Francis Ngannou removed the last remaining impediment standing between him and his desired goal: a second crack at the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown.
“The Predator” on Saturday blew up former champion Junior dos Santos with punches in the first round of their UFC on ESPN 3 headliner at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Dos Santos bowed out 71 seconds into Round 1, as he suffered his first loss in more than two years and ceded the stage to the new No. 1 contender.
Ngannou traded leg kicks with the Brazilian and capitalized a brief moment of weakness.