Dear MMA Gods | The collision of the mega powers

By Drake Riggs - February 19, 2019

In the heavyweight division, seeing knockouts isn’t uncommon. The bigger the individuals, the stronger and more powerful they will be with their strikes. It’s simple, really.

Francis-Ngannou

However, then we take a look at someone like this past weekend’s UFC Phoenix main event winner, Francis “The Predator” Ngannou who time and time again proves to have power levels that may very well just eclipse that of anything ever seen before on this planet. We’re talking over 9000.

The Cameroonian is a true specimen among the land of the big men as he stands at a menacing 6’4″ while weighing in at a shredded 258-pounds.

Every single person to have entered the cage with Ngannou has felt his power and very few haven’t been able to walk away without being separated from their consciousness prior. Well, with the exception of his and Derrick Lewis’ tag team effort to put the crowd to sleep, that is.

It’s unlikely that Ngannou will ever encounter someone in his career who can match him in such incredible punching power… But what if he did…?

That’s why we go to the MMA Gods, folks! To make requests like these. And following Ngannou’s 26-second silencing of former two-time heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, a prayer needs to be made to the MMA Gods for a collision of the mega powers between the arguably all-time hardest hitters in MMA history; Francis Ngannou vs Anthony “Rumble” Johnson.

PhotoCred: MMAjunkie

Before Ngannou had literally and figuratively burst onto the scene in 2015, the unanimously decided hardest hitter in MMA was none other than the man known as Rumble.

Somehow a welterweight early on in his career, Johnson would eventually make the move to his body’s natural weight of 200 plus pounds in 2012.

From then on, Rumble would go on to leave a trail of bodies lying behind him on his path to two separate light heavyweight title shots.

Johnson went 11-2 at 205-pounds and above with nine of those victories coming by way of devastating knockout. Some of his victims include the likes of Glover Teixeira, Jimi Manuwa, Mike Kyle, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, former three-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson, and current Bellator light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

The only man able to halt Johnson in his tracks was the Olympic level wrestler, Daniel Cormier. A trait that someone like Ngannou doesn’t possess or a tactical route that he surely wouldn’t think to go, nor would he likely need to.

Johnson does have solid wrestling abilities of his own, but in a match-up like this one, it would come down to who touches who first.

Crazily enough, since Johnson’s retirement in 2017, he may have only acquired more strength as well as he’s gotten into the world of bodybuilding where he’s been seen to have packed on some rather considerable mass, which is quite a horrifying thought for any possible future opponent.

He’s always rightfully had incredible confidence in his striking abilities and with his increased size, it’s safe to assume that wouldn’t have gone away. Thus making seeing what the approach would be to a battle with Francis Ngannou all the more interesting.

Unfortunately, the probability of this prayer being answered is the lowest out of all the previous nine.

Comfortable with his current life, Rumble Johnson has said recently that he is interested in returning but only at heavyweight for the right price. Also, preferably for the big fight with Jon Jones that he lost out on in 2015 after Jones’ hit and run incident.

Either way, everyone loves seeing two monstrous men meet inside a cage, and there’s arguably never been any more powerful than these two and neither have ever faced off against someone who can match them blow for blow.

So dear MMA Gods… Somehow, some way, let these mega powers collide at some point in the future.

Ngannou vs Johnson chance of happening: 3%

Check out the previous articles in the Dear MMA Gods series below:

  1. Can we get an Iron-Highlight one day?
  2. It’s not too late for the WEC super fight
  3. The true time for Affliction is now…
  4. We need to see Cyborg’s toughest test
  5. Let’s see how mighty this mouse really is
  6. Tyron Woodley’s ultimate redemption
  7. Give Gegard Mousasi his chance to fully cement himself as a legend of the sport
  8. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s funky battle of perfect records
  9. Bless us with Max Holloway vs Tony Ferguson

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/19/2019

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


Topics:

Anthony Johnson Francis Ngannou UFC