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 will all be tuning in
You may have heard of Tyson’s oponent, Francis Ngannou – but who is he?
Who is Francis Ngannou?
Francis Zavier Ngannou was born in 1986 in Batie, Cameroon.
He lived in poverty and had little formal education growing up.
His parents divorced when he was six, leading him to be sent to live with his aunt.
He got his first job at the age of 10 working in a sand quarry due to the family’s lack of money.
Francis was approached by several gangs in his village to join them.
However, he refused using his father’s negative reputation as a street fighter to do something positive, leading him to pursue boxing.
Despite his family’s reservations, Francis began training in boxing at the age of 22.
He later decided to train in Paris but was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border.
Upon reaching Paris he was homeless, had no cash, and no friends.
He later met Francis Carmont who introduced him to Fernand Lopez and the MMA factory.
Fernand managed to persuade him to try MMA.
He gave him some MMA gear and allowed Francis to train and sleep at the gym at no cost.
Why did Francis Ngannou leave the UFC?
Francis stated he wanted “freedom” and not money which led to his UFC departure.
He stated: “It doesn’t matter how much [money] is in that contract, I am not free.”
“I have no power. I hand all the power over to you guys [the UFC] and I don’t want that to happen.”
“I really wished it could work out, I always saw myself in the UFC. But it’s a matter of principle. Money is a part of it but its not all about money.”
Francis had previously tried to negotiate a deal with the UFC where they would provide health insurance for all of it’s fighters.
The deal would also include that they have their own sponsorship deals which were rejected during contract negotiations.
Francis reflected on this stating:
“I can pay my health insurance but some of the fighters can’t.”
“This is very important, dignity and freedom. I need freedom and to control my destiny, not have people control it for me.”
What is Francis Ngannou’s record?
Francis has been the UFC Heavyweight Champion and managed to successfully defend his title once.
He is the first Cameroon UFC champion.
He’s won Performance of the Night six times and has a world record for the hardest punch.
He has won Knockout of the Year seven times.
Francis’ MMA record is:
- 12 wins by knockout.
- Four wins by submission.
- One win by decision.
- Three losses by decision.
Francis first boxing match will be against Tyson Fury in an exhibition match on October 28th 2023.
It will be hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
What is Francis Ngannou’s net worth?
GiveMeSport predicts that Francis net wroth is about $3 million or £2.33 million pounds.
This has risen from $1.2 million (£93,000) in 2022.
It is unknown how much money he earns from endorsements but according to GiveMeSport is sponsored by:
- CBD Research Labs
- Cryo Pain Relief
- Gym King Fight Division
- The Fight Game.