Francis Ngannou is expected to undergo knee surgery to repair damage done prior to his win over Ciryl Gane this past weekend.
His manager Marquel Martin confirmed the plans when speaking to MMA Fighting with the surgery likely happening after the UFC heavyweight champion returns from a planned trip to his home country of Cameroon. ESPN first reported the news.
“He’s going to have to get surgery likely in March,” Martin said. “Then the timeline can vary, obviously, but probably looking at 9 to 10 months [recovery time].”
According to Martin, Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery. He is an internationally renowned orthopedic surgeon and serves as lead physician for many teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers or Los Angeles Rams.
Dr. ElAttrache worked previously with many high-profile UFC fighters, including Conor McGregor and Georges St-Pierre. Now, he will handle Ngannou once he returns to the United States later this year following a trip home to see family and friends in Cameroon.
Martin said that surgery would repair the ACL damage but Ngannou did not completely remove that ligament, so the procedure isn’t a complete ACL reconstruction.
“His ACL has been completely destroyed, but it can be healed on its own,” Martin said. He will likely repair his ACL. If there are other damages, such as the MCL, Martin will fix it .
Ngannou revealed the severity of the injury after earning a unanimous decision over Gane at UFC 270 while also stating that he would likely have to undergo surgery.
Of course, Ngannou’s surgery comes at a time when the UFC heavyweight champion is locked in a battle with the promotion over his contract. Ngannou won over Gane in his last fight under his current contract. He has stated previously that even though he had a clause for champions, he should be a free agent until December.
Ngannou could still potentially come to terms with the UFC, although past negotiations have failed to lead to a new deal being struck between the fighter and the promotion. Most recently, Ngannou said that he left around $7 million on the table when declining the UFC’s latest offer as he continues to seek new terms that would allow him more freedom with his career.
Ngannou talked about the possibility of a boxing match with Tyson Fury, reigning heavyweight champion.
It is still unknown if Ngannou will sign a contract with the UFC, or wait to complete his current agreement to become free agent, but for now, his trip to Cameroon and his return to his knee surgery are his main priorities.
