Francis Ngannou is going to be fighting UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic for the title next month at UFC 220.
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan thinks that the heavyweight star can become MMA’s version of Mike Tyson.
“Now they’ve got a star,” Rogan said on The Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show. “I think Ngannou, one or two more fights, you’re going to be looking at Mike Tyson days. That’s what I think. You’re going to watch fights just to see how long these mother(expletives) can survive against this guy. That’s what I think. That could be their big, breakout star.”
Mike Tyson was arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, known for his punishing fighting style and brutal knockouts. Throughout his 58 fight professional boxing career, the former heavyweight champion earned 44 of the 50 wins by knockout or TKO. Tyson retired over a decade ago in 2005 after a sixth round TKO loss to Kevin McBride, ending a twenty-plus year career that is still talked about by fans to this day.
Ngannou has already competed six times under the UFC banner and five of those fights ended by KO/TKO. In those six victories in the promotion, the heavyweight contender earned notable wins over former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem and top 15 ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes.
Rogan also says that since UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor may never fight in the promotion again, then Ngannou can become the UFC’s biggest star.
“Conor, who knows if he’s ever going to fight again,” Rogan said. “We really don’t know. We haven’t heard Conor saying, ‘This is my plan. This is who I’m thinking of fighting. This is who I want to fight.’ He’s been talking (expletive) to Max Holloway, he’s been talking (expletive) to Tony Ferguson, but he’s not set it up.”
UFC 220 takes place on Saturday, January 20 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts with Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
