Francis Ngannou is one of the biggest heavyweights in UFC history, but in comparison to the athletes in the NBA, the Cameroonian is minuscule!
The 36-year-old has gone on to have a remarkable career inside the octagon. His entry into the sport of mixed martial arts is rather unconventional.
From fleeing his native Cameroon to being jailed for illegally entering Europe, Ngannou has endured it all. Matter of fact, the heavyweight king himself credits the adversities he faced as the beacon of his success.
It is when he bolted off to France, that Francis truly found himself. He discovered the sport, in his quest to simply make enough to make ends meet.
With initial intentions to make his mark in boxing, his coaches advised him to try his hand at MMA. This proved to be his best decision.
Ngannou began accumulating wins within regional promotions, before falling on the radar of the UFC. The promotion quickly nabbed him up.
When he started finishing his opponents in glorious fashion, within the span of the first two rounds, Ngannou was poised to be the next big thing. The knockout connoisseur would then face the inevitable obstacle in his path to UFC gold.
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Although 6’4 and 295 lbs, the UFC heavyweight champion can be seen looking like a shadow of himself in comparison to NBA players. More particularly, the ‘Centers’.
Despite being one of the biggest 265lbs men in UFC history, Ngannou is miniature compared to basketball players.
In his preparation to fight Miocic for the first time, Francis had gone on to meet fellow Cameroonian athlete Joel Embiid.
The pair’s interaction made for some hilarious content. While in conversation, Ngannou and Embiid can be heard engaging in friendly banter.
When the UFC heavyweight stated-
“He should be my next opponent. I never fought someone taller than me.”
Embiid humorously responded-
“I think I’d kick his ass.”
Although his first loss in the UFC, occurred when the stakes were highest. An absolute domination at the hands of then, heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic taught Ngannou a valuable lesson.
Despite the fact that his next fight was a snoozefest, it laid the foundation for the ‘Predator’ to terrorize the division, eventually claiming the UFC championship in 2021.
Ngannou’s rise to prominence is a good reminder that no matter how much talent one possesses, hard work and mental fortitude will prevail.
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