Francis Ngannou is a mixed martial artist hailing from Cameroon. He is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is one of the most sought-after fighters in UFC.
Early life
Francis Ngannou was born on 5 September, 1986 in Batié, Cameroon. As a child, he had to grow up in poverty and as a result received minimal education. He started to work in a sand quarry when he was just 10 years old.
In his village, he was approached by several groups to join them. He was motivated to bring a positive change in his life and decided to pursue boxing. He speaks several languages such as Ngemba, French and English.
Career
Francis Ngannou started his training in boxing when he was 22 years old. However, he had to quit a year later as he suffered from an illness. He did some odd jobs for a couple of years following this.
At the age of 26, he decided to head to Paris. He was sent to jail in Spain two months for illegally crossing the border. After roaming homeless in the streets of Paris, he began training under Didier Carmont for free. His coach introduced him to MMA.
Ngannou began his MMA career in 2013 and participated mostly in the French promotion 100% Fight. He also fought in other regional promotions in Europe.
Francis made his UFC debut in 2015 against Luis Henrique. He secured a win via second round knockout. After that, he faced Curtis Blaydes in April 2016 at UFC Fight Night 86. He won that fight via TKO.
After that, he participated in a slew of impressive fights. He holds a 15-3-0 record in his MMA career. He became the UFC Heavyweight Champion after defeating Stipe Miocic.
Net worth
Ngannou is estimated to have a net worth of $4 million. He is the founder of the Francis Ngannou Foundation which operates the first MMA gym in Cameroon. His foundation strives to offer facilities to young people to train themselves.
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