The Takedown | Francis Ngannou has been done dirty by the UFC – this interim heavyweight title is a farce
- UFC booking Derrick Lewis against Ciryl Gane for interim belt in August is a slap in the face for Ngannou
- ‘The Predator’ truly deserves better treatment after his incredible journey to reach the top of the sport
When Ciryl Gane called for a heavyweight title shot after beating Alexander Volkov in Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 30 main event, he probably didn’t quite expect to get it so soon.
He probably also didn’t expect it to be against No 2-ranked Derrick Lewis, either, but the two will throw down for an interim belt in August 7’s UFC 265 main event.
That bombshell – first reported by ESPN, the promotion’s broadcast partner – was news to UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
“The Predator” had told matchmakers he would defend his belt against “The Black Beast” Lewis in September, having only just returned to training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
He returned this month from a six-week trip visiting his family in Cameroon, the country he left aged 26 to pursue his dream of becoming world champion.
He embarked on an incredible journey that saw him “live in the bush” and “find food in the trash” for one year as he migrated north to Morocco for a year, then was detained for two months in Spain for illegally entering by sea, before finally making it to Paris, France, where he lived on the streets for months as he started training at the MMA Factory gym – where he would spar with Gane.