Francis Ngannou to have surgery, will be out for nine months due to knee injuries

Francis Ngannou is fresh off his win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. The victory was his first fight in nearly a year, and it seems he will once again be back on the sidelines.

The UFC heavyweight champion has noted that he went into this title unification bout last Saturday dealing with an MCL tear, as well as a damaged ACL. Despite the knee injuries, he captured a unanimous decision victory over his former training partner. Retaining his 265lb gold with a surprising grappling-based gameplan.

Following the victory, Ngannou noted that he would likely have to spend time out of the ring. Now, fans have an even better idea of how long that will be.

Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin told ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto will require surgery due to the knee injuries. Furthermore, fans shouldn’t expect to see ‘The Predator’ competing in the octagon for the next nine months.

Francis Ngannou will undergo knee surgery before he is able to train or compete again, his manager Marquel Martin told @bokamotoESPN.

After defending his title at UFC 270, Ngannou revealed he went into the fight with a torn MCL and damaged ACL, which he injured during training. pic.twitter.com/KzWnXujX24

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 26, 2022

The surgery comes at a time when Ngannou isn’t exactly expected to be competing anyway. The UFC heavyweight champion is currently embroiled in a feud with UFC president Dana White, mainly stemming from his pay.

‘The Predator’ believes that he isn’t being compensated fairly, and is willing to leave the UFC in order to be paid correctly. White and the UFC brass have nonetheless maintained that Ngannou’s management is the issue and that his pay is fine.

To add to the drama, Ngannou was hit with a lawsuit earlier this week by the promotion. The UFC alleged that the UFC heavyweight champion was in contact with boxing promoter Nakisa Bidarian. If true, it could be considered a breach of his contract with the UFC.

As of now, however, it’s not known where Ngannou will be competing next. He’s shown an interest in boxing WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, however, that bout has yet to be confirmed as well.

Where do you think Francis Ngannou will compete when he returns?