TLDR
- Coach Eric Nicksick believes Francis Ngannou could be the greatest MMA fighter ever with more cage time
- Ngannou has been competing in both MMA and boxing since leaving the UFC in 2022
- The 40-year-old fighter recently scored back-to-back first-round knockouts in MMA
- Nicksick will meet with Ngannou soon to discuss his future fighting plans
- The coach sees continued development in Ngannou’s skills and believes he can break records
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Francis Ngannou’s head coach Eric Nicksick believes the former UFC heavyweight champion could become the greatest fighter in MMA history if he focuses on mixed martial arts instead of splitting time with boxing.
Nicksick spoke to MMA Junkie Radio about Ngannou’s future as the fighter continues competing in both sports. The coach plans to meet with Ngannou in the coming days to discuss his next move.
Ngannou has been fighting in both MMA and boxing since leaving the UFC in 2022. The 40-year-old fighter recently celebrated back-to-back first-round knockouts over Renan Ferreira and Philipe Lins in MMA competition.
“I’ll actually see him in a couple of days,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “He hasn’t really said much about anything.”
Sean Sharaf says he had to reflect on if MMA was for him after sparring Francis Ngannou during his first day at Xtreme Couture š³š
āSparring Francis Ngannou was the most terrifying thingā¦ He shot a takedown on me, I swear that was the happiest Iāve been to get taken downā¦āā¦ pic.twitter.com/7MUK9W75nW
— Title Fight (@TitleFightMedia) September 28, 2026
Boxing vs. MMA Path
Ngannou has taken high-profile boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua since departing the UFC. Those fights brought bigger financial opportunities for the heavyweight fighter.
However, Nicksick admitted the boxing side remains a learning experience for him as a coach. He watches other boxing coaches like Dewey Cooper to learn game planning for the sport.
“For me personally, the boxing side of things is very much a learning experience,” Nicksick said. “I use that time to really sit back and watch what Dewey does and the other coaches.”
The coach expressed his preference for Ngannou to focus on MMA. He believes they are making strong progress in developing Ngannou’s complete skill set.
Development and Potential Records
Nicksick pointed to Ngannou’s growth from his fight against Jairzinho Rozenstruik through his bout with Ciryl Gane and beyond. The coach sees continued improvement in multiple areas of Ngannou’s game.
“We’ve talked about this for years, man,” Nicksick said. “Just the development of Francis from that Jairzinho fight all the way to Ciryl Gane to now, it’s like, man, there’s so many things that we’re advancing on.”
The trainer believes more time in the cage would allow Ngannou to break records and cement his legacy. He thinks his fighter could be remembered as the greatest ever with more MMA fights.
“I just wish we had more time in the MMA space because I feel like we could break a lot of records, and he could be left as the greatest ever to do it,” Nicksick said.
Nicksick admitted his desire to see Ngannou fight more MMA comes from a selfish place as his coach. He wants to continue the work they have been doing together in the cage.
“That’s just having more time in the cage,” the coach said. “So that’s where I think selfishly, I would love to see him fight more MMA.”
Ngannou holds a 19-3 professional MMA record. He celebrated his 40th birthday earlier this month with a large party.
Nicksick said he will discuss with Ngannou what the promotion MVP has to offer for future fights. The coach hopes to learn whether Ngannou wants to continue pursuing boxing or return his focus to MMA competition.
