Francis Ngannou
It’s incredibly difficult to rank a heavyweight among the best fighters of the decade, simply because 10 years is a lifetime in MMA, and even more so if you’re taking shots to the head from 250-pound monsters. But we could see one man emerge as a legitimate heavyweight superstar over the next 10 years.
While Miocic and Daniel Cormier were battling it out at the top of the heavyweight division over the last couple years, [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] was building his MMA skillset and steadily improving his all-around game. In truth, Ngannou’s first title shot against Miocic back in January 2018 probably came too soon. Miocic was a seasoned pro, while Ngannou was still pretty raw, albeit still terrifyingly powerful. But, when they met inside the octagon, the difference in skillsets was stark. But as we head into the 2020s, Ngannou is becoming more well-rounded, more powerful and altogether more scary.
And with the majority of the main names at the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division firmly in the veteran stage of their careers, it’s highly likely we’ll see a powerful new champion emerge over the next few years. And there’s the mouth-watering prospect of Jones moving up to a heavyweight division which, after Miocic decides to hang up the gloves, could see “Bones” and Ngannou as the two top contenders for the belt. It could spark an explosive new rivalry and elevate Ngannou to new heights as one of the biggest heavyweight stars in UFC history.
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