Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) color commentator Joe Rogan wonders what Francis Ngannou can do if his overall game was up to snuff.
Ngannou is set to take on Cain Velasquez on Feb. 17. The bout will headline UFC on ESPN 1. Many are of the belief that if Ngannou can’t land on Velasquez’s chin early, then he’ll be on his back throughout the fight. Ngannou’s lack of takedown defense was evident in his heavyweight title bout against Stipe Miocic back in Jan. 2018. Still, Ngannou’s power is always a threat.
Joe Rogan Talks Francis Ngannou
During an edition of the “JRE MMA Show,” Rogan spoke to T.J. Dillashaw on Ngannou’s potential. Rogan wants to know how Ngannou would perform if he linked up with the right team:
“Ngannou doesn’t know how to wrestle so that’s part of the problem, but if he did holy f*ck. He can move fast man, that guy moves like a cat. He scares the sh*t out of me. If he knew what everybody else knew, I just think he’s so physically gifted. When you see him punch people, it’s a different thing. The power is just preposterous, it just doesn’t even make any sense. If that guy can get with a guy like Duane [Ludwig] and start moving and not just rely on throwing hammers, but setting stuff up and switching stances. I don’t know if you can do that with that kind of weight. How long can a guy like that move around?”
Dillashaw would say that he believes strength and conditioning coach Sam Calavitta can get Ngannou to stay moving around for a long period of time despite being a heavyweight. Time will tell if Ngannou is ready for someone who brings as much pressure as Velasquez does.
Do you think Francis Ngannou can improve his overall game enough to win the UFC heavyweight title?
