Francis Ngannou's Sports Injuries

Francis Ngannou retained his heavyweight belt at UFC 270 and revealed he fought with a completely torn MCL and an injured ACL. Dr. Brian Suter explains the severity of these injuries and their impact. He clarifies that while MCL tears rarely require surgery unless completely torn, ACL injuries can sometimes be managed by muscle support, particularly from the hamstrings. Despite the injuries, Ngannou's toughness and determination exemplify the resilience often seen in combat sports athletes.

At UFC 270, I retained my UFC Heavyweight title against the then-undefeated Ciryl Gane. However, during a sparring session, I twisted my knee and heard a crunch, indicating a serious injury. Despite the bad MRI results, I pursued stem cell treatment and extensive rehab to recover in time for the fight. Mentally, I drew inspiration from Kamaru Usman's resilience. The injury affected my performance, especially in the first two rounds, but also strengthened my mental resolve. My recovery process involves surgery in early March, with a potential return to full training in six to nine months. My goal is to face Tyson Fury, regardless of my contract situation with the UFC.

Despite my injury, I won in a tough fight against Ciryl Gane last January. Now, before thinking about my comeback, I need to focus on my recovery. My knee was very swollen, and we've been working to reduce the swelling, which is necessary for the pain to subside. My quad has lost muscle mass, so I’m doing exercises to strengthen my calf and hips to support the non-functional ligament. Nineteen days post-surgery, they removed the stitches, and everything looks good, though it doesn’t feel great yet. The swelling prevents much movement, but my knee is less swollen than yesterday. They took my patellar tendon, placed screws in my femur and tibia, and reconstructed my MCL. The ACL, however, cannot heal itself. The injury happened on December 28th, like a car accident—you can't miss it. My foot got stuck on the canvas, and I felt my knee pop. Despite this, I fought afterward without a cortisone shot to avoid interfering with the stem cell treatment, even though it didn’t help the pain. Rehabilitation focuses on strengthening muscles, using a hyperbaric chamber daily, and ensuring the quads are firing correctly. This is my first serious injury, and I hope it's the last. Regular fights usually don’t result in such severe injuries. Recovery involves getting everything working properly again, especially the hips and quads. The gym isn’t fun, but it’s necessary for recovery.

UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou defended his title at UFC 270 despite dealing with a significant right knee injury. Ngannou suffered a grade 3 MCL rupture, ACL damage, and MPFL damage 25 days before the fight. To compensate for the loss of stability from these injuries, Ngannou relied on muscular support and neuromuscular stability. He also made tactical changes, such as avoiding stance switches and reducing the effectiveness of his striking to protect his knee. Instead, he focused on wrestling and grappling to leverage his upper body more than his legs. Ngannou mentioned the need for surgery, with recovery timelines varying depending on the extent of the injuries. The MCL injury typically requires a three to four-month recovery, while ACL surgery could extend recovery to nine months or more. The long-term impact of fighting through the injury remains uncertain, but it could lead to lingering issues. Ngannou's competitive mindset and determination were evident in his performance.