Francis Ngannou Snubbed from List of Top 100 UFC Apex Knockouts

Francis Ngannou nuking Stipe Miocic at the UFC Apex surprisingly wasn't among the venue's greatest hits.

Christopher De Santiago | Nov 4, 2024

Handout Photo-Imagn Images

From the record books to the highlight reel, we're seeing less and less of Francis Ngannou in the UFC.

The crowdless UFC Apex in Las Vegas was where Cameroon's Ngannou first touched gold, cracking the chin of then-champ Stipe Miocic for a second-round TKO at UFC 260 in March 2021.

Ngannou had shocked the world in the most emphatic of ways, flatlining his former foe with thunderous strikes in front of a few dozen people inside the building but with millions more watching around the world.

OH MY! NGANNOU IS UNLOADING ON THE CHAMPION 🤯 #UFC260 pic.twitter.com/KJ3amBNEDD
— UFC (@ufc) March 28, 2021

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UFC Uploads Apex's Best KO's, Leaves Out Ngannou's Stunner

UFC Apex events have been all the rage since the COVID-19 pandemic put the world of combat sports on pause in March 2020. More than 100 events have taken place at the UFC Apex by now, with UFC Vegas 100 set to end the year strong as the venue goes under contruction for renovations.

Francis Ngannou Snubbed from List of Top 100 UFC Apex Knockouts

UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou. / Handout Photo-Imagn Images

Ahead of the milestone, the UFC has rolled out 100 of the best knockouts to come out of the venue. From Cory Sandhagen's flying knee KO of Frankie Edgar to Jiri Prochazka sleeping Dominick Reyes with a spinning back elbow, there's not many stones left unturned with plenty of prelim performances from fighters who are no longer on the roster - but no Francis Ngannou, as you can see from the timestamps in the video description.

Why No Nod For Ngannou?

Ngannou vs. Miocic is arguably the biggest fight in UFC Apex history, but the KO result from Ngannou is a reminder to the masses that he's the lineal MMA heavyweight champion, never losing the title to Ciryl Gane in his last UFC fight nor to Renan Ferreira in his PFL debut last month.

UFC's Francis Ngannou. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

UFC CEO Dana White had much to say following Ngannou's return fight, not so much about his performance but about his decision to leave the UFC and the different person White claims the former champion is behind-the-scenes.

"I didn't like Francis as a person. ... Francis isn't a good guy. He plays the good guy."

Dana White responds to Francis Ngannou's claims of money owed and doubles down on criticism of the former UFC champ's character. 😳 pic.twitter.com/zUUtZpbYdm
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 26, 2024

Miocic On Not Fighting Ngannou A Third Time

Meanwhile, Miocic hasn't fought since getting knocked out by Ngannou, with his last win coming over four years ago. Highly-regarded as the greatest heavyweight of all time, Miocic is welcomed back to a undisputed title fight with Jon Jones.

Entering what could be his and Jones' retirement fights at UFC 309, Miocic recently reflected on his rivalry with Francis Ngannou and the series they left all tied up at 1-1.

"I'm okay with letting go. I get it," Miocic told MMA Fighting, when asked about Ngannou. "As much as I would've loved to fight him, I wish him nothing but the best. We're 1-1 and that's the way it will be. He got the last one, unfortunately."

"He's doing better for himself and his family. I'm not mad at him… We're 1-1 and that's the way it will be. He got the last one, unfortunately." @StipeMiocic wishes former rival Francis Ngannou "nothing but the best" before his return at #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/03cyaJpR4g
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 4, 2024

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