Sure, Francis Ngannou is excited about his upcoming UFC 218 meeting with Alistair Overeem.
Just don’t tell him that winning could be the thing to make him the next challenger to Stipe Miocic’s heavyweight belt.
“No, enough ‘could be,'” Ngannou told MMAjunkie Radio. “It will be.”
Ngannou (10-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) isn’t just excited about meeting Overeem (43-15 MMA, 8-4 UFC). Having been away from the octagon since his 92-second knockout of Andrei Arlovski back in January, with a scrapped UFC 215 appointment in between, Ngannou is ecstatic to be back.
That it gets to be against a man who happened to have held DREAM, K-1 and Strikeforce titles – and challenged for a UFC belt?
Well, that’s a plus.
“And then to know that something bigger is coming. Opportunities are becoming bigger and bigger,” Ngannou said. “I’m very excited, because that fight will probably change the level of things.
“I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. I’ve been within this moment almost my whole life. And now I feel like I’m next to the goal. I’m next to it. And I’m really, really excited for it. I feel ready for everything.”
The heavyweight bout between Ngannou and Overeem is set to co-headline UFC 218, which takes place Dec. 2 at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit. The event will air on pay-per-view, following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Ngannou isn’t all talk, either. Currently holding an unblemished UFC record with five finishes, he’s taken practical steps to make sure his career delivers on its promise. Earlier this year, for instance, Ngannou left his home in France and relocated full time to Las Vegas to take advantage of the UFC Performance Institute.
Ngannou hasn’t committed to a gym yet. Rather, having had a tough time finding single headquarters with a high concentration of fellow heavyweights, he tries to get what he needs from different places.
His jiu-jitsu, for example, has currently found some help in grappling ace and UFC vet Vinny Magalhaes. The UFC Performance Institute, he says, also helps with other needs.
“But everything is OK,” Ngannou said. “I just take my time to feel how I do things.”
Whether that will translate to results in the octagon remains to be seen as the heavyweight hasn’t fought since moving. But, as much as he wouldn’t mind bringing some of his coaches and training partners from France if he could, Ngannou believes there’s been enough to compensate for what he’s missed.
“You’re going to move forward. You’re going to try to adapt,” Ngannou said. “To not think about what you miss, but think about what you get.”
For more on UFC 218, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.
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