And boy, did he make the most of it.
The Cameroon native, who is now based in Las Vegas by way of Paris, has been touted as the UFC’s best heavyweight prospect in a long, long time.
All he had to do was face the formidable task of one of the game’s greatest heavyweights in Alistair Overeem.
Ngannou wasted little time proving he belonged.
Ngannou knocked Overeem cold with a wicked left hook Saturday night at UFC 218. The time of the stoppage at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit was just 1:42.
“I feel pretty good,” Ngannou (11-1) understated.