UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou needs knee surgery, out nine months

Francis Ngannou first won the UFC heavyweight championship via an impressive knockout of Stipe Miocic in March 2021 and left no question about his status as the sport's top fighter in the division in this past Saturday's win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 that unified the promotion's championship. 

Ngannou already wasn't committed to rushing back into the cage for several reasons, and it appears he'll physically be out of action for the foreseeable future. 

Marquel Martin, Ngannou's manager, told Brett Okamoto of ESPN Wednesday the 35-year-old is set to undergo knee surgery to repair a torn MCL and damaged ACL he initially suffered training for the bout versus Gane. 

In his comments, Martin praised Ngannou for "fighting on one leg" this past weekend and said the champ's recovery timeframe is nine months from after he has the procedure. Ngannou will first travel to his native Cameroon before having surgery in the United States. 

Like other big-name UFC fighters over the past several years, Ngannou left no doubt before UFC 270 he wasn't thrilled over his pay or the fact the promotion wouldn't let him pursue other opportunities, such as big-money boxing matches, while under contract. As Alexander K. Lee of MMA Fighting noted, Ngannou hit out at UFC president Dana White last fall for the way White handled the heavyweight division's interim title after Ngannou and the UFC couldn't come to terms on a fight agreement. 

One wonders if the UFC will again look to crown an interim champion with Ngannou sidelined for the bulk of 2022.