MMA Knockout

Legacy Under Fire: Francis Ngannou Accuses UFC of Historical Revisionism

Francis Ngannou has another bone to pick with the UFC.

Mathew Riddle

Legacy Under Fire: Francis Ngannou Accuses UFC of Historical Revisionism
Legacy Under Fire: Francis Ngannou Accuses UFC of Historical Revisionism /

Francis Ngannou has accused the UFC of trying to erase his image from the promotion's history. Ngannou raised a complaint on Twitter after the UFC Vegas 78 broadcast on Aug. 12 presented Tafon Nchukwi as the only Cameroonian fighter in UFC history.

READ: UFC Star Conor McGregor Awkwardly Calls Out KSI for Bareknuckle Fight at AJ vs. Helenius Event

Ngannou was quick to point out that Nchukwi was in fact the third Cameroonian fighter in UFC history, behind himself and Thierry Sokoudjou:

"Thierry Sokoudjou was the first Cameroonian in the UFC. I was second. Don't let them lie and erase history."

An argument could be made in favor of the UFC that Ngannou represented France and that Sokoudjou fought out of California.

While it is indeed true, Nchukwi also trains out of California, yet he proudly represents Cameroon. The location where a fighter trains does not necessarily define their nationality. Illustrating this point further, Israel Adesanya proudly carries the flag of Nigeria, even though his training is centered in New Zealand.

READ: UFC Referee Jason Herzog Explains How He'd Fix Bad MMA Judging With 1 Small Tweak

In fact, in Ngannou's UFC debut against Luis Henrique, the UFC broadcast team acknowledges his Cameroonian heritage just seconds into his walkout, and continue to make reference to his heritage throughout his UFC tenure.

Ngannou's frustration is understandable given his arduous past. Was this negligence on behalf of the UFC production team? Or was it something deeper, intended to besmirch Ngannou and taint his MMA legacy?

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC and MMA

Follow MMA Knockout on Twitter and Facebook.

Published
Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

Home/News