Heavyweight · Champion

Francis Ngannou

The Predator

19-3

Age
39
Height
6'4"
Reach
6'10"
Stance
Orthodox
Camp
Xtreme Couture
Out of
Cameroon
Style
hybrid
Fight IQ
C+ · 63
Finish rate
21%
Win rate
86%

Career methods

KO/TKO
17
Sub
4
Dec
0

FightMetric

SLpM

2.33

SApM

3.78

Str Acc

47%

Str Def

63%

TD Avg

0.76

TD Acc

63%

TD Def

82%

Sub Avg

0.31

Tape read

Hybrid who can change levels

Fight IQ

63C+

Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 7 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.

IQ

C+

Ground

D

Defense

C+

Counter

B

Reaction

proxy

C+

Agility

proxy

D

TD react

C+

Chin

C+

What they do well

No standout plus-mark on this card.

Where they leak

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • Punching agility

    Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

Scouting report

Francis Ngannou “The Predator” is a 39-year-old Orthodox heavyweight out of Cameroon, camped at Xtreme Couture. The tape read: hybrid who can change levels. Career mark 19-3-0 — 17 by KO/TKO, 4 by submission, 0 by decision. Fight IQ grades C+ (63).

What works. Counter punching is the standout at 69 (B). Can punish a reaching opponent. Not a pure counter artist, but the return shot is live. Ground game D on 0.76 TD/15 and 0.31 sub attempts. Striking defense C+ at 63% / 3.78 SApM. Counter punching B; punching agility D (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction C+ on 82% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 7 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Ground game is the soft spot (38, D). Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (7 bouts): W 2959588 (KO/TKO R1) · W 4408708 (KO/TKO R1) · W Gane (Decision - Unanimous R5) · W Miocic (KO/TKO R2) · W Rozenstruik (KO/TKO R1). Form index positive over the last 5. 1 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.

Ground game

38 D

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 0.76 takedowns / 15 at 63% accuracy
  • 0.31 submission attempts / 15 · 4 career sub wins

Striking defense

62 C+

Eats more than a championship pocket should. High SApM or a porous guard will get taxed against power.

  • 63% striking defense · 3.78 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 3 defeats

Counter punching

69 B

Can punish a reaching opponent. Not a pure counter artist, but the return shot is live.

  • 47% accuracy on 2.33 SLpM
  • 1.26 knockdowns / 15 · 17 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

68 C+

Average-plus reactions. Gets touched, but rarely frozen in place when the shot or the shot-to-takedown comes.

  • Str def 63% · TD def 82% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 3.78 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

43 D

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 2.33 SLpM at 47% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 3.78 SApM

Takedown reaction

68 C+

Hips arrive late. A committed wrestler will get them down; the question is what happens next.

  • 82% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 0 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

63 C+

Finishable. When this fighter loses, it is usually because something landed flush or the neck gave out.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 3 losses
  • 0 decision wins — proof they last and still score

Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
May 16, 2026Fighter 2959588WKO/TKO1 4:31
Oct 19, 2024Fighter 4408708WKO/TKO1 3:32
Jan 23, 2022Ciryl GaneWDecision - Unanimous5 5:00
Mar 28, 2021Stipe MiocicWKO/TKO2 0:52
May 10, 2020Jairzinho RozenstruikWKO/TKO1 0:20
Jun 30, 2019Fighter 2335725WKO/TKO1 1:11
Feb 18, 2019Fighter 2335654WKO/TKO1 0:26