Francis Ngannou Talks Frustrations Over Inactivity: ‘It’s Been A Lifetime’
Francis Ngannou remains frustrated over his lack of activity.
Ngannou has only competed for 20 seconds in the last year and a half following a first-round knockout win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 in May last year.
Part of the reason for that is because he’s already cleaned out the division. Another reason is the Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier trilogy which concluded in August, but also stalled the division.
For now, Ngannou is expected to face Miocic next in a rematch for the heavyweight title. When it happens is another matter entirely.
“It’s been a lifetime, and it’s like frustrating, even though I’m tryin to take it out of my mind, knowing I can’t do nothing to change it,” Ngannou said on the MMA Fighting podcast (via MMA Mania). “Even before fighting in May, I’d been through the same sort of story, situation, which kind of got me ready to face this waiting again. I was waiting for Stipe and DC, which was in August.
“And obviously, I was hoping for something in December. After that fight I had just came back from Cameroon, and I was expecting that sometime in December because it’s 4 months away, maybe January at the latest. But obviously … not. I don’t know. What I know is they just said March, but it’s not official. And who knows? Who knows how that will play out.”
UFC president Dana White recently revealed April would be a likely date for the rematch and that looks to be the case given the planned matchups in store over the coming months.
However, that would also mean Ngannou competing after nearly a year to which he blames the UFC, Miocic and the trilogy with Cormier.
“My only issue with the [Miocic vs. Cormier] trilogy is it’s been holding the heavyweight division up for two years,” he said. “There hasn’t been a heavyweight title fight in this division for two years outside of those two guys. There hasn’t been any title fights for contenders. Which is why contenders fight, fight towards the title.
“It’s the UFC that’s in charge of this, which is why my last fight, we requested it be the interim fight so we can fight for something. And if that would have been for an interim fight, I’m sure I would have been fighting by now. At the same time, I just think Stipe on his end wants to do things his way. But it’s not for him to impose his situation the whole division. He has a duty.”
Hopefully, Ngannou has his fight with Miocic booked sooner rather than later and is able to remain active from thereon out.
What do you think of Ngannou’s situation?
