go past the first round. Let alone be the plodding, light-on-striking affair in turned out to be.
