Who is Francis Ngannou and what’s his record?
Boxing has us all hooked and with Tyson Fury confirming who his next opponent is it’s safe to say we’ll all be there
You may have heard of Tyson’s opponent Francis Ngannou – but who is he?
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Who is Francis Ngannou?
Francis Zavier Ngannou was born in Batie, Cameroon in 1986.
He lived in poverty and had little education as a child.
His parents divorced when he was six, resulting in him being sent to live with his aunt.
Due to the family’s lack of money, he got his first job in a sandstone quarry at the age of 10.
Francis was asked by several gangs in his village to join them.
However, he refused to use his father’s bad reputation as a street fighter to do anything positive, leading him to pursue boxing.
Despite his family’s reservations, Francis began boxing training at the age of 22.
He later decided to train in Paris, but was sentenced to two months in prison in Spain for illegally crossing the border.
When he reached Paris he was homeless, with no cash and no friends.
He later met Francis Carmont, who introduced him to Fernand Lopez and the MMA factory.
Fernand managed to convince him to try MMA.
He gave him MMA gear and allowed Francis to work out at the gym and sleep for free.
Why did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC?
Francis stated he wanted “freedom” and not money, which led to his departure from the UFC.
He explained, “It doesn’t matter how much.” [money] it says in this contract, I’m not free.
“I have no power. I give you all power.” [the UFC] and I don’t want that to happen.
“I really wish it could work out, I’ve always seen myself in the UFC. But it is a question of principle. Money is part of it, but it’s not just about money.”
Francis had previously attempted to negotiate a deal with the UFC that would include health insurance for all of their fighters.
The deal would also include them having their own sponsorship deals, which were rejected during contract negotiations.
Francis reflected on this and said:
“I can pay for my health insurance, but some of the fighters can’t.”
“This is very important, dignity and freedom. I need freedom and control of my destiny, not for others to control it for me.”
What is Francis Ngannou’s record?
Francis was a UFC Heavyweight Champion and successfully defended his title once.
He is the first Cameroonian UFC champion.
He has won “Performance of the Night” six times and holds a world record for the hardest punch.
He was named Knockout of the Year seven times.
Francis’ MMA record is:
- 12 wins by knockout.
- Four wins by assist.
- A victory by decision.
- Three defeats by decision.
Francis’ first boxing match will be played against Tyson Fury in a friendly on October 28, 2023.
The event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What is Francis Ngannou Net Worth?
GiveMeSport forecast Francis Net Wrath to be around $3million or £2.33million.
That amount is up from US$1.2 million (£93,000) in 2022.
It is unknown how much money he makes from advertising, but according to GiveMeSport he is sponsored by:
- CBD Research Laboratories
- Cryo Pain Relief
- Gym King Fight Division
- The fighting game.