Rumors of Francis Ngannou’s knee injury ricocheted around the internet in the buildup to UFC 270. Fernand Lopez was not a fan of Ciryl Gane.
” I don’t believe this,” Lopez recalls his reaction to Gane’s brother David’s screenshot.
Lopez was helping Ngannou prepare for his fight against the former champion interim. He believed that the injury report was “bait”, and didn’t allow it to factor into his strategy. The MMA Hour on Wednesday.
When Ngannou stepped into the octagon this past Saturday wearing neoprene sleeves on both of his knees, Lopez said he grew even more suspicious and called over Gane.
“Don’t go for the low kick,” he told the interim champ. “I don’t believe Francis is hurt. He will counter you.”
As it turned out, the rumor was true. Ngannou confirmed Monday that he had suffered multiple injuries to his knees while training for the pay-per view. Those injuries prompted him to wrestle Gane to a unanimous decision victory, and they will require surgery that could keep him out of action for the bulk of this year as he sits in contractual limbo with the UFC.
Lopez stated that he believed Ngannou was injured. But the way the information was conveyed, just hours before the fight, made him think something else was afoot. (Little did he and the rest of the world know that many things were, most of which were not in Ngannou’s favor as the fight neared. )
” I told Ciryl to not go kick a low kick [in the open],” Lopez. “You will get knocked out by Francis. Don’t kick down. Stay on the kick that we’re using.”
According to Lopez, that was a taekwondo-style kick that allowed Gane to keep distance and score points without risking a heavy counter from Ngannou. The move worked until Gane was able to grab Gane’s legs and smash him into the ground with a single shot to his midsection. That started a trend of grappling that led to Ngannou’s win.
Ngannou chose to defeat Gane than just stand there and fight it out, shocking the entire world. Lopez wasn’t surprised.
” I knew they’d be wrestling,” he stated. “Because I said that in many interviews: I don’t see how in the first two rounds we will be challenged in the boxing department. I knew that [we] wouldn’t be challenged, and that’s what happened.
“Francis is powerful, and I think he did a good job on wrestling. But I wasn’t surprised on that. I’m not trying to say I don’t appreciate it. It was something I truly appreciated, and I didn’t find it surprising .”
Much was said about Gane’s decision not to try a leglock during the final round after Ngannou had won the match by taking control of the action on canvas. In training, Lopez initially discouraged the interim champ from attempting the submission, as he feared it would give Ngannou a chance to land a thunderous hammerfist that would lead to a knockout. But when Gane continued to attempt it and submitted several high-level grapplers, he gave his approval for Gane to use his discretion.
Lopez took issue with UFC commentary that scolded Gane for trying the move when attempts in earlier fights had brought priase.
” I don’t think he regrets anything,” Lopez stated. Lopez said that if he did not hit the heel hook, and we lost, I would kill myself asking why he hadn’t tried it. He’s very skilled at this. This is part of the spectacle. Ciryl is the one you want to present the show. The show was brought by him. In my team, in Eric Nicksick’s team, in the venue, who didn’t get scared on that heel hook? Everyone was like, ‘Oh sh*t. He’s going for this again.’ But it went bad. Let’s say that we are back at the drawing board, and will try again .”
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After the end of the fight Lopez crossed the octagon to shake hands with Ngannou. It was his way of squashing the beef that had been built up by several competing interviews in the media, the result, Lopez said, of reaction to UFC President Dana White’s opinion that Ngannou had an “ego.”
“100 percent, I’m relieved [it’s over],” Lopez said. “When I crossed the octagon and shake his hand, that was my way to say, ‘OK buddy. I’m done.'”
Lopez wound up speaking with Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin for several minutes backstage, shared a hug with opposing coach Eric Nicksick, and quickly agreed with the advice of UFC welterweight champion and Ngannou confidant Kamaru Usman, whom he said told him, “Fernand, we’re brothers – let’s stop this.”
The coach doesn’t necessarily regret any of the things he said in the buildup to the fight. The coach believes he was being truthful and accurate. He also feels that he helped the promotion and fighters by his participation in the drama that sold the fight. Gane said that he made a lot from the fight.
Lopez is sorry that Ngannou and he have fallen out of love.
“No matter what you say on this topic, you look bad, anyway – no matter what you say, you just look bitter, you just look ex-wife, no matter what you try to say. So if there’s something I regret, it’s on myself that I didn’t make it as a coach.
” You have the obligation and responsibility to provide value for your students and make good moves at the gym. Francis and I had a great relationship for four years. I regret that I wasn’t able to maintain that good rapport with Francis over the next four. That’s why I still feel that it was a failure.
“Everything started because I went publicly responding to journalists, saying to journalists, ‘Yes, I think that Dana White is saying Francis has an ego is good.’ I do regret that, which is sad to regret that. If I didn’t admit that, I think everything would have gone the same that we used to do.”
Lopez is now resolved to move on from the entire subject of the drama with his former charge, and he won’t answer questions about it from the media about it. It’s now time for Gane to get back on the drawing boards and prepare himself for whatever his next challenge may be.
“I am done,” he stated. “I’m tired. “I’m tired of that topic .”
