Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou
Ngannou in 2017
Born (1986-09-05) September 5, 1986
Batié, Cameroon
Other names The Predator
Nationality Cameroonian and French
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[1]
Weight 253 lb (115 kg; 18 st 1 lb)
Division Heavyweight
Reach 83 in (211 cm)[2]
Style Boxing
Fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Team MMA Factory
Years active 2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 14
Wins 11
By knockout 7
By submission 4
Losses 3
By decision 3
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Francis Ngannou (born September 5, 1986) is a Cameroonian-French professional mixed martial artist competing in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of July 26, 2018, he is #4 in the official UFC heavyweight rankings.[3]

He currently holds the record for highest punching power ever measured by the UFC, at 129,161 units. He broke the previous record set by kickboxing champ Tyrone Spong which was at 114,000 units.[4]

Background

Ngannou was born and raised in the village of Batié, Cameroon.[5] Ngannou lived in poverty and had little formal education growing up.[6] At 12 years old, Ngannou started working in a sand quarry in Batié because of a lack of funds.[7] As a youngster, he was approached by various gangs in his village to join them.[8] However, Ngannou refused and instead decided to use his father's bad reputation as a street fighter as motivation to do something positive and pursue boxing.[8]

At the age of 22, Ngannou began training in boxing, despite reluctance from his family in the beginning.[8] After training for a year, Ngannou stopped training due to an illness.[9] He did various odd jobs to make ends meet, until at the age of 26, he emigrated to Paris, France to pursue professional boxing.[10] After Ngannou reached Paris, he had no money, no friends and no place to live.[6] After living homeless on the streets of Paris, he began training for free in August 2013 under Didier Carmont.[11][7] Being a fan of Mike Tyson, Ngannou was originally interested in learning how to box until his coach introduced him to the sport of MMA.[10]

Reflecting on his journey across continents and his decision to become an MMA fighter, Ngannou said:[6][10]

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

Ngannou started his MMA career mostly fighting in the French promotion 100% Fight, as well as other regional promotions in Europe.[12]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ngannou made his promotional debut against fellow newcomer Luis Henrique on December 19, 2015 at UFC on Fox 17.[13] He won the fight via knockout in the second round.[14]

Ngannou next faced promotional newcomer Curtis Blaydes on April 10, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 86.[15] He won the fight via TKO at the conclusion of the second round.[16]

In his next bout, Ngannou faced another newcomer in Bojan Mihajlović on July 23, 2016, at UFC on Fox 20.[17] He won the fight via TKO in the first round.[18] Ngannou faced Anthony Hamilton on December 9, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 102.[19] He won the fight by submission in the first round, and earned his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.[20][21]

Ngannou faced Andrei Arlovski on January 28, 2017, at UFC on Fox 23.[22] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. The win also earned Ngannou his second Performance of the Night bonus.[23] Ngannou was expected to face Junior dos Santos on September 9, 2017 at UFC 215.[24] However, on August 18, Dos Santos was pulled from the match after being notified of a potential USADA violation.[25] In turn, Ngannou was removed from the card after promotion officials deemed that a suitable opponent could not be arranged.[26][27] In the highest profile fight of his career, Ngannou faced Alistair Overeem on December 2, 2017 at UFC 218.[28] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[29]

Ngannou fought Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight title on January 20, 2018 at UFC 220.[30] Miocic dominated Ngannou for five rounds, winning by unanimous decision.[31]

Ngannou faced Derrick Lewis on July 7, 2018 at UFC 226.[32] He lost the fight via unanimous decision. The fight was heavily criticized by the media and the fans[33][34][35][36] and was labeled as "snorefest". UFC commentator Joe Rogan described it as "the worst heavyweight fight of all time". [37]

A rematch with Curtis Blaydes is expected to take place on November 25, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 141.[38]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 11–3 Derrick Lewis Decision (unanimous) UFC 226 July 6, 2018 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 11–2 Stipe Miocic Decision (unanimous) UFC 220 January 20, 2018 5 5:00 Boston, Massachusetts, United States For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Win 11–1 Alistair Overeem KO (punch) UFC 218 December 2, 2017 1 1:42 Detroit, Michigan, United States Knockout of the Year (2017).
Win 10–1 Andrei Arlovski TKO (punches) UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña January 28, 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 December 9, 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 July 23, 2016 1 1:34 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 7–1 Curtis Blaydes TKO (doctor stoppage) UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. dos Santos April 10, 2016 2 5:00 Zagreb, Croatia
Win 6–1 Luis Henrique KO (punch) UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 December 19, 2015 2 2:53 Orlando, Florida, United States
Win 5–1 William Baldutti TKO (elbows and punches) KHK MMA National Tryouts: Finale 2015 May 28, 2015 2 1:22 Madinat Isa, Bahrain
Win 4–1 Luc Ngeleka Submission (standing guillotine choke) SHC 10: Carvalho vs. Belo September 20, 2014 1 0:44 Geneva, Switzerland
Win 3–1 Nicolas Specq Submission (arm-triangle choke) 100% Fight 20: Comeback April 5, 2014 2 2:10 Levallois, France
Win 2–1 Bilal Tahtahi KO (punch) 100% Fight 20: Comeback April 5, 2014 1 3:58 Levallois, France
Loss 1–1 Zoumana Cisse Decision (unanimous) 100% Fight: Contenders 21 December 14, 2013 2 5:00 Paris, France
Win 1–0 Rachid Benzina Submission (straight armbar) 100% Fight: Contenders 20 November 30, 2013 1 1:44 Paris, France

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Francis Ngannou - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Zuffa, LLC. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "Francis Ngannou". ufc.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Fighter Rankings | UFC ®". UFC. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  4. ↑ https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2017/11/26/16700994/video-francis-ngannou-sets-record-for-punching-power-mma-ufc
  5. ↑ Metro.co.uk, Coral Barry for (2017-01-23). "Fighter In Focus: The UFC's hottest heavyweight prospect is Francis Ngannou". Metro. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  6. 1 2 3 "Once homeless on the streets of Paris, Francis Ngannou on the verge of making his dream come true". Retrieved 2017-01-28.
  7. 1 2 "Francis Ngannou : l'instinct du combat - L'Equipe Explore". L'Equipe.fr (in French). Retrieved 2017-06-11.
  8. 1 2 3 "UFC Unfiltered: Francis Ngannou and Fortaleza preview". UFC.com. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  9. ↑ MMAFightingonSBN (2017-01-30), The MMA Hour: Episode 366 (w/Rampage, Rumble, Lewis, Ngannou, Bader, More), retrieved 2017-04-15
  10. 1 2 3 "From homeless to UFC contender, UFC on FOX 20's Francis Ngannou recounts his journey". MMAjunkie. 2016-07-22. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  11. ↑ Laabi, Mohamed (2018-01-20). "L'incroyable odyssée de Francis Ngannou, l'ancien sans-abris désormais star de l'UFC - Sport24". Sport24 (in French). Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  12. ↑ Zane Simon (2015-08-12). "Welcome to the UFC, Francis Ngannou & Yusuke Kasuya". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 2015-08-12.
  13. ↑ "Debuting heavyweights Luiz Henrique, Francis Ngannou meet at UFC on FOX 17 in Orlando". MMAjunkie. 2015-09-02. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  14. ↑ John Morgan (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 results: Francis Ngannou smashes Luis Henrique with uppercut". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  15. ↑ "Curtis Blaydes in for Bojan Mihajlovic against Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night 86". MMAjunkie. 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  16. ↑ Damon Martin (2016-04-10). "Francis Ngannou beats Curtis Blaydes after nasty eye injury stops the fight". foxsports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-10.
  17. ↑ "Francis Ngannou vs. Bojan Mihajlovic added to UFC on FOX 20 in Chicago". MMAjunkie. 2016-05-17. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  18. ↑ Steven Marrocco (2016-07-23). "UFC on FOX 20 results: Francis Ngannou pounds out Bojan Mihajlovic in 94 seconds". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-07-23.
  19. ↑ "Anthony Hamilton says he's fighting Francis Ngannou at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany, N.Y." MMAjunkie. 2016-10-04. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  20. ↑ Ben Fowlkes (2016-12-09). "UFC Fight Night 102 results: Francis Ngannou powers his way into submission of Anthony Hamilton". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
  21. ↑ Mike Sloan (2016-12-09). "UFC Fight Night 102 bonuses: Villante, Safarov, Ngannou, Meerschaert all pocket $50K". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2016-12-09.
  22. ↑ "Arlovski vs. Ngannou set for UFC on FOX 23". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  23. ↑ Staff (2017-01-28). "UFC on FOX 23 bonuses: Valentina Shevchenko, Jorge Masvidal among $50,000 extra winners". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
  24. ↑ Marc Raimondi (2017-06-28). "Junior dos Santos vs. Francis Ngannou official for UFC 215". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  25. ↑ "Junior dos Santos pulled from UFC 215 due to potential USADA violation". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-08-18.
  26. ↑ Dave Doyle (2017-08-28). "Francis Ngannou is officially off UFC 215". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  27. ↑ Staff (2017-08-28). "UFC 215 lineup set with 2 title fights in Edmonton, including Demetrious Johnson's quest for record". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  28. ↑ Tristen Critchfield (2017-09-27). "Heavyweight contenders Alistair Overeem, Francis Ngannou set to clash at UFC 218". sherdog.com. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  29. ↑ Campbell, Brian (December 3, 2017). "UFC 218 results: Francis Ngannou flattens Alistair Overeem with vicious KO". CBSSports.com. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Stipe Miocic slated to defend heavyweight title against Francis Ngannou at UFC 220". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  31. ↑ "UFC 220 results: Stipe Miocic bests Francis Ngannou in lopsided decision". MMA Fighting. 21 January 2018.
  32. ↑ Henken, Michael (2018-04-20). "Report: Francis Nagnnou vs. Derrick Lewis Set For UFC 226". LowKickMMA.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  33. ↑ "UFC 226 results: Derrick Lewis beats Francis Ngannou in extremely awful 'fight'". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  34. ↑ Dana White gives post-mortem on 'abomination' Ngannou vs. Lewis fight at UFC 226
  35. ↑ White reacts to Ngannou v Lewis snorefest
  36. ↑ Fighters react to Derrick Lewis defeating Francis Ngannou
  37. ↑ "UFC 226: Joe Rogan savages 'most boring heavyweight fight of all time' between Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis". Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  38. ↑ Cillian Cunniingham (2016-08-16). "Curtis Blaydes/Francis Ngannou rematch set for UFC Beijing". punditarena.com. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
  39. ↑ Snowden, Jonathan. "Bleacher Report 2017 MMA Awards: Best Fighter, Fight, Finishes and Story". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  40. ↑ "ESPN's MMA awards for 2017: The fight, submission and knockout of the year". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  41. ↑ "Pundit Arena's 2017 UFC Awards - Pundit Arena". www.punditarena.com. Retrieved 2018-01-03.
  42. ↑ "MMA Fighting's 2017 Knockout of the Year: Francis Ngannou's 'uppercut from hell' crushes Alistair Overeem". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-01-04.
  43. ↑ "MMA Fighting's 2017 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Francis Ngannou". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  44. ↑ "MMAjunkie's '2017 Knockout of the Year': A head-rattling heavyweight finish". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-07. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  • "Francis Ngannou". UFC.com.
  • Professional MMA record for Francis Ngannou from Sherdog Edit this at Wikidata
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