Ladies and gentlemen, we have the new UFC heavyweight champion of the world – Francis Ngannou. He defeated Stipe Miocic with a powerful KO, 52 seconds inside the second round.
Ngannou Finally Gets the Title
After years of waiting and one unsuccessful title shot, Francis Ngannou became the champion. He defeated the guy who already prevented him from achieving his dream once before, fully repaying for the loss at the UFC 220.
This time, Ngannou was sharp, focused, and unstoppable, not ending up in Miocic’s traps like during the first match. He stopped the champions’ attempts for making a takedown early on, successfully rebuffing his attacks, while inflicting several solid punches.
With the second round starting, Ngannou dropped Miocic with a powerful left, then went for a quick finish, but ate one hard counter, which saw him slowing down for the moment. Luckily, Miocic was too rash trying to get an advantage, which allowed the Predator to catch him with a furious left and post one fierce KO. Miocic slammed with his back to the ground, before receiving a hammer-fist which marked the end of his reign.
He might have had more chances to defend the title if it weren’t for that reckless attack. We are still unsure whether Ngannou has enough stamina to go full five rounds, but it is almost certain that Stipe’s chances would increase as the fight progressed.
The loss against Ngannou was the second in title matches for Miocic. What many want to know is he coming back or not? There have been some rumors that he might retire, while on the other side, certain sources claim that he wants a rematch. We’ll see what happens next.
About that rematch, the chances are low for the same to happen anytime soon. Ngannou already stated that he wants to fight Jon Jones, who seems to be interested in the fight, but only if the offer meets his demands. Meanwhile, Dana White has other plans, the ones that include Derrick Lewis in the equation. According to the words of the UFC president, the Black Beast will be Ngannou’s next rival.
O’Malley Is Back, Woodley Loses Again
Tyron Woodley, the former welterweight champion, lost his fourth straight battle. His last win was against Darren Till, a title-defense, and after that, the Chosen One, as the fans call him, posted nothing but failures.
Tonight’s one was against Vicente Luque, who submitted Woodley in the first round with D’Arce choke. This was the third win in a row for Luque, who previously defeated Niko Price and Randy Brown, both via KO. Overall, Luque has nine wins in the last 10 events, with the only failure coming against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at the UFC 249, via unanimous decision.
Sean O’Malley recovered from a nasty KO loss to Marlon Vera. The Irish fella beat Thomas Almeida after a stunning KO in the third round and was awarded the Performance of the Night bonus for his highlight reel KO.
O’Malley continues his surge towards the top of the bantamweight division and is expected to receive a big-time opponent already in his next fight.
