Skip to Main Content

Francis Ngannou Fighting Technique

By Jessica Militello

Francis Ngannou raising his hand in victory in a UFC match after displaying professional fighting technique.Francis Ngannou most recently defended the title for the heavyweight championship on February 22 at UFC 270 against the interim champion Ciryl Gane. Ngannou is known for being a knockout artist with punching power equivalent to 96 horsepower, or the equivalent of getting hit by a ford escort at top speed, so before the fight, it seemed almost a given that somebody in that octagon was going to get knocked out. Ngannou shocked the world by using the fight as an opportunity to display some incredible grappling skill from the third round out and being the first fighter to take down Ciryl Gane in his entire career when he repeatedly lifted the 250-pound heavyweight and tossed him to the ground.

Ngannou’s impressive display of wrestling continued throughout the rest of the five-round championship bout and despite a solid attempt at a leg lock from Gane, Ngannou’s strength and skill dominated the evening, leading to a unanimous decision victory for the champ. 

In light of this incredible win here’s a breakdown of some of Ngannou’s most interesting attributes in his fighting technique-

World record for the most powerful punch

Back in 2017, the UFC Performance Institute measured Ngannou’s overhand right and an uppercut from his right hand as well and made the world record for the most powerful punch that was both impressive and scary to imagine, but not surprising as fans had already seen numerous heavyweights get knocked out cold after being hit by Francis’ outstanding strength and power. While there’s often a lot of hype about his right hand, his left uppercut is equally as damaging and has knocked out many opponents as well. In fact, Ngannou seems to favor throwing punches from his left side, and even though he is naturally right-handed, throwing his left uppercut with his left side forward in an orthodox stance definitely adds to his knockout power based on mechanics alone. Perhaps due to Ngannou’s kickboxing experience, he’s able to switch stance naturally throughout the fight which definitely adds to the equal potency in his punches from both hands.

Punches in combos

As if Ngannou’s power wasn’t scary enough, the heavyweight champ isn’t heavy-handed by any means and is noted for throwing 4 to 5 punch combinations against his opponents as well, which can seem rare for a heavyweight, since their size and stature don’t often merit the need to have to throw out volume in light of the strength in their punch. Although it usually only takes one punch from Ngannou to knock his opponent out, he can be seen unloading his hands to make sure he gets the job done. He closes the distance quickly and is known to keep coming forward, throwing jabs, crosses, and check hooks, as well as hand countering by coming over the top and landing a fight-ending punch.

Surprising fans with wrestling skills

Prior to UFC 270, Francis had a few submission wins under his belt, including a kimura from when he fought Anthony Hamilton in December 2016 that he later said he learned backstage right before he went out to fight. Most of those submissions were earlier in his career before he became known as the powerful knockout artist he is today, so it was definitely a big surprise when Francis started breaking out some heavy wrestling skills in his last fight against Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title fight. Those who were looking to see a k.o might have been disappointed, but there was nothing boring about watching Ngannou pick up a heavyweight fighter like Gane and toss him around like he was lightwork, then continue working on the ground, against a noticeably exhausted Gane as the five-round fight wore on. Francis continually worked and stayed calm even as Ciryl made a legitimate attempt with a leg lock that he was able to escape from. While Francis is currently looking toward boxing as the heavyweight title fight was the last fight on his contract, it was great to see him show off a different side of his skill set for what may arguably be his last UFC fight.

The mental strength of a warrior

Fans can be so caught up in how powerful and scary Ngannou is in a fight, that his back story can get pushed aside but his story is worth learning for anyone struggling to find inspiration if they feel stuck. At the age of 22, Ngannou went to Paris, France, was living in his car and away from any friends and family he may have known back home as he sought to build a better life. From there, he was discovered by Fernand Lopez, who got him started on his MMA journey, and after just 5 years of training, he was fighting professionally in the UFC. Ngannou is truly a warrior both in and outside of the octagon and shows that no matter where you are now, you always have the power to change your life around if you believe in yourself and don’t give up, whether on the training floor or in life. Many fighters have inspiring stories, but Ngannou’s trajectory to the top shows he is certainly a one of one in the history of UFC champions.

Self Defense for Women

According to the National Organization for Women, nearly one in five women will be assaulted at some point in their life.  The same source cites another staggering statistic.  In New York City alone, police respond to nearly 250,000 calls...

The Meaning and History Behind Karate Dojos

Anybody who has been to a modern day karate dojo has probably noticed some of the unique qualities they possess. But how many people know the reasons and traditions behind them? “Dojo” is a Japanese term, which translates to...

Martial Arts and Stress Relief

Psychologists have discovered positive correlations between practicing a traditional martial art and lower levels of hostility, aggression, and higher levels of self-esteem and overall positive attitude.   There are several aspects to...

What is Muay Thai?

Muay Thai is a type of hard martial art that is practiced in many parts of the world, but has the longest history in Thailand, where it originated and is now the national sport. The type of traditional Muay Thai that is practiced today is...

Karate vs. Taekwondo

When you’re thinking about engaging in martial arts training, you should first determine which form of martial arts is best suited for your abilities, philosophies, and lifestyle. Karate and Taekwondo are two common and separate forms for...

What is Kung Fu?

Kung Fu is a term that’s synonymous with the martial arts, but how much do you actually know about its meaning, history, and practices? Kung Fu is one of the most well-known and commonly studied styles of martial arts, second only to...

What is Self Defense Training?

No one deserves to be assaulted. No one wants to be assaulted. But unfortunately, as anyone who reads the news can attest, the frequency of unmitigated violence is too high to ignore. Whether we want to recognize it or not, many of us will be...

How Boxing Classes Can Benefit Your Body

If you’ve tried traditional workout methods, you’ve probably discovered that they can be tedious and it can take time to see results.  By taking boxing classes you can stay engaged and learn valuable self-defense techniques, while...

Lose Weight While Learning Martial Arts

Studying the martial arts is an amazing way to lose weight.  It’s such an entertaining way to exercise; you might not feel like you are performing a workout at all.  Spending an hour punching and kicking the pounds away will seem...

What is Jeet Kune Do?

Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name that the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee gave to his unique combat system and philosophy. The underlying tenets of JKD are to use minimal movements to maximum effects, all at extreme speeds. The effect is...

The Benefits of Taking a Grappling Class

It has been well established in the health and wellness community that the benefits of regular exercise are too numerous and essential to ignore. There are a lot of ways to approach exercise—and it can take some trial and error to discover...

Benefits of Martial Arts Training for Children

In a culture that seems to be saturated with violence in movies, television, video games, and even on the news, it’s normal to have some apprehension when your child tells you she would like to sign up for karate. Like many other things that...

Everything You Need to Know About Krav Maga

Krav Maga, translating to “contact combat,” is a style of mixed martial arts that was invented by the Israeli military in the 1940s. This style of training has been growing rapidly in popularity over recent years in the United States....

The Hidden Benefits of Martial Arts Training

The martial arts are a set of ancient practices that date back so far it is unclear when they truly began. While the physical aspects of martial arts are obvious, some of the greater benefits of practicing this long-standing tradition are related...

The Benefits of Learning Kickboxing in Little Neck NY

Although kickboxing was developed in the ‘60’s, its popularity has exploded in recent years as people discover the large number of benefits the sport has on their body and mind. Kickboxing is a full-contact sport that combines various...

Benefits of Martial Arts Training

One of the common responses as to why an individual would like to do martial arts, is "I want to get in shape but I find the gym very boring."  Martial Arts classes are then the perfect solution.   The reason for this is...

Simple. Direct. Non-classical

Bruce Lee often described his art of Jeet Kune Do as:   Simple, Direct, and Non-Classical     Simple:  Instead of adding more and more to your art,  you take out more and more.  Like Lee would say,"Hack away...

Limiting the opponents tools

In a Jeet Kune Do class it is often overheard that a good fighter limits his opponents tools.    What does this statement mean?   In simple terms, limiting my opponents tools simply means that I put myself in a position where I...
Page: 1234567 - All