About three years ago, Francis Ngannou looked like he might be a fighter who falls victim to his own hype.
After beginning his Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure with six consecutive victories, Ngannou was exposed in a five-round decision loss to Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title at UFC 220. His ensuing Octagon appearance was a baffling, action-starved loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 that hurt the stock of both of the division’s most powerful knockout artists.
After the second of those defeats, UFC president Dana White speculated that Ngannou began to get a big head during his rise to stardom.