Francis Ngannou discusses lackluster performance in infamous Derrick Lewis bout, claims he was "over patient"

Francis Ngannou recently discussed his infamous bout against Derrick Lewis and explained the reasoning behind his performance, which was heavily criticized by the MMA community. It was a lackluster performance compared to what fans were accustomed to seeing from 'The Predator' and one that set him back in the title picture.

'The Predator' came off his unanimous decision loss to then UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, which also happened to be his first loss in the promotion. Ngannou was then matched up against 'The Black Beast', which excited fans as both were known for their power and highlight-reel knockouts but it didn't live up to the hype.

During his appearance on Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, the PFL star opened up about the infamous bout against 'The Black Beast' at UFC 226 and his approach to the fight. Ngannou recalled re-watching his bout against Miocic and mentioned that it resulted in a much more reserved approach when fighting Lewis because he believed that he needed to take his time. He said:

"I never fought Derrick Lewis. I was in that fight that day to do what I should've done in the Stipe [Miocic] fight. To be patient...then that's how I walked in the Derrick Lewis fight, to fix what I did wrong in the Stipe fight. But in [an] extreme way. The goal was to be patient, not to rush, to just do me as I used to. But now I'm thinking about it, which is something that used to be natural, I'm thinking about it, like...I [was] over patient."

Check out Francis Ngannou's comments below:

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What happened when Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis fought at UFC 226?

Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis has become a bout that fans don't remember fondly about both their respective careers.

The heavyweight knockout artists competed in the co-main event of UFC 226 and was an opportunity for both to possibly set themselves up nicely for a heavyweight title shot against the winner of the main event between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. The bout definitely didn't live up to the hype as both Ngannou and Lewis hardly exchanged.

The bout went the distance and saw Lewis earn a unanimous decision win. Although the loss took Ngannou out of the heavyweight title picture, it ended up being a positive as he returned to a more aggressive fighting style and eventually avenged his loss to Miocic to become UFC heavyweight champion.

Check out the faceoff between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis below: