Fabricio Werdum backs Robelis Despaigne to end Francis Ngannou’s win streak
Both Robelis Despaigne and ‘The Predator’ picked up wins at the MVP MMA event in Inglewood, California on Saturday night, and a potential matchup between the two is already being talked about.
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Ngannou stopped Philipe Lins in the first round of their main event clash, while Despaigne finished Junior dos Santos less than three minutes into their fight.
The Cuban has been making headlines with his striking power, and Werdum believes he’d be too much for Ngannou to handle.
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
Robelis Despaigne backed by Fabricio Werdum to knock out Francis Ngannou
During the press conference that followed the event on May 16, MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian spoke about several potential matchups that could headline future cards.
One of the fights discussed was a matchup between Ngannou and Despaigne. The taekwondo bronze medalist from the 2012 Olympics might be the most interesting option for ‘The Predator’ outside of UFC circles.
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Fabricio Werdum thinks that fight would bring Ngannou’s eight-fight win streak in MMA to an end. Werdum has his reasons to favour Despaigne, with ties to Junior dos Santos that go back a long way.
“When I saw the Cuban’s fights in Karate Combat, I commented in our WhatsApp group with Rafael Cordeiro, Lyoto (Machida), and Wanderlei (Silva). All support was behind ‘Cigano,’ but I didn’t see it happening,” he added.
“This Cuban is a terrible matchup for Francis Ngannou. He has a lot of reach, speed, and precision. I’m 99 percent sure he’ll beat Ngannou by knockout.”
Despaigne is unbeaten since leaving the UFC two years ago. Before making his MMA return under MVP, he had already picked up seven wins in Karate Combat matches.
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The Predator also suffered two losses when making his boxing debut after leaving UFC. He lost on points to Tyson Fury before being knocked out by Anthony Joshua in their next bout. It’s not yet clear if Francis Ngannou will have another boxing match or stay in MMA next time out.
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