Francis Ngannou on supplements in MMA
Francis Ngannou was scheduled to face Junior Dos Santos at this past weekend’s UFC 215 event, until JDS tested positive for a banned diuretic and was removed from the fight. It would have been the biggest test to date in Ngannou’s young career, but now he will have to wait. While the reasons for Dos Santos failing still aren’t entirely clear, Ngannou still gave his two cents on the issue, and specifically on the idea of tainted supplements leading to failed drug tests.
He stated that he doesn’t know whether to believe the tainted supplement excuses or not, but that to be safe he just stays away from them. He did say that he has been tempted to try supplements before, but that the reward doesn’t outweigh the risk, at least in his eyes.
Cole’s Analysis: This isn’t particularly rare, but for a man in the shape that he is in it does come as a bit of a surprise. It also reminds me that I did not win the genetics lottery. Francis Ngannou is perhaps the top prospect in the history of MMA. He has the size, look, and skills to be a top fighter in this sport.
It would be interesting to know what percentage of fighters use supplements, because they seem like a staple of the diet of most pro athletes. Either way though, with or without supplements, rest assured that Francis Ngannou will show up to his next fight ready to go, and in tip top shape.
Gavin Tucker speaks out after ugly loss
Gavin Tucker made a good first impression in his UFC debut against Sam Sicilia, so much so that he was quickly tagged as a hot prospect in the featherweight division. This past weekend he returned for his second fight in the octagon, and was matched up against WSOF veteran Rick Glenn. While the first round was a bit competitive, the second and third were anything but, and we saw Glenn give Tucker one of the worst beatings that you will ever see in the sport.
In my coverage of the fight,which you can read here, I stated that I felt the fight was stopped a bit late, because while Tucker is certainly tough, the fight was no longer competitive in the third round, and Tucker was just absorbing punishment. Tucker though, felt differently and was actually glad that the ref allowed him to go out of his shield. He said that the referee visited him in the hospital, made sure he was alright, and apologized.
Cole’s Analysis: It’s no surprise that Tucker feels this way, but still you never want to see a guy take a one-sided beating like that. Of course, he isn’t going to complain, and of course he won’t say it should have been stopped. He is a proud fighter, and would likely fight until the end if given the chance. Hopefully he recovers well, and comes back better than ever. I still think he should consider a cut to bantamweight, but we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for Gavin Tucker.
NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS NEWS UPDATE: Borg out of UFC 215, Showtime interested in UFC TV deal, Fertittas sell remaining shares of UFC, Till an unknown to Cerrone
Leave a Reply