The combat sports world is high on Francis Ngannou, but Brendan Schaub might be among the biggest supporters.
Ngannou is coming off a colossal boxing non-title bout against WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who’s considered by many the greatest heavyweight boxer today. Ngannou entered the fight as a huge underdog, and few saw Ngannou going the distance, much less winning.
Yet, against all odds, Ngannou knocked down and battered Fury en route to lose a controversial split decision.
Schaub thought Ngannou won, and labels him “The baddest man on the planet.” He also thinks if Ngannou ever crosses paths with current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, the Cameroonian would finish him.
“To piggyback on what DC (Daniel Cormier) said, and DC knows tough men, DC said bar none, Francis Ngannou is the baddest man on the planet,” Schaub said on his YouTube channel. “Who’s going to beat him, Jon Jones? I’m on record saying this: I thought Jon Jones would smoke Francis after watching him do what he did against Ciryl Gane. Watching Francis vs. Fury, I’m like, ‘Oh, he’d beat Jon.’ He’d beat Jon in MMA. I think he knocks him out.
“I didn’t realize how good he was. I knew he was good, but I didn’t realize he was this talented. I knew he was a freak athletically, but I didn’t know he was world-class-boxing-beat-the-breaks-off-the-greatest-of-all-time good. Who did? This is nuts.”
Of course, not long ago, Ngannou was part of the UFC roster and many wanted to see him fight Jones. Due to contract disputes, Ngannou walked away from the UFC as champion and into free agency. He’s now signed with PFL.
Schaub said Ngannou’s success proves the UFC made an error by letting him walk and not allowing him to pursue boxing.
“UFC messed up,” Schaub said. “Jon is out, Stipe is waiting for Jon and those two are going to retire, that’s a legendary fight. Chael (Sonnen) said this as well: I don’t know if we ever get that fight now. We might, but now we have Tom Aspinall and Sergei in there now. … But the greatest heavyweight is not in the UFC. The greatest heavyweight at boxing and mixed martial arts is not in the UFC. Who’s going to beat Francis?”
