Adding Rozenstruik's scalp to his run means he is well-poised for another shot at the title, once again held by Miocic. Francis Ngannou says his unprecedented knockout power is a result of child labor in Cameroon, Conor McGregor texted the UFC boss Dana White saying he's desperate to fight on 'Fight Island', We counted 18 safety measures the UFC has in place for UFC 249, and people have already been filmed getting swabs for COVID-19, A former UFC champion said he front-kicked a 'sketchy' woman in LA because she tried to spit on him after running 'like a zombie', A former UFC athlete said beating the coronavirus was far more 'aggressive' than any opponent he fought in his career. Account active A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Like what you see here? Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get more of it. "It's not that I don't care, but I don't want to feel like something is controlling me. With or without a title shot, I'm still a fighter and still have what I have and can make a statement.". "I had fun out there, it wasn't something I was chasing. Francis Ngannou just knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds. Ngannou's performance was so fast, so furious, that a second shot at the UFC heavyweight championship beckons. One said he was desperate for money because his family might end up homeless. Watch the quick-fire knockout win below. The fight took place at an empty venue in Florida, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. The fight took place at an empty venue in Florida, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed (see section below). Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images. Ngannou fought for the UFC heavyweight championship before, losing a unanimous decision to then-champ Stipe Miocic at UFC 226 in 2018. Ngannou secured his stoppage win in just 20 seconds. Though Ngannou lost a second successive fight later that year, he has since rebounded with extraordinary first-round finishes against Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, and Junior dos Santos. The heavyweight bout had been billed as a collision of hard-hitting giants, with Rozenstruik putting his unbeaten run on the line against Ngannou's reputation as the most-devastating striker in UFC history. Subscriber "He has a lot of potential but he needs to take a step back and get ready for someone like me," Ngannou said, adding he wasn't even chasing the KO. "When I heard him call me out I knew he didn't know what he was doing," Ngannou told the UFC commentator Joe Rogan, after his quick-fire victory behind-closed-doors at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday, May 9. When I chase the knockout, it doesn't work, so I don't chase anymore.". And make a statement tonight, in Florida, he did. Looking for smart ways to get more from life? UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik was a planned mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship originally to take place on March 28, 2020 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States. So much so, that the fight only lasted 20 seconds — and that includes the amount of time Rozenstruik was knocked out on his feet by a thudding Ngannou left hand, before the Cameroon big man attacked his opponent with six follow-ups. since. "I don't know what it takes to have a title shot in the UFC," Ngannou said. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, the most-devastating striker in UFC history, Ngannou told the UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images, The hardest-hitting heavyweight in UFC history is so strong he lifted Shaquille O'Neal with ease. Ngannou's performance was so fast, so furious, that a second shot at the UFC heavyweight championship beckons. 3 people test positive for COVID-19 ahead of UFC 249. Francis Ngannou just knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds. The punches were so brutal you could hear each one land as Ngannou put together his fight-ending flurry, exacerbated by the lack of crowd noise in the empty venue. "I've made my peace with that. Jairzinho Rozenstruik spent longer in recovery, awkwardly propped up against the Octagon fence after being terrifyingly knocked out by Francis Ngannou, than he did in the actual fight itself.