Francis Ngannou coach makes surprising Tom Aspinall admission

Ngannou won the PFL heavyweight title on Saturday, while Aspinall holds the interim UFC belt

Francis Ngannou’s coach Eric Nicksick has admitted he talked tactics with Tom Aspinall before Saturday’s PFL title win.

Ngannou knocked out Renan Ferreira in the first round in Saudi Arabia, in the Cameroonian’s first MMA fight since January 2022, when he outpointed Ciryl Gane.

A year after retaining the UFC heavyweight title against Gane, Ngannou left the promotion. He soon signed with the PFL but delayed his debut in order to box twice.

The 38-year-old shockingly dropped Tyson Fury before losing a controversial decision last October, then suffered a KO loss to Anthony Joshua in March.

But Ngannou got back to winning ways in his usual sport on Saturday, taking down Ferreira after the pair briefly traded leg kicks, then surviving a submission attempt and sealing the KO on the mat.

Nicksick has since discussed the gameplan for the fight, revealing to Ariel Helwani that he went to UFC champion Aspinall for advice.

“I sat down with Randy [Couture, UFC legend] and went over some stuff, I actually talked to Tom Aspinall. I just really wanted to make sure – in my mind – I was seeing the same things that a lot of these guys were seeing.

PFL heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou (left) and Tom Aspinall, UFC interim champ (Getty Images)

“Tom and I are pretty close friends. I check in with him, he checks in with me. He’s been a great ally [...] I think there’s a mutual respect between Tom and Francis. That’s sportsmanship.

“Tom was writing me and just saying, ‘Here’s what I see in the fight, what do you think?’ The fight played out how Tom and I kind of thought, then he wrote me and was like: ‘Hey, that’s exactly what we said.’”

Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight title in November, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in round one, before retaining the belt in July – again with a first-round KO, this time versus Curtis Blaydes.

The Briton, 31, is awaiting the winner of Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic, which headlines UFC 309 in November. In that fight, Jones defends the regular heavyweight title against ex-champion Miocic, a year after Jones withdrew from the match-up with an injury.