Reunion in Sight? Junior Cigano Excited About Possible Rematch Against Ngannou; Understand

Junior Cigano in a fight against Francis Ngannou at UFC.

Junior Cigano fighting Francis Ngannou at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X

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Junior Cigano expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of facing Francis Ngannou again in MMA. The former UFC heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg) revealed that a potential rematch against the Cameroonian was one of the reasons that led him to accept the challenge of competing in MVP MMA, the organization that is holding the 'Rousey vs. Carano' event on May 16th in Los Angeles (USA).

Defeated by Ngannou in 2019, while still in the UFC, Cigano stated in an interview with journalist Ariel Helwani that he never imagined he would have another opportunity to face the African fighter. Now, with both in the same organization, the Brazilian admits that the scenario has rekindled his motivation within the sport.

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"That was one of the things I was telling you, Ariel, about being a part of all this. I didn't even consider anymore that a rematch against Francis Ngannou or against other fighters I faced at the end of my time in the UFC could happen again."

And suddenly, the opportunity arose before me to perhaps have this rematch against Francis Ngannou . This brought a great deal of excitement to my heart. I felt something like, 'My God, this is going to be really good.'

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"Now I'm here, being a part of this. Of course, I'm focused on achieving a big victory this Saturday, but, depending on how MVP sees things, I think it will be a great time for this rematch to happen," declared Cigano.

Junior dos Santos says he would welcome another fight against Francis Ngannou :

"When the opportunity for a rematch with Francis Ngannou came up again, it brought a lot of excitement to my heart. I felt like, 'Oh my gosh, this would be good.'

Now I'm here and focused on getting… pic.twitter.com/DNkG9O5pKq

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 13, 2026

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The veteran admitted that a rematch against Ngannou is at the top of his list of fights he would like to repeat before the end of his career. Furthermore, the Brazilian highlighted that he is in a more mentally mature phase and guaranteed that today he enters the fight without the excessive pressure he carried in the past.

"Absolutely, 100%. Especially because now the chances of that happening are very high. And I'm very excited because today I feel like I'm in a different phase, Ariel. I'm finally understanding a little more about everything that experience has brought me. The maturity as a fighter."

People always said, 'You need to have fun, enjoy your time in the cage, show who you really are.' And I'm finally understanding that. I'm not putting so much pressure on myself anymore. I'm not fighting myself before the fight anymore. Now I just go in there to show who I am,” he concluded.