Nolan King: Heavyweight title shot in limbo
When looking over the events postponed because of the coronavirus, one thing becomes pretty clear: The winner of the UFC on ESPN 8 main event between [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jair Rozenstruik[/autotag] missed out big.
With UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic likely defending his title against former UFC light heavyweight and UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier next, Ngannou (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. Rozenstruik (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) was an unofficial fight for challenger status.
Both fighters are currently riding tidal waves of momentum. Ngannou has won three straight fights by TKO, a streak which includes two former UFC champions, Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.
As for Rozenstruik, one of the UFC’s breakthrough fighters of 2020, had a major first year with the promotion. Four times the Surinamese fighter stepped into the cage in 2019 – and four times he won by knockout, including his most recent, and most memorable, a last-minute knockout of Alistair Overeem.
This fight had major implications for both fighters. As a result of the postponement, Ngannou missed out on his first opportunity to fight in nine months and Rozenstruik will no longer fight in the biggest matchup of his career to date.
Some things require long explanations and some are simple: This sucks.
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