Francis Ngannou
Active 2015–present · rated in 3 editions · peak overall 92.0
Scouting report
Ngannou carried world-record punch power from Batie, Cameroon, to become Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. Training under Xtreme Couture, Ngannou captured the title with a second-round knockout of Stipe Miocic before defending it against Ciryl Gane, his physical power reflected in a 97 Boxing rating, 99 Strength, and 92 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Ngannou authored a rise in the UFC between 2016 and 2017, stopping Curtis Blaydes on a doctor stoppage in Zagreb, finishing Bojan Mihajlovic in Chicago, Anthony Hamilton with a kimura in Albany and Andrei Arlovski in Denver in the first round, and knocking out Alistair Overeem in round one at UFC 218 in Detroit to earn a title shot. His punching power and athletic frame are reflected in a 94 Boxing and 98 Strength.
After dropping decision losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis, Ngannou rebounded with a three-fight first-round stoppage streak between 2018 and 2019, flattening Curtis Blaydes in 45 seconds in Beijing, knocking out former champion Cain Velasquez in 26 seconds in Phoenix, and stopping Junior dos Santos in 71 seconds in Minneapolis. His speed and one-punch power anchor his 96 Boxing and 99 Strength.
Ngannou captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 260 in Las Vegas in March 2021, knocking out Stipe Miocic in round two after stopping Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds at UFC 249. At UFC 270 in Anaheim, he defended his title by out-wrestling undefeated Ciryl Gane across five rounds. His sprawl wrestling and knockout power justify his 97 Boxing and 99 Strength.
Francis Ngannou: one clean punch settles it
Francis Ngannou came to fighting late, after years of hard manual labor in Cameroon, and he brought a punching power that other heavyweights talked about with real caution. His uppercut knockout of Alistair Overeem is still one of the cleanest finishes in the division. Draft him for the moments when a fight is one exchange away from being over.
Ngannou rating by rating
Boxing. Heavy, short, and thrown from a wide base. The power lives here more than anywhere else in his kit.
Kickboxing. Solid and improving. Kicks to the body and legs help him keep the range where his hands work.
Wrestling. Much better than early opponents assumed. He learned to defend takedowns well enough to knock out Stipe Miocic in their rematch.
BJJ. The clear soft spot. He would prefer to stand up than to fight for a submission or a scramble.
Strength. The top of the entire pool. He is widely regarded as one of the hardest punchers the division has seen.
Durability. He took long, rough fights and kept going. Few heavyweights have absorbed as much and kept a clear head.
Cardio. Manageable but not spectacular. After a long grinding fight against a wrestler he slows down, and the loss to Miocic in 2018 showed that.
Fight IQ. Sharper than early on. He learned to set traps and to stay patient against a wrestler.
Strength is the whole sales pitch
Everything else on the card is good, but strength is what separates him. Even a defensive opponent can be put down by one glancing shot, which makes every round dangerous for the other side. On a team that needs a closer, he is one of the best in the pool.
Ground work is where he leaks: BJJ
If a fight goes to the mat, Ngannou would rather get back up than hunt anything off his back. A strong grappler with real submission chances can turn his power into a non-factor. Watch the rest of your build for that kind of counter.
Keep exploring
Closest heavyweight profiles to Francis Ngannou, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Junior dos Santosbest boxing 95 · weakest bjj 76
- Sergei Pavlovichbest strength 96 · weakest bjj 68
- Stipe Miocicbest boxing 93 · weakest bjj 80
- Alexander Volkovbest kickboxing 92 · weakest bjj 80
- Heavyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Francis Ngannou's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Francis Ngannou into your build
Francis Ngannou enters the pool on any spin landing on heavyweight between 2016 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Francis Ngannou is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Francis Ngannou's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.