Chael Sonnen isn’t buying the idea that 37-year-old Francis Ngannou is past his prime, despite the former UFC champ’s recent losses in the boxing ring against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Sonnen, known for his outspoken opinions, insists that Ngannou still has plenty left in the tank.
The analyst dismissed any talk of Ngannou being “over the hill,” emphasizing that the heavyweight powerhouse has wins left in him ahead of his return to the octagon in a few weeks.
A user on Twitter posted a montage of a few of Ngannou’s best moments in the UFC. These included some of his most vicious knockouts over the likes of Alistair Overeem, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Stipe Miocic among others. The caption read, “Reminder: Prime Francis beats Aspinall & Jones.”
Sonnen jumped on the tweet to emphasize that Francis’ prime is not a thing of the past, he is indeed still “in his prime,” and challenged fans to say “otherwise”:
He is in his prime. You saying otherwise? https://t.co/LKvJB84fuQ
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) August 26, 2024
However, in his last two fights, Ngannou came up short against Fury and Joshua.
Due to his recent losses, fans might believe that Ngannou does not have what it takes anymore to secure a win in combat sports. Sonnen, however, remains steadfast in his belief of what Ngannou can still achieve inside the octagon.
Fans will likely get more of an idea about The Predator’s abilities when he steps in the octagon in October after almost a three-year hiatus from the sport.
Ngannou fighting to honor his son
The martial artist has set himself up for life earning over $40 million from his two boxing bouts. However, he is not returning for the money or the fame. He is returning with one objective in mind which is arguably the most powerful motivation anyone can ever need.
‘The Predator’ is returning to fight for his 15-month-old son who untimely passed away earlier this year. Ngannou stated in press conferences that he considered walking away for good but he wanted to do something to honor his son’s memory.
With such a powerful motivator driving Ngannou, it might add a few extra units of power to his punches that previously broke a world record. However, only time will tell if the fans were right in their assessment or if Sonnen is.
