UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Glover Teixeira sees Francis Ngannou standing as the sole heavyweight champ later this year.
The current 205-pound champ was recently asked his opinion on an upcoming title unification bout between UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou and interim champ Ciryl Gane. The fight is set to headline UFC 270, which will take place this Saturday.
Teixeira put value in Ngannou’s power over Gane’s fast, technical ability. Here’s what he said about the matchup:
“Wow, I’m excited for this fight. I want to watch this fight. And it’s gonna be like power vs. Muhammad Ali, right? But I would say George Foreman/Muhammad Ali [stylistically]. One is pure power; the other one [has] the technique. He flow; he jump around; he hits fast; he moves. So I see [Gane] like Muhammad Ali,” said Teixeira, in an interview with Sherdog. “But I [believe] the result is gonna be the same. In my opinion, Francis Ngannou is too powerful right now. He’s on a mission. And man, he’s getting better and better every time we see him. And in my opinion, he’s gonna win.”
Teixeira: Ngannou Has Power
Teixeira raises an important point about Ngannou. The current champion’s power has certainly been his key to success in the UFC.
Ngannou has fought 13 times since joining the UFC roster with 11 of those being victories. All of his wins have come via finish thus far. His last five fights have resulted in four first-round finishes, with the other just going another minute more than a round.
On the other hand, Gane is more familiar with going the distance. While he certainly has his fair share of quick wins, including his 2019 UFC debut win against Raphael Pessoa, he has already gone five rounds twice in his career. His last fight saw him take Derrick Lewis into the 15th minute of action before finishing him with strikes.
Do you agree with Glover Teixeira’s prediction?