Francis Ngannou
Francis Zavier Ngannou[11][12] (born 5 September 1986)[13] is a Cameroonian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. As of November 14, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.[14]
| Francis Ngannou | |
|---|---|
Ngannou in 2017 | |
| Born | Francis Zavier Ngannou 5 September 1986 Batié, Cameroon |
| Nickname(s) | The Predator |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Nationality | Cameroonian & French[1][2] |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Weight | 257 lb (117 kg; 18 st 5 lb) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 83 in (211 cm)[3] |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.[5] |
| Team | MMA Factory (2013–2018)[6][7] UFC Performance Institute[8] Xtreme Couture (2018–present)[7] |
| Trainer | Eric Nicksick (Head coach)[9] Dewey Cooper (Striking coach)[10] Fernand Lopez (formerly) |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 20 |
| Wins | 17 |
| By knockout | 12 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Early life and education
Ngannou was born and raised in the village of Batié, Cameroon.[15] He lived in poverty and had little formal education growing up.[16] Ngannou's parents divorced when he was six years old, and he was sent to live with his aunt. At 10 years old, Ngannou started working in a sand quarry in Batié because of a lack of funds.[17][18] As a youngster, he was approached by several gangs in his village to join them.[19] However, Ngannou refused and instead decided to use his father's negative reputation as a street fighter as motivation to do something positive and pursue boxing.[19]
At the age of 22, Ngannou began training in boxing, despite the initial reluctance of his family.[19] After training for a year, Ngannou stopped training due to an illness.[20] He did various odd jobs to make ends meet, until at the age of 26, he decided to head to Paris, France, to pursue professional boxing.[21] However upon reaching Europe, he was jailed for two months in Spain for illegally crossing the border.[22] After Ngannou reached Paris, he had no money, no friends, and no place to live.[16] After living homeless on the streets of Paris, he met Francis Carmont who introduced him to Fernand Lopez and the MMA factory.[23] Being a fan of Mike Tyson, Ngannou was originally interested in learning how to box but Lopez saw his potential in MMA and convinced him to try MMA instead.[21] Lopez gave Ngannou some MMA gear and allowed him to train and sleep at the gym for no cost thus starting Ngannou's MMA career.[21]
Reflecting on his journey across continents and his decision to become an MMA fighter, Ngannou said:[16][21]
When I started, I had nothing. Nothing. I needed everything. But when you start [to earn money], you starting collecting things: I want this, I want this, I want that. The purpose is not collecting things, though. The purpose is to do something great. Finish the dream you started.
I want to help my family, first, of course, but then I want to give opportunity to children in my country like me who have a dream to become a doctor or something. If I reach my dream, it will give me the opportunity to help those in my country who have their own dreams and nothing else to fulfill them.
I want to give some opportunity for children like me who dream of this sport and don’t have an opportunity like me. The last time I was in Cameroon, I brought a lot of materials for boxing and MMA to open a gym. Now I just bought a big space to start the gym, as well.
A lot of children now in Cameroon, because of me, they have a dream. They say, ‘I will be a champion in MMA. I will do boxing like Francis,’ because they saw me when I was young. I didn’t have anything. I didn’t have any opportunity. And today, they see me, and they are dreaming. They are thinking that something is possible. Even when they are so poor, something is possible in life. … It's not easy. It's so hard, but it's possible.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Ngannou started his MMA career in November 2013 and fought mostly in the French promotion 100% Fight, as well as other regional promotions in Europe.[24] He compiled a record of 5–1 before signing with the UFC.[25]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ngannou made his UFC debut against fellow newcomer Luis Henrique on 19 December 2015, at UFC on Fox 17.[26] He won the fight via knockout in the second round.[27]
Ngannou next faced UFC newcomer Curtis Blaydes on 10 April 2016, at UFC Fight Night 86.[28] He won the fight via TKO, due to doctor stoppage at the end of the second round.[29]
In his next bout, Ngannou faced another newcomer in Bojan Mihajlović on 23 July 2016, at UFC on Fox 20.[30] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[31] Ngannou then faced Anthony Hamilton on 9 December 2016, at UFC Fight Night 102.[32] He won the fight by submission in the first round, and earned his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.[33][34]
Ngannou faced Andrei Arlovski on 28 January 2017, at UFC on Fox 23.[35] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. The win also earned Ngannou his second Performance of the Night bonus.[36]
Ngannou was expected to face Junior dos Santos on 9 September 2017, at UFC 215.[37] However, on 18 August, Dos Santos was pulled from the match after being notified of a potential USADA violation.[38] In turn, Ngannou was removed from the card after promotion officials deemed that a suitable opponent could not be arranged.[39][40]
In the highest profile fight of his career, Ngannou faced veteran Alistair Overeem on 2 December 2017, at UFC 218.[41] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[42] This knockout has been labeled as one of the greatest and most brutal knockouts of all time.[43][44][45] Following the bout, Ngannou signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC.[46]
Ngannou faced Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on 20 January 2018, at UFC 220.[47] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[48]
Ngannou faced Derrick Lewis on 7 July 2018, at UFC 226.[49] He lost the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was heavily criticized by the media and the fans for the lack of offence from both competitors[50][51][52][53] and was labeled as a "snoozefest".[54]
Ngannou faced Curtis Blaydes in a rematch on 24 November 2018, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 141[55] He won the fight via TKO early into the first round.[56] The win also earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.[57]
Ngannou headlined the UFC's inaugural event on ESPN, UFC on ESPN 1 against Cain Velasquez on 17 February 2019.[58] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[59]
Ngannou faced Junior dos Santos on 29 June 2019, at UFC on ESPN 3.[60] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[61] This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.[62]
Ngannou was scheduled to face Jairzinho Rozenstruik on 28 March 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik.[63] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed .[64] The pair was rescheduled to meet at 18 April 2020, at UFC 249.[65] However, on 9 April, Dana White, the president of the UFC announced that the event was postponed[66] and the bout eventually took place on 9 May 2020.[67] Ngannou won via knockout just 20 seconds into the first round.[68] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[69]
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Miocic vs. Ngannou II
A rematch of the bout between Miocic and Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship took place on 27 March 2021, at UFC 260.[70] Ngannou won the fight via knockout in the second round.[71] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[72]
Ngannou vs. Gane
Ngannou faced the Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane for his first title defense on 22 January 2022, at UFC 270.[73] He injured knee ligaments three and a half weeks before the fight.[74] Ngannou won the fight by unanimous decision, the first decision win of his career.[75]
Personal life
Ngannou speaks several languages including Ngemba, French, and English.[18][76][77] He learned English after joining the UFC.[78]
Philanthropy
The Francis Ngannou Foundation runs the first MMA gym in Cameroon, aiming to offer facilities for young people to have a place to train.[79][80]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | F9 [81] | Ferocious Professional | Cameo |
| 2022 | Jackass Forever [82] | Himself | Guest appearance |
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time, current)
- One successful title defense[75]
- First Cameroon-born UFC champion[83]
- Performance of the Night (Six times) vs. Anthony Hamilton, Andrei Arlovski, Curtis Blaydes, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Stipe Miocic [34][36][57][62][69][72]
- World record for the hardest punch[84]
- UFC Heavyweight Championship (One time, current)
- Bleacher Report
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem[85]
- ESPN
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem[86]
- Pundit Arena
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem[87]
- MMA Fighting / SB Nation
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem[88]
- 2017 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year[89]
- MMAjunkie.com
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem[90]
- 2021 March Knockout of the Month vs. Stipe Miocic[91]
- MMADNA.nl
- 2017 Knockout of the Year.[92]
- World MMA Awards
- 2017 Knockout of the Year vs. Alistair Overeem at UFC 218[93]
Mixed martial arts record
| 20 matches | 17 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 12 | 0 |
| By submission | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 17–3 | Ciryl Gane | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 270 | 22 January 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California, United States | Defended and unified the UFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 16–3 | Stipe Miocic | KO (punch) | UFC 260 | 27 March 2021 | 2 | 0:52 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 15–3 | Jairzinho Rozenstruik | KO (punches) | UFC 249 | 9 May 2020 | 1 | 0:20 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–3 | Junior dos Santos | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos | 29 June 2019 | 1 | 1:11 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 13–3 | Cain Velasquez | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez | 17 February 2019 | 1 | 0:26 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 12–3 | Curtis Blaydes | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 | 24 November 2018 | 1 | 0:45 | Beijing, China | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 11–3 | Derrick Lewis | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 226 | 7 July 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 11–2 | Stipe Miocic | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 220 | 20 January 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | For the UFC Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–1 | Alistair Overeem | KO (punch) | UFC 218 | 2 December 2017 | 1 | 1:42 | Detroit, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Andrei Arlovski | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña | 28 January 2017 | 1 | 1:32 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9–1 | Anthony Hamilton | Submission (kimura) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov | 9 December 2016 | 1 | 1:57 | Albany, New York, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 8–1 | Bojan Mihajlović | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Holm vs. Shevchenko | 23 July 2016 | 1 | 1:34 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Win | 7–1 | Curtis Blaydes | TKO (doctor stoppage) | UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos | 10 April 2016 | 2 | 5:00 | Zagreb, Croatia | |
| Win | 6–1 | Luis Henrique | KO (punch) | UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 | 19 December 2015 | 2 | 2:53 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | William Baldutti | TKO (punches) | KHK MMA National Tryouts: Finale 2015 | 28 May 2015 | 2 | 1:22 | Madinat Isa, Bahrain | |
| Win | 4–1 | Luc Ngeleka | Submission (guillotine choke) | SHC 10: Carvalho vs. Belo | 20 September 2014 | 1 | 0:44 | Geneva, Switzerland | |
| Win | 3–1 | Nicolas Specq | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | 100% Fight 20: Comeback | 5 April 2014 | 1 | 2:10 | Levallois, France | |
| Win | 2–1 | Bilal Tahtahi | KO (punch) | 1 | 3:58 | ||||
| Loss | 1–1 | Zoumana Cisse | Decision (unanimous) | 100% Fight: Contenders 21 | 14 December 2013 | 2 | 5:00 | Paris, France | |
| Win | 1–0 | Rachid Benzina | Submission (armbar) | 100% Fight: Contenders 20 | 30 November 2013 | 1 | 1:44 | Paris, France | Heavyweight debut. |
Pay-per-view bouts
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 220 | Miocic vs. Ngannou | January 20, 2018 | TD Garden | Boston, Massachusetts | 350,000[95] |
| 2. | UFC 270 | Ngannou vs. Gane | January 22, 2022 | Honda Center | Anaheim, California | 300,000[citation needed] |
See also
Notes
References
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