Francis Ngannou became world champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the most prestigious mixed martial arts (MMA) league in the world, on the night of March 27-28, 2021 in Las Vegas in front of the American Stipe Miocic. Revenge for this Cameroonian whose life has been a long series of attempts. Portrait.
Francis Ngannou is world champion mixed martial arts (MMA) and it is an unthinkable feat, because this Cameroonian was strewn with pitfalls. “I know where I was born but I could not say where I grew up”, often explains the person born in Batié, west of Cameroon, 1986.
A difficult youth
His childhood? A father accused of being brutal, parents torn apart and divorced, passages from one home to another. During his teens, he started working in a sand pit to pay for his schooling … His life was then very far from resembling the success story that everyone knows.
One day, mototaxi fell in love with boxing. At the age of 22, the interested person leaves everything to this sport, to the surprise of the family.
This Mike Tyson fan really believes in his fate. But at age 25, he was bedridden for several weeks with hepatitis B. “I was the only one who took care of myself. Fortunately, it succeeded. But psychologically, I kept the consequences of this period “, he slips 2016.
Seven attempts before they arrived in Europe
However, Francis Ngannou is not at the end of his problems. He is convinced that a better fate awaits him in Europe and embarks on a dangerous journey to the old continent in 2012: Niger, Algeria, Morocco …
“Melilla’s barbed wire, I will never be able to forget them”, he admitted in 2018 to InfoMigrants. From these attempts he left scars. “I have them everywhere: on the coast, my legs, my feet …” It was not until the end of his seventh attempt that he managed to cross the Mediterranean to Spain.
Homeless in Paris
In 2013, Francis Ngannou was in France a bit by default, targeting Germany or the United Kingdom. In Paris, he often sleeps in a parking lot and very rarely eats his food. But he refuses to feel sorry for himself. “At one point, I decided not to fall victim to life anymore, to no longer suffer without facing, to fight, and I took the initiative. When I came to France, it was the perfect opportunity to realize myself “, he told AFP 2018.
The homeless person then looks for a boxing hall and lands in a hall in eastern Paris. There he meets Didier Carmont who, moved by his story, decides to help him. The latter, who feels the cameraman’s potential, however, encourages him to start in MMA. But he swears by boxing.
An incredible debut in MMA
A few months later, however, Francis Ngannou stopped trying it. He arrives at the MMA factory where Fernand Lopez Owonyebe leads the champion. “He wanted to train but could not afford to pay a subscription,” says the coach. He was already confident in himself and his performance. I thought he was still a good speaker, like the others. Then I saw him fight and was impressed “.
In 2015, in less than two years and after 6 fights (5 wins and 1 loss), the nickname “The Predator” was seen by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The UFC is for MMA, what the NBA is for basketball. In this multi-billion dollar league, Francis Ngannou still spreads his opponents in a row, with surprising power. In December 2017, he knocked out the Dutchman Alistair Overeem with a legendary uppercut.
Two losses that injured
A few weeks later, the UFC therefore offered him a fight for the title of world heavyweight champion against the American Stipe Miocic. Francis Ngannou addresses this “title shot” full of confidence and hope. “Being a world champion would be an opportunity to put behind me the frustration of my childhood, to bury this sad childhood, he launched in January 2018 at RFI. This is partly why this dream was born: to proclaim oneself, to recognize oneself, to claim one’s place … ”
A few days later the forerunner however, bent by unanimous decision. He is dominated by his emotions and launches himself on Miocic as a raging bull in an arena. Exhausted at the end of the first round, the challenger then undergoes the reason for the defending champion, who puts him on the ground several times during the following four rounds. Dismay.
Six months later, the Cameroonian is back in the octagon. This time he meets the American Derrick Lewis, known for his (only) ability to extinguish his opponents at once. This collision between the Titans still creates a parody of the battle. No one dares anything and especially not Indomitable Lion, still marked by his setback against Miocic.
An ego problem?
Dana White, the UFC’s almighty boss, takes the opportunity to let go: he calls the show “abomination” and casts the character of Francis Ngannou. “I had private conversations with him, just like other members of the organization and this guy’s ego was so out of control,” he says.
The target has a hard time accepting these comments. Especially since Fernand Lopez shares this opinion. “Dana White said that Francis Ngannou had an ego problem. And I got the question, I answered that yes, he had one, reminds the coach in a podcast on the site La Sueur. Francis then asked me, ‘How can you support what Dana says about my ego?’ I replied: ‘Francis, being your coach means I have to give you the truth. Everyone around you is afraid of you. Everyone wants to be close to you, wants to enjoy your light, your hype. I do not care. If I feel you have an ego problem, I say you have an ego problem. And this is the truth. You have an ego problem, you become your own coach, you become your own boss. ‘”.
Call the war with the UFC
The cooperation between the two men then ceased. Francis Ngannou travels to Las Vegas to join the Xtreme Couture team. Under the leadership of Eric Nicksick, Africa resumed its ascent. The American Curtis Blaydes? Crashed in 45 seconds, in November 2018. Former world champion Cain Velasquez? Sprayed in 26 seconds, in February 2019. The Brazilian junior Dos Santos, another former king of the heavy? Dominated in 71 seconds in June 2019. Surinamese Jairzinho Rozenstruik? KO after 20 seconds, after a charge as angry as it is worried.
We are in May 2020 and the colossus is fumbling. He has actually been waiting for his revenge against Stipe Miocic for over two years. But the UFC has started a series of three fights between Miocic and the American Daniel Cormier, between July 2018 and August 2020. “The problem is that the UFC does what it wants, he complains. There are no rules or justice. You as an athlete can only follow ”.
The uncrowned king finally inaugurated
Behind the scenes, relations between the “uncrowned king” and the leaders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship seem icy. However, the organization can no longer refuse him a second “title shot”. On March 27, 2021, Francis Ngannou wins brilliantly. He takes revenge on Miocic, at the UFC, on his journey.
In 2018, he assured: “I always say that I did not have the opportunity to go to the end of my schooling and do major studies. But life took care of preparing me to live what I’m going through now. Life has overthrown me, thrown me, so that I can face the most extreme situations. So much so that today I am no longer afraid of an obstacle. “
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