Francis Ngannou: Alexander Volkov Ducked Me Twice

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Francis Ngannou seemed like the favorite to fight current Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic next, but it seems the promotion will instead give that opportunity to the retiring Daniel Cormier, with Ngannou set to headline a card in France sometime in 2020.

“The Predator” has been waiting in wings for an opportunity to come his way after his 71-second destruction of Junior dos Santos back in June, yet it seems opponents are hard to come by for the 33-year-old Cameroonian.

With no title fight at least in the short term, given the fact that Miocic and Cormier are set to run it back, Ngannou is assessing other top ranked fighters including Alexander Volkov, who recently dispatched Greg Hardy last weekend in their co-main event bout at UFC Fight Night 163.

Ngannou recently told MMA Junkie that “Drago” has rejected fights against him on two separate occasions and continues:

“Just for the record, Volkov turned down the fight against me twice,” Ngannou said. “One was July 2017 and August 2018. He clearly denied to fight me. The UFC have made it clear for everybody that I’m who you have to fight if you want to fight for the title. But how about me fighting for the title? It doesn’t seem to be in the talk, so that’s exactly what the UFC has made me appear, to be the gate holder. And, yeah, I think Volkov is dodging me clearly. That’s not a secret that he’s dodging me.”

“The Predator” is coming off three straight finishes over Curtis Blaydes as well as former champions Cain Velasquez and dos Santos.

UFC President Dana White has said Ngannou will headline the promotion’s first visit to France next year but did not name an opponent.