Francis Ngannou shares what impresses him about Strickland

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Francis Ngannou has shared a glimpse into Sean Strickland’s latest fight camp.

Strickland, the former middleweight champion, is preparing to take on Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. The bout is set for May 9, with the title on the line.

Strickland has been training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas ahead of his title fight against Chimaev. It’s a familiar setting for Ngannou, who has spent most of his career based there.

Sean Strickland drawing praise for his UFC 328 prep from Francis Ngannou

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

Sean Strickland has a huge task in front of him at UFC 328, going up against Khamzat Chimaev, who’s yet to lose a professional fight.

Not many are picking Strickland to pull off the upset against the middleweight champ, but Ngannou is seeing some positive signs from his camp.

Ngannou, speaking with Helen Yee, didn’t back away from how tough the fight will be but noted that Strickland’s training partners and his focus on wrestling could make things interesting.

“I think it’s a very tough fight, but he has the right partners with him, and he’s doing a good job putting emphasis on the wrestling,” Ngannou said. “We shared some rounds, but not a lot.”

What’s next for Francis Ngannou?

Francis Ngannou’s last outing was a knockout win over Renan Ferreira at a PFL event in October 2024. He hasn’t stepped into the cage since then.

After leaving PFL, Ngannou joined Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, signing up just as the company prepared for its entry into MMA.

He is scheduled to fight Philipe Lins in a five-round heavyweight co-main event on May 16.