If there was ever a main event in which MMA fans could outright expect nothing but hand-to-hand combat and the guarantee that the trio of judges won't be needed, look no further than Francis Ngannou vs. Junior dos Santos. Headlining Saturday's UFC Fight Night card from Minneapolis (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET) is the heavyweight tilt that was moved up one week from its original placement on the loaded UFC 239 card on July 6 in Las Vegas.
Dos Santos (21-5), a former UFC heavyweight champion from Brazil, was reminded how much fans expect that both fighters will eschew takedowns and grappling in favor of throwing hands during last month's appearance on CBS Sports' "State of Combat" podcast.
"And they are not wrong," dos Santos said. "Of course. You have to tell me the last time I didn't stand up and bang with my opponents. I'm going to go there to knock this guy out. I know it's dangerous and I know he has a lot of power, but the thing is, too much power without a lot of control is useless.
"I see this fight as a really good fight, especially for the fans. That's what they want to see. I think it's going to be fireworks that night."
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The 35-year-old dos Santos has appeared reborn during a three-fight winning streak that includes a knockout of former title challenger Derrick Lewis in March, but he knows full well how difficult the challenge of Ngannou (13-3) truly is at this moment. As a matter of fact, oddsmakers have labeled the native of Cameroon (by way of France) as the betting favorite after he demolished Curtis Blaydes and Cain Velasquez in a combined 71 seconds.
Ngannou, 32, may have come up short against former champion Stipe Miocic in their 2018 title showdown while seeing his crude wrestling game exposed, but he has gone back to what has got him here: focusing on his strengths as a violent head hunter.
"I don't think this fight is going to go five rounds," Ngannou said during this week's media day when asked about the recent change from a three-round bout to a five-round main event. "I think I am the best boxer in the heavyweight division. I am going to prove it."
Asked whether he expects dos Santos to shoot for a takedown or attempt to submit him should "The Predator" begin to get the upper hand in the standup, Ngannou surprised media members by calling dos Santos' credentials into question.
"First of all, I don't believe that. I don't believe dos Santos is a jiu-jitsu black belt," Ngannou said. "I don't know where he is from, and I don't believe that. And I don't mind [if he attempts a takedown] at all. You never know what some fighters are going to come up with. I was thinking maybe he would try some wrestling to take down, but it's not his comfort zone. I don't know, he may try anything, but most important is that I'm prepared for everything."
Dos Santos has expressed his own lack of confidence in Ngannou's overall game, as well. He believes the difference in technique between them will quickly become evident, as will Ngannou's tendency to become reckless.
"I was watching his fight with Miocic, and in the first round, he goes full power walking forward all the time and throwing those heavy hands," dos Santos said. "Sometimes you have to be smart and position yourself in a good situation."
Also on this card is a pair of top flyweights who don't seem to know what their futures in the company could be. With UFC cutting a ton of its 125-pound fighters, Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga are seemingly fighting for survival when they step in the Octagon on Saturday. The winner hopes to challenge Henry Cejudo in 2020 for the flyweight title.
It's also the return of Brazilian legend Demian Maia when he takes on Anthony "Rocco" Martin in a pivotal welterweight bout. Maia is coming off a first-round submission win while Martin is riding a four-fight winning streak and looking to crack the top 15 in the UFC rankings. Plus, a pair of veterans from Dana White's Contender Series are back in the form of Roosevelt Roberts taking on Vinc Pichel and Alonzo Meinfield battling Paul Craig. On the prelims, Eryk "Ya Boi" Anders is back, looking for his first win since 2017.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
Francis Ngannou -220 | Junior dos Santos +180 | Heavyweight |
Joseph Benavidez -130 | Jussier Formiga +110 | Flyweight |
Demian Maia -160 | Rocco Martin +140 | Welterweight |
Roosevelt Roberts -275 | Vinc Pichel +225 | Lightweight |
Drew Dober -330 | Marco Polo Reyes +260 | Lightweight |
Alonzo Menifield -300 | Paul Craig +240 | Light heavyweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Saturday, June 29 | Start time: 9 p.m. ET
Location: Target Center -- Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction
Regardless of whether dos Santos is bluffing about his intentions of boxing Ngannou for as long as the fight lasts, there's little question he's going to have to walk through hell in order to win this fight. Even in Ngannou's one-sided loss to Miocic, he rocked the former champion in the opening round with the kind of vicious punches that would've finished most opponents. While dos Santos is still plenty game and deserves credit for his longevity and ability to bounce back from defeat, it's Ngannou who appears to have been better off for a two-fight skid in 2018 that forced him to rebuild his confidence and determination.
Make no mistake about it, Ngannou is a one-trick pony whose sole focus is finding your chin as quickly as possible. The unshaken belief that dos Santos has in himself may prove to be the one thing that leads to his dismantling. Pick: Ngannou via KO1
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