Fernand Lopez defends coaching record with Francis Ngannou

Fernand Lopez has strongly refuted claims that Francis Ngannou improved after leaving his MMA Factory gym in Paris. Lopez pointed out that Ngannou's losses to Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis occurred while training in Las Vegas, not under his guidance. In contrast, Ngannou returned to Lopez in Paris for preparation before his victories over Curtis Blaydes and Cain Velasquez, with the Blaydes camp being conducted entirely in Paris. Lopez expressed frustration that his role in rescuing Ngannou's career after back-to-back losses is overlooked, while he receives blame for fights where Ngannou trained elsewhere. He also emphasized that he discovered and developed Ngannou from the beginning, when the fighter was 28 years old with a 1-1 record and lacked proper documentation in France.