Francis Ngannou Releases First Statement Following Bizarre Outing at UFC 226
Francis Ngannou has to exorcise some demons.
The ferocious heavyweight had arguably one of the most puzzling performances of any fighter in recent history during his fight against Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 and it turns out a big part of the reason for it traces back to his first loss inside the Octagon.
Ngannou released a statement on Monday addressing his loss to Lewis while referencing back to his lopsided defeat to former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in January as a big part of the cause for his performance on Saturday night.
Ngannou was virtually in active during the fight with Lewis, throwing very few strikes and almost refusing to engage over the course of three rounds. The end result was a second straight defeat on his record.
“I am not proud of my last performance,” Ngannou wrote on Instagram. “I have carried my fear from the last fight to this one. I completely understand the frustration and anger that it has caused to my fans, coaches, teammates, family and friends and I am truly sorry for that. I won’t let everyone down again.
“All I can do now is prove myself and make you proud again.”
It’s a brutally honest response from Ngannou, who obviously felt like he never quite got past that five round drubbing he took from Miocic earlier this year.
Prior to these two losses, Ngannou had quickly become one of the most talked about fighters on the entire UFC roster thanks to his strong performances and highlight reel knockouts.
Now Ngannou has to pick up the pieces and begin his climb back up the ladder again after two consecutive losses inside the Octagon.
