Francis Ngannou is putting in the work to get back to competition as soon as possible. Ngannou (17-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC), the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, is eight months removed from going under the knife for a knee surgery to repair a torn MCL and damaged ACL. He hasn’t seen action since January, when he unified the heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over interim champ Ciryl Gane at UFC 270. It was no minor procedure for Ngannou, and the rehabilitation process has looked like a grueling one judging by his social media updates. It appears “The Predator” is…