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Israel Adesanya Hails Francis Ngannou as Heavyweight GOAT over Stipe Miocic

Former UFC Champion Israel Adesanya makes a bold claim about Francis Ngannou following his PFL debut win.

Christopher De Santiago

Handout Photo-Imagn Images

Israel Adesanya believes Francis Ngannou has earned his place as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

From ferocious knockouts in the UFC to a successful PFL debut last weekend, it's getting pretty hard to deny Ngannou as the best in the world, not having lost in the last eight years. Still, some doubted "The Predator" in his long-awaited return to MMA after a short stint in boxing saw him almost defeat Tyson Fury but get knocked out by Anthony Joshua last April.

Ngannou Back On Top

Ngannou silenced all the naysayers with a first-round knockout of PFL Champion Renan Ferreira on Saturday, improving his win streak to seven, six of those coming inside the distance.

Jon Jones Praises Rival Francis Ngannou for Spectacular PFL KO

"People are prisoners of the moment. They forget. They forget who this man is or who people are. So, yeah, I'm glad he reminded everybody why he's the best, why he's the one, why he's Francis Ngannou," Adesanya said on his YouTube channel.

Formerly the UFC Heavyweight Champion and now PFL royalty, Adesanya says Ngannou's legacy should be considered among the greats. After all, "The Predator" brutally finished staples of the heavyweight division such as Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior Dos Santos, and more in mere minutes en route to the UFC heavyweight title in 2021.

Israel Adesanya Hails Francis Ngannou as Heavyweight GOAT over Stipe Miocic
Ex-UFC Champion Francis Ngannou. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Adesanya: "Francis Is The Greatest Heavyweight Of All Time..."

In what was a career-best performance, Ngannou dispatched heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in their rematch at UFC 260.

UFC CEO Dana White and many others have deemed Miocic as the greatest heavyweight of all time with three consecutive title defenses - a feat no other heavyweight champion has accomplished in the promotion.

"Stipe is the last one that I can remember people saying. Well, it was Cain first and then Stipe. Right now, people still hold Stipe as the greatest of all time in the heavyweight division, but I think he's one of the greatest," Adesanya explained.

Israel Adesanya Hails Francis Ngannou as Heavyweight GOAT over Stipe Miocic
Former UFC Champion Stipe Miocic. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Miocic and Ngannou did leave their series tied up at 1-1, as Miocic won their first encounter in 2018 by unanimous decision with Ngannou getting his revenge years later by emphatic KO.

"He has beat Francis, but then Francis beat him in a worst way... But again, it's all subjective. It's all art. It's all who you like. I think Francis is the greatest heavyweight of all time."

Ngannou might not have had as long of a UFC tenure as Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, or others in the heavyweight GOAT conversation (including Fedor Emelianenko, who never fought in the UFC) but the Cameroonian's list of names is far too impressive to ignore, as it is for the heavyweight division's other reigning, defending champions.

"Now, Jones in there is the heavyweight champion. He's only fought once at heavyweight, but he's also one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time. But look, Tom Aspinall is even in the f****** mix, and he's only just kind of getting his ball rolling," Adesanya said of the 31-year-old interim champion Aspinall.

"Look, it's exciting as a fan, but right now, in this moment, I'm just so happy for [Ngannou] and what he has accomplished, and to see him go through it with the adversity he has to go through, with the death of [his son] Kobe."

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Christopher De Santiago
CHRISTOPHER DE SANTIAGO

Christopher De Santiago is a 22 year-old journalist from Gainesville, Texas with years of experience covering MMA.

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