Francis Ngannou may be on standby in case something goes awry ahead of UFC 252.
On Aug. 15, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic is set to put his heavyweight gold on the line against Daniel Cormier. This will be a trilogy bout. The score is 1-1 with both men earning either a knockout or TKO. Cormier claims he will retire whether he wins or loses.
Francis Ngannou Potentially Serving As Backup For UFC 252 Headliner
UFC president Dana White spoke to The Schmo and revealed that he discussed Ngannou potentially being a backup in case Miocic or Cormier are removed from the card (via BJPenn.com).
“We’ve talked to [Ngannou] about that,” White said during a recent appearance on The Schmozone. “I don’t know where we are on those talks, but yeah, obviously if one of those guys fell out, we’d be looking to put Francis in there.”
Ngannou has positioned himself for a shot at the winner of Miocic vs. Cormier III. “The Predator” is riding a four-fight winning streak. In that span, he’s beaten Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, and Curtis Blaydes. None of those bouts made it to the two-minute mark.
Ngannou competed for the UFC heavyweight title back in Jan. 2018. “The Predator” was defeated by Miocic via unanimous decision. Ngannou ended up going on his winning streak after suffering a disappointing decision loss to Derrick Lewis.
In the past, Ngannou has said he’s even more confident in a rematch with Miocic than a showdown with Cormier. Still, Ngannou does think he can take out “DC” as well. Ngannou hasn’t had much of a chance to showcase improved takedown defense as the bouts in his winning streak have been short. Time will tell if Ngannou will be tested once he gets another crack at UFC gold.
