UFC may be absent from our TV screens this weekend, but when they return on Jan. 28 they will be back and they return with some important heavyweight action.

The heavyweight division isn’t the most talent rich in the UFC, but after a few years of seeing the same old faces rotate, some new faces are beginning to emerge and one of the most exciting prospects to come to the fore in the last year is the Frenchman, Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou, 30, has put together a winning streak of four since entering the UFC in 2015 and next weekend he has the biggest fight of his life when he takes on former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in Denver, Colorado.

Getting straight back to it

Speaking earlier this week, the Frenchman recalled how the fight all came together and he asked for another fight soon after competing at UFC Fight Night Albany in December.

“After I got my last win in December I asked the UFC if I could fight another top ten fighter,” Ngannou told FloCombat via translator. “I have four straight wins so I thought I deserved to get a big name in the top ten. When I beat Hamilton, I asked if I could fight someone like Arlovski or Travis Browne.

“The UFC told my manager that they could put the fight on with Arlovski in January in Denver so he called me and told me that it could happen. I took one week off after the fight and then got straight back to the gym. I’m now continuing my training camp in Denver so that I’ll be ready for the fight on January 28.”

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Arlovski still dangerous

Unlike the Frenchman, Arlovski walks into the fight riding a three-fight losing streak at the hands of champion Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett.

Despite his current form, Ngannou believes this could make the former UFC champion all the more dangerous given it’s likely he’s now fighting for his UFC career.

“I think that he really comes to fight every time,” Ngannou said. “He lost the last three fights, but now he really wants to come back and he knows another loss will be really dangerous for him. If he loses it may put him out of the UFC and as you say, he has been a legend in MMA for many years now.

“I think he will not want to lose to a newcomer guy like me so he will do everything he can to win the fight.”  

Moving on up

Ranked #10, Ngannou is another big win away from putting himself amongst the top fighters in the division. The Frenchman doesn’t think he’s quite ready to fight Miocic for the belt, but he does he think he will soon be making big advances on the top-5.

“I don’t think it will be enough to get a title shot,” Ngannou said. “I don’t think I would deserve a title shot because this is my first top ten fight. If I beat Arlovski I should move up, but I don’t know [where to].

“I don’t think I will be getting a title shot until I can prove I can beat someone in the top-5 and I think I might even need to beat someone else before I can get into the top-5. That’s for sure. I will have to win and win well to get selected for a title shot.”

Asked how he’d get the job done next weekend against Arlovski, Ngannou reiterated he’d have to be cautious of the UFC legend.

“I think that for the fight I have to be careful and very smart because Arlovski has a lot of power like me,” Ngannou said. “He’s got very dangerous striking and I’ve got to be careful of that. He also has good grappling so I must take care if he tries to take it to the ground.

“I must be clever, wise and implement my plan. I'm confident.”