All hail King Francis, 17th of his line, undisputed monarch of the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.
In the main event of UFC 260 on Saturday, Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic to claim the strap Miocic had defended a UFC record four times. While the fact of the knockout may not have been a shock, Ngannou showed markedly improved takedown defense and composure compared to their first meeting in 2018. Combined with his numbing power, those refinements in Ngannou’s game appear to spell bad news for Miocic, Jon Jones or anyone else looking to topple the 34-year-old slugger from his newly acquired throne.