Dana White has stats to prove UFC champion Francis Ngannou hits harder than a speeding car and boxing legend Mike Tyson has helped with his technique

In Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane will need to utilise all his skill to avoid the power of a 12Ib sledgehammer.

That's roughly how hard the heavyweight champion hits, though the challenger will be well aware of all this going into their title fight at UFC 270.

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“Francis is a guy who has the world record for the most powerful punch," UFC president Dana White explained when introducing him to the stage ahead of his first showdown with Stipe Miocic, at UFC 220 in 2018.

"His punches are equivalent to 96 horse power. That’s equal to getting hit by a Ford Escort going as fast as it can and it’s more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer from full force overhead. Holy s***."

Miocic, though, was unfazed and managed to negate all of Ngannou’s strengths in the stand-up and outwrestled the Cameroonian.

He dominated Ngannou over five rounds with strikes in the clinch or on the ground and it was the perfect plan to deal with the imposing challenger.

At UFC 260, Ngannou rectified that loss and finally got UFC gold.

But since losing to Miocic first time around, Ngannou dominated just about everyone else in the heavyweight division - except for Derrick Lewis - and all five of his wins ended in knockout victories, with only the rematch against Miocic going to the second round.

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In 2020, the legendary Mike Tyson lent his help to Ngannou to help him deal with rangy punchers when he was trying to talk himself into a boxing match with Tyson Fury.

“You gotta push, push push! Push and move it quick,” Tyson said displaying his jab.

“The theory is, he punches long and when you punch like that, when he punches long, you got hooks inside that will move him around. Hard punches to the body.

“And with the uppercut. You hit him, boom. But it’s always more than one punch. Hit that body then boom. Even numbers of the right hand, odd numbers of the left hand.

“[Fury] has got long arms, you got to go in and move your head. You got to make him miss. When you come fast, there’s only two punches he can throw and that’s straights or hooks. And you’re anticipating them - you’re going to get in close,” Tyson displayed.

Tips from a champ and a new training regime seem to have paid off with knockouts of Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and latterly Miocic.

Now his first defence comes against Gane.

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