Francis Ngannou Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery
UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou underwent successful knee surgery to repair torn MCL and a damaged ACL.
After unifying the titles against Ciryl Gane in his last outing at UFC 270 earlier this year, Ngannou revealed the multiple knee injuries he suffered leading into the fight. In an outstanding display of adaptability, ‘The Predator’ switched his game plan to a wrestling-heavy style to overcome the challenge of fighting with a completely torn MCL and a diminished ACL.
In a post made to Instagram, he shared the success of the surgery and revealed that there is no damage to the meniscus.
Ngannou was aware that he would need knee surgery following the fight. The heavyweight champion was seen with multiple knee guards on both of his knees entering the octagon. In he confirmed the knee injuries revealing that he suffered a Grade 3 MCL tear and ACL damage just four weeks before the fight.
The champ stayed in California after the fight for medical evaluation and underwent surgery on Friday after returning from a trip to Cameroon. His manager, Marquel Martin, reported that Ngannou could be sidelined for nine months to recover from the surgery.
What’s Next for Francis Ngannou?
Francis Ngannou went into the unification bout against the advice of the doctor who urged him to pull out due to knee injuries. He emerged as a true champion having completed the last fight on his contract. In the post-fight interview at UFC 270, he also expressed in boxing, with talks for a Fury vs Ngannou boxing match in the air.
Dana White needs to get his heavyweight champion to agree to a new deal to retain him at the organization. White is confident that he will stay with the UFC and hinted at the possibility of an interim title fight for Jon Jones in his debut heavyweight bout if Ngannou is sidelined for a while.
If all goes to plan, Ngannou could be looking at a super fight against Jon Jones at heavyweight in his return to the octagon, if he chooses to sign a new deal with the UFC.
