SERIOUS POWER!! Welcome to the UFC @Francis_Ngannou! #UFCOrlando https://t.co/JwCuFd4Gto
— #UFCOrlando (@ufc) December 19, 2015
Heavyweight Francis Ngannou made a statement in his UFC debut at the UFC on FOX 17 mixed martial arts (MMA) event tonight (Sat., Dec. 19, 2015) inside Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
The 29-year-old Frenchman survived being taken down in round one to storm back in a big way in the second frame.
It was clear from the very beginning of this matchup that Ngannou would prove to to be too much to handle on the feet. He established himself early, but was taken down towards the middle of the first round.
Aside from a a few short, powerful shots from the Brazilian, Ngannou didn't take all that much damage and the duo were stood back up by the referee. He continued to tag Henrique with powerful fists heading into round two.
In the second round, the fight stalled multiple times, as Henrique looked to make this tussle a dogfight.
He continued to search for the takedown, but the referee would separate both giants and on the last one, Ngannou retaliated with a thunderous combination -- punctuated by a left uppercut -- that sent Henrique crashing down to the mat at the 2:53 mark of round two.
For more UFC on FOX 17 news and notes, including up-to-the-minute live results, click here and here.