At the UFC 270 post-fight press conference, Francis Ngannou revealed that he had suffered a complete MCL tear, a partial ACL tear, and an injury to his MPFL ligament.
While that didn't stop 'The Predator' from successfully defending his heavyweight crown, orthopedic surgeon Chris Raynor explained why Ngannou's decision to go ahead with the fight was a risky move.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Raynor detailed how Francis Ngannou going up against Gane with a knee injury was not a wise decision:
"This combination of injuries would make the stability of Ngannou's knee non-existent, and the ability to fight in a championship fight nearly impossible. In fact, four days prior to the fight when medically examined, Ngannou was advised by the clearing physician not to fight lest he risk irreversible damage to his knee, especially if kicked in his knee from the outside. A kick to Ngannou's already compromised knee would result in even more catastrophic injury than was already present."
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The surgeon understood why Ngannou ignored medical advice. However, he reiterated that the decision to compete could have been calamitous:
"But not one to shy away from a challenge, Ngannou ignored the physician's advice and decided to fight anyway. Does anyone ever listen to their doctor? But being a championship fight, I do get it. Well, the competitive side of me gets it. The medical side of me thinks that this was absolutely crazy, bat s*** crazy."
Raynor added that the knee sleeves Ngannou wore during the fight were completely useless.
Watch Chris Raynor explain Francis Ngannou's knee injury in the video below:
Mark Hunt calls Francis Ngannou's UFC 270 purse a joke, encourages sitting out UFC contract
Mark Hunt may no longer be a fighter in the UFC but he has been fighting against the promotion. Hunt recently joined Jake Paul in slamming the organization for underpaying its fighters.
After catching word of Francis Ngannou's UFC 270 purse of $600,000 for his hard-fought decision win against Ciryl Gane, 'The Super Samoan' stated that the heavyweight champ was being exploited by the UFC. During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Hunt said:
“With Ngannou, of course, he should sit out. Of course, he should look at his other options. To be the man in MMA, getting paid $500,000-600,000 is a fricking joke. I got paid $950,000 six years ago and I never had the belt. So right there goes to show you how much these guys are getting exploited.”
Watch Mark Hunt's full interview with Submission Radio below:
Ngannou is currently in the middle of a contract impasse with the UFC and has also expressed his desire to venture into the world of boxing. The champion is expected to be out of action for about a year to recover from the injury.