At UFC 239, which is scheduled for July 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Francis Ngannou will take on Junior dos Santos in a pivotal heavyweight showdown. If he wins this fight, he believes there will be no denying him another shot at the UFC heavyweight title.

After blitzkrieg knockouts of Cain Velasquez and Curtis Blaydes, Ngannou feels he already arguably deserves that opportunity.

“After the last fight I thought I would get the title fight back, but it didn’t happen, I don’t know why” Ngannou told reporters at a recent press conference (MMA Junkie). “I’m so happy to have the fight against Junior. He don’t have the belt, but we all know he’s a champion. We have seen him since he comes back, he looks like a champ.

“I think after this there will be no issues with the belt,” he continued. “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Prior to his recent knockouts of Velasquez and Blaydes, Francis Ngannou came up short against Derrick Lewis and Stipe Miocic, losing decisions to both. His loss to Miocic marked his first opportunity to capture the UFC heavyweight belt.

If Francis Ngannou beats Junior dos Santos this July, do you think he’ll earn a title shot? Join the debate in the comments section below.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 4/19/2019.