Could either Gary Tonnon or Ryan Hall beat Francis Ngannou? Bear with me.
Gary or Ryan immediatly do an Iminari roll. Tonnon being 170 would be more able, but if either man used his entire body weight on of Francis’s legs, they could potentially take Francis off his feet. Then it’s already been proven that either man has the physical strength to tear heavyweight tendons in a heal hook or toehold.
Now think about Francis, not a tremendous amount of MMA experience = even less grappling experience. Most of his training and rightly so as a heavyweight is in striking. The next largest peice of the pie is most likely wrestling. Grappling being last is then divided up even further. Self-protection and getting up from the bottom takes priority over submissions. Eventually you get to defending submissions, and at the bottom of that list would be leglocks and toeholds.
A dry fighter immediatly put into an area he has little experience with, against someone who’s spent a lifetime perfecting the position
Francis is a top three UFC Heavyweight, and by years end that list could be two less. When Ryan beats Francis does that mean a 145 man is the baddest man on the planet? Linear standards say yes.
Congrats Ryan and Gary.
But But Butt, Ground and Pound!*!@!%! Both, but especially Gary doesn’t follow traditional methods of staying underneath someone for long leriods of time trying to dig out a leglock. Gary puts a priority on getting to a more advantageous linear position, either 50/50 or conventional leg entanglement where he is safe from the predators mallets.
Congrats Gary.
Still don’t believe? Gordon Ryan.