Francis Ngannou is regarded as one of the finest heavyweight competitors in UFC history.
The Cameroonian-French MMA fighter is one of the world’s toughest punchers, with a long list of accolades to his name.
In his career, he has defeated huge names like Alistair Overeem and Junior Dos Santos, to name a few.
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Table of Contents
Francis Ngannou: Biography
Ngannou grew up in the Cameroonian community of Batié. He grew up in poverty with minimal formal education. Ngannou’s parents split when he was six years old, and he was transferred to live with his aunt.
Ngannou began working in a sand quarry in Batié when he was 12 years old due to a shortage of cash. As a child, he was contacted by numerous gangs in his village to join them.
Ngannou, on the other hand, disagreed and decided to use his father’s poor reputation as a street fighter as inspiration to do something positive and pursue boxing.
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Francis Ngannou: Parents
Francis Ngannou’s parents, Emmanuel Fosso and Mamma Ngannou, reared five children in a Cameroonian sand mine.
Ngannou’s father, Emmanuel Fosso, did not have a good reputation. He was a well-known street fighter who could take on five to six gang members. When Francis was 15 years old, Emmanuel died of a long-term illness. His parents had divorced nine years before his father died.
Not having a father figure to advise him took a toll on the young boy, and knowing his papa could’ve been spared if they weren’t impoverished pained the Cameroonian-born athlete more more.
In a 2021 Instagram post, Francis expressed his thoughts with his fans on the 20th anniversary of his father’s death.
The sportsman posted a selfie of himself standing on his father’s thigh and waving to the camera. He has hung the photo on his wall, and it is one of the few photos the athlete has with his grandfather.
The Cameroonian athlete adores his mother like no other person on the planet. Despite the fact that her son is a household name, she continues to live in Cameroon and can purchase whatever she wants in the US.
But this was also the country that had denied her visa twice. She doesn’t mind because she always meant to return to Africa after seeing her son battle.
Francis, at nine, would accompany his mother to the sand mines, where she would labor long hours.
She never imagined that one day, instead of pouring sand into trucks, she would possess one of those trucks. But the son who used to join her to that location made her fantasies come true.
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Francis Ngannou: MMA Career
- Ngannou debuted in MMA in 2013. He usually fought in the French promotion 100% Fight. Before joining the UFC, he compiled a record.
- Ngannou made his UFC debut in 2015 against fellow newcomer Luis Henrique at UFC on Fox 17. He won the bout.
- At UFC Fight Night 86 in 2016, Ngannou faced UFC newcomer Curtis Blaydes. He won the bout. At UFC on Fox 20, he faced fellow newbie, Bojan Mihajlovic. He won the bout. Then he faced Anthony Hamilton at UFC Fight Night 102.
- He won the fight and received his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.
- Ngannou fought Andrei Arlovski at UFC on Fox 23 in 2017. He won the fight, earning Ngannou his second Performance of the Night prize. He was supposed to meet Junior dos Santos in UFC 215. However, the fight was postponed.
- At UFC 218 he defeated veteran Alistair Overeem. Following the fight, Ngannou signed a new eight-fight contract with the UFC.
- Ngannou faced Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 220 in 2018, but lost. Then he fought Derrick Lewis at UFC 226 and lost.
- The brawl was dubbed a “snoozefest” by the media. He defeated Curtis Blaydes in a rematch in the main event at UFC Fight Night 141 and earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
- In 2019, Ngannou defeated Cain Velasquez in the opening round of the UFC’s inaugural event on ESPN, UFC on ESPN 1. He defeated Junior dos Santos via TKO at UFC on ESPN 3. He was named Performance of the Night for the second time.
- Ngannou was slated to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC on ESPN in 2020: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. However, it was rejected due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 249, and the pair won it. He received another Performance of the Night award.
- Miocic defeated Ngannou in a rematch for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 260 in 2021. He won another Performance of the Night award.
- Ngannou defeated Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane in a decision win at UFC 270 in 2022.
- Ngannou has always aspired to pursue a professional boxing career. He had zero professional fights in his career. Ngannou plans to begin his boxing career after his current UFC contract expires.
Francis Ngannou: Childhood And Family
Francis was born on September 5, 1986, in the hamlet of Batié, Cameroon. An average resident’s annual salary in this country is less than $1,500.
Prior to the year 2000, not everyone could attend a primary school because education was not free. The vast majority of Cameroonians live in abject poverty with no prospects.
Francis was like any other child. Ngannou grew up in poverty. The young man began working at a young age, juggling multiple part-time jobs. He began working at a sand quarry when he was 12 years old.
It took a long time to break rocks and drag a cart loaded with little stones up a steep slope, and the outcome was independent of whether Francis lent soul to a task or not. The man next door was starving.
They did raise his pay, but the work was tedious. At the age of 22, the young guy realized the extent of his despondency and the urgency of transformation.
In an interview, Francis stated that the film 300, about the fate of the Spartans, motivated him to change his life. Ngannou donned boxing gloves and began sparring. The relocation to Paris was a watershed moment in Francis Ngannou’s life.
Because he lacked both friends and money, the beginner athlete was homeless for the first three months. He exercised at the gym, which he got for free during the day, and the athlete was out on the street at night.
The owner of a gym put his trust in him. First, the man was allowed to leave the guy’s stuff and then spend the night in his gym.
The young man was able to obtain work as a security guard at a nightclub. Ngannou was busy on weekends but trained during the week. Francis admired Mike Tyson’s boxing techniques.
The beginner athlete regarded the great boxer as his idol, therefore he repeatedly watched Mike’s performances. Francis learned about several tactics.
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Francis Ngannou: Trivia
- Ngannou was born in Batie, Cameroon, and grew up there.
- During his twenties, he was an amateur boxer in France before moving to MMA.
- Ngannou made his professional MMA debut in 2013 with a submission victory against Rachid Benzina.
- Ngannou made his UFC debut two years later, defeating Luis Henrqiue via knockout.
- Nagannou defeated Stipe Miocic in a knockout to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship in March 2021.
Francis Ngannou: Achievements
While most fighters who make it to the UFC have a long history of accomplishments dating back to high school, Ngannou didn’t find his stride until his late 20s.
Despite being a late bloomer, Ngannou has a vast list of accomplishments, including becoming a heavyweight champion.
Ngannou is hoping that his time at the top of the UFC isn’t ended when he defends his UFC Heavyweight Championship.
While defending your championship does not result in a new belt, Ngannou stands to gain millions with each fight for his crown.
- Won the 2017 Knockout of the Year from Bleacher Report and ESPN for his win over Alistair Overeem.
- Holds the world record for hardest punch.
- Six-time recipient of the Performance of the Night bonus in the UFC.
- Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship and was the first Cameroon-born UFC champion.
- Successfully defended his championship against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.
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Francis Ngannou: Net Worth 2023
Ngannou’s net worth will exceed $5 million in 2023. He has earned nearly $3.37 million throughout his UFC career. Each bout nets him $500,000 in guaranteed money.
He also receives $30,000 each fight as an endorsement incentive payout.
Francis Ngannou: Dating Life
Ngannou aspired to be a boxer and a world champion in boxing, but fate had different plans for him, and he became a fantastic mixed-martial artist of this generation.
Ngannou’s best victories have come inside the UFC octagon against previous UFC champions such as Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic, Junior Dos Santos, legendary world champion Alistair Overeem, and fighters like as Curt Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Francis interacts with many females in his life since he spars with female fighters at his gym, Xtreme Couture. However, the Cameroonian-French MMA fighter is currently unmarried and has no relationship engagements at any level.
In any case, Francis Ngannou’s girlfriend name may never be exposed until marriage, and he may wish to keep his relationship status hidden as well. But, in the end, we can only respect the privacy of warriors who want not to be open about their personal lives.
We wish Ngannou the best of luck in his future love life and hope he finds the most compatible significant other.
Francis Ngannou: Personal Information
| Full Name | Francis Ngannou |
| Nickname | The Predator |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Arts |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Team | Xtreme Couture |
| Date of Birth | 5 September 1986 |
| Place of birth | Batie, Cameroon |
| Current Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Age | 36 |
| Nationality | French Cameroonian |
| Debut | 2013 |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 257 lb (117 kg) |
| Net Worth | $5 million |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Father’s Name | n/a |
| Mother’s Name | n/a |
| Salary | $500,000 |
FAQs
Francis Ngannou’s Parents are Unknown.
Francis Ngannou is an Franco Cameroonian professional mixed martial artist.
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