Francis Ngannou believes the promotion’s decisions are to blame for where the UFC heavyweight division finds itself in 2026.
Not too long ago, this was the home of big names like Stipe Miocic, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum. And that’s just a few.
But times have changed. The current crop of heavyweights is a far cry from what it used to be. Many fights now feel drawn out and slow-paced.
Ngannou, speaking as someone who has been on both sides of the fence, doesn’t hold back when pointing fingers at his old company.
Francis Ngannou weighs in on the current state of UFC’s heavyweight division
Numbers are backing up this shift. In February, MMA analyst Ovin Vithanage pointed out that there were no former undisputed champions left, only six fighters on winning streaks, and 15 with losing records still on the roster.
This decline has shown up inside the cage, too. Fights like Tallison Teixeira’s win over Tai Tuivasa have led to fans even calling for the division to be scrapped altogether.
Ngannou himself has rarely been involved in dull fights, and he recently shared his perspective on what’s gone wrong during an interview with The Schmo.
“Well, I think there is a lot of, I would say, mismanagement,” Ngannou said. “There is a lot of mismanagement that sometimes gets stuff screwed up.
“That’s where we are today. You see even now, there are a lot of heavyweights out there like Tom Aspinall, he is having trouble with this.
“I think there is mismanagement,” he continued. “When I say mismanagement… I (am) talking about the promotion. I think there is something like that out there, which is not right.”
Ngannou hasn’t fought since October 2024 but will return against Philipe Lins at Netflix’s debut event in May.
The Cameroonian holds an impressive record, unbeaten since his loss to Derrick Lewis eight years ago and notable wins over Stipe Miocic, Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, Miocic fight, Curtis Blaydes (twice), Junior dos Santos (twice), Jairzinho Rozenstruik (twice), Derrick Lewis and Alistair Overeem.
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