Fighter of the Russian PFL League Oleg Popov In a conversation with , he expressed his interest in a fight against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou left the UFC after defending his belt against Cyril Gan and has not competed since January 2022. The 37-year-old signed with the PFL promotion and has fought two fights under boxing rules, losing to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He is expected to return to MMA against Renan Ferreira on October 19. Popov reached the PFL Grand Prix League Finals, where he will face Denis Goltsov.
— We learned that former UFC champion Francis Ngannou would be returning to MMA. Can you imagine yourself in a duel with him?
— I have imagined and thought about such a fight. I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I want to win the Grand Prix, and then ask Ngannou.
— Do you now consider him the strongest heavyweight in the world in MMA?
– I don’t think so. Maybe I’m underestimating him. He’s not that versatile for a heavyweight.
— Would you like to transfer it to the ground as well?
— I would be interested in standing with him in a cross (a kind of wrestling hold. – TV Match), in a clinch and testing his physical strength. Even if he had incredible physical strength, I would still keep up. No matter how strong you are, your legs allow you to control your weight, balance and body. Downstairs, it would be much easier for me. And it seemed to me that it does not protect the legs very well.
— What would you choose: fight in the Grand Prix final with Goltsov or fight with Ngannou for a standard fee?
— Sure, Grand Prix. If I hadn’t fought in the finals, I would have told you that I wanted to fight him for recognition or to test myself. But now I’m one step away from the finals, what’s the point in giving up? Only if they had offered me some kind of “wow” prize for a fight with him, I would have thought about it again.
— Which of your sparring partners could hit as hard and as fast as Ngannou?
— Everyone in the team Fedor hits well. Even with Tolik Tokov, you stand, and he hits sharply and painfully. The most unpleasant blows from him are somehow heavy and incomprehensible, “Popov told .
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I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
