Why Ty Gwerder sparred with Francis Ngannou to prepare for Bellator 264 fight

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Going up against the tallest opponent he’s ever faced, Ty Gwerder prepared for his Bellator 264 matchup against Khadzhimurat Bestaev with the help of UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

“I sparred with Francis Ngannou and all those guys that are like 6’4″ and maybe some change,” Gwerder told MMA Junkie. “But 6’6″ is a whole different story.”

He continued, “You can feel his (Ngannou) presence in there. Especially with his size, you almost feel like – it’s almost like you’re in a telephone booth really when you’ve got a whole mat space. It still feels that way, especially with his power. We all know what it looks like. Imagine what it feels like, so going into a sparring session with him is like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this.’”

Bellator 264 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the full interview with Gwerder in the video above.